ARKANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, Volume XLVIII, Summer 1989, p. 137   Colonial Arkansas Place Names By SAMUEL DORRIS DICKINSON* 303 West Walnut Street, Prescott, Arkansas 71857   PART I WHILE SERVING AS STATE GEOLOGIST of Arkansas Dr. John C. Branner of Stanford University became interested in foreign place names that had been recorded on maps made during pioneer surveys of Arkansas. Most of these names were French. However, he included in his investigations several Indian names and two possible Spanish ones. Obviously, some names were corruptions, and with the help of Judge U. M. Rose of Little Rock he tried to determine their origin. His study, "Some Old French Place Names in the State of Arkansas," was published in Modern Language Notes, Volume XIV, February 1899, pages 33-40, and it was reprinted in the autumn 1960, issue of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Volume XIX, pages 191-206. Dr. Branner's references necessarily were limited to a few French histories and to nineteenth century travel accounts of American explorers. Back then scant attention was paid to the colonial history of Arkansas. Little primary source material was accessible. The main books that Dr. Branner consulted included: Message from the President of the United States communicating discoveries made in exploring the Missouri, Red River, and Washita, by Captains Lewis and Clark, Doctor Sibley and Mr. Dunbar (Washington, 1806). ____________________ *The author, a retired newspaper editor, has been interested in the ethnohistory of Arkansas and Louisiana since he was a boy. In pursuit of this interest he studies and translates French and Spanish materials. He wishes to thank Ms. Mary White, librarian, Louisiana Historical Center, Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans; and Robert Trotter, postmaster of Ozark, Arkansas, for help given him during the preparation of this paper.           Contents  Words  Study Questions  Related Sites Next