Editing Dardanelle, Arkansas (section)

== History ==

[[File:The longest pontoon bridge in the world, spanning Russellville and Dardanelle, Arkansas. - NARA - 516537.jpg|thumb|left|For nearly four decades (1891-1929), the [[Dardanelle pontoon bridge|bridge]] between Yell and Pope counties at the old military road crossing at Dardanelle was the longest pontoon bridge in the U.S. at over 2,200 feet.]]

Dardanelle is one of the oldest cities in the state of Arkansas. Officially incorporated in 1855, Dardanelle celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005. However, the area had been settled for years before that, first being established as a river town in the mid-18th century. It is Yell County's dual county seat, sharing that title with Danville.

The Treaty of Council Oaks<ref>{{cite web |author1=Ann M. Early |title=Treaty of Council Oaks |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/treaty-of-council-oaks-4833/ |website=The Encyclopedia of Arkansas |publisher=Arkansas Archeological Survey |access-date=January 21, 2023 }}</ref> was signed on June 24, 1823, on what is now North Front Street beneath two huge oak trees (102 feet high and 400–500 years old). Under orders of President [[James Monroe]], U.S. Army Colonel David Brearley and secretary of Arkansas Territory [[Robert Crittenden|Robert Crittendon]] met with Black Fox and several Cherokee leaders to determine boundaries. As a result of the treaty, the Cherokees gave up all of their land in Arkansas south of the [[Arkansas River]]. One of the trees was destroyed in the early 1990s in a flood, but the other is still standing. The site is now a city park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4833|title=Treaty of Council Oaks|work=The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture}}</ref>

Because of its location on the banks of the Arkansas River, Dardanelle was one of Arkansas's leading towns in the 19th century. Hundreds of barges, steamboats, and other vessels traveled by the town annually. Approximately halfway between the state's two largest cities of [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]] and [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], Dardanelle was a transportation and business hub, known as a marketplace for gin, rum and cotton.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=1020|title= Dardanelle (Yell County)|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website= The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture|access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref>

Dardanelle has a history of being one of the state's leading immigration centers that continues to this day. Vast numbers of [[Czech American|Czech]] and [[German American|German]] families, including the Ballouns, Vodrazkas, Staneks, and Pfeiffers, came to the town in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and their impact can still be felt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=2373 |title=Brearley Cemetery Historic Section, Dardanelle, Yell County |website=Arkansas Historic Preservation Program |access-date=November 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810220133/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=2373 |archive-date=August 10, 2014 }}</ref> As of 2010, Dardanelle has one of the highest percentages of Hispanics in the state, with over 36% of the town's population Hispanic (up from 21% in 2000).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usa.com/dardanelle-ar-population-and-races.htm|title=Dardanelle, AR Population and Races}}</ref>

Merritt Park opened in the late 1990s on the west side of town. It is a large, state-of-the-art park featuring outstanding baseball facilities, a playground, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a walking/jogging trail. The adjacent Dardanelle Community Center opened around the same time, and provides multiple services for the community.

In the late 19th century, a [[Dardanelle pontoon bridge|pontoon bridge]] between Dardanelle and Russellville replaced ferry service. Spanning 2,208 feet, it was the longest pontoon bridge ever constructed across a moving body of water. The bridge was completely washed out multiple times during its nearly forty years of existence.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The Dardanelle Lock & Dam, constructed in the 1960s as a part of the [[McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System|McClellan-Kerr Navigation System]], led to the formation of Lake Dardanelle. It is a source of hydropower, and helps regulate river traffic on the Arkansas River. In 2013 it had an operating budget just over 8.9 million dollars.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.swd.usace.army.mil/Portals/42/docs/civilworks/Fact%20Sheets/Little%20Rock/FY13%20Dardanelle%20Lock%20and%20Dam,%20AR.pdf|title=Dardanelle Lock & Dam, AR Fact Sheet<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=February 5, 2012|publisher= U.S. Army Corps of Engineers|access-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref>

During the [[2019 Arkansas River floods]], a [[levee]] just south of Dardanelle near [[Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge|Holla Bend]] failed and broke at 1 a.m. Friday, May 31. Over the next few days water came perilously close to homes, schools and businesses in the southern part of Dardanelle but receded before causing any major damage.<ref name="npr20190531">{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/05/31/728498303/it-s-never-done-this-arkansas-river-keeps-flooding-testing-levees-and-patience|title='It's Never Done This': Arkansas River Keeps Flooding, Testing Levees And Patience|last=Hersher|first=Rebecca|last2=Rott|first2=Nathan|date=May 31, 2019|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref>