Native American tribes built homes and trade routes along the White River. The Osage people lived in northern Arkansas and Missouri and the Cherokee were known to have built settlements along her banks in the late 1700s.

French fur trappers and traders, were among the first Europeans to experience the wealth of the White River. Des Arc was one of the earliest settlements in eastern Arkansas and the earliest settlement in Prairie County as well as an important shipping point for lumber and agricultural goods.

Incorporated in 1854, Des Arc's position on the river has shaped its culture, history, and economy, beginning as a major lumber shipping port but leaving the city vulnerable to major floods in 1927 and 1937. The city’s name, Des Arc, is derived from a French term meaning “bow” or “curve.” Francis Francure, a Frenchman, was reportedly one of the first settlers in the area, living on the land since 1789.

Photo courtesy of Arkansas State Archives

Photo courtesy of Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System

One of the earlier landowners, James Erwin, opened the first store, a combination cotton and grist mill, and a sawmill. The city’s placement along the White River proved especially profitable in the early years, and Des Arc was a point at which local timber was shipped downstream to other markets.

In the 1850s, the Butterfield Overland Mail Company ran through Des Arc, making it an important stop for mail and travelers between Memphis, Tennessee, and points west. In 1900, the Des Arc and Northern Railroad was built, running from Des Arc to St. Louis, Missouri, for the purpose of transporting lumber.

The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville. The river flows northwards from its source to loop through southwest Missouri before heading southeast through Arkansas to its mouth on the Mississippi River.

The White River is popular as a fishing destination. Common types of fish to be found in these waters are bass, trout, catfish, and crappie.

The Des Arc Swinging bridge was constructed in 1928 and replaced in 1970. The Flood of 1927 and the Flood of 1937 hit Des Arc hard, and local rescue operations had to be carried out. In 1945, the White River broke through a levee constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, flooding Des Arc once more. Another flood four years later proved even worse, with the White River cresting at 37.35 feet. In 2011, Des Arc experienced one of the worst floods in the area with the White River cresting at a record 39.43 feet.

Photo courtesy of Museum of American History, Cabot Public Schools

Video showing aerial view of 2011 flooding courtesy of D-Ray and Wanda's Farm on YouTube