Editing Powhatan, Arkansas (section)

==History==
The community was the economic hub of Lawrence County even before first platting in 1849. Situated on the Black River, the community took advantage of river traffic both along the river and as a [[ferry]] point for crossing the river. The [[Southwest Trail|Military Road]] passed nearby in the 1830s, and the local economy was flourishing. The [[American Civil War|Civil War]] shut down commerce on the river, especially after the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] regained control of Arkansas. Skirmishes throughout the region caused havoc for residents, but a slow recovery began to take place following the war. County government was relocated to Powhatan from [[Clover Bend, Arkansas|Clover Bend]], a decision greatly helping Powhatan recover.

The Kansas City-Memphis Railway chose to bypass Powhatan around 1880, causing nearby [[Black Rock, Arkansas|Black Rock]] to grow to prominence instead. The Lawrence County judiciary chose to split in 1887, allowing court to be held in [[Walnut Ridge, Arkansas|Walnut Ridge]] and Powhatan. [[U.S. Route 63 in Arkansas|US&nbsp;Route&nbsp;63]] (US&nbsp;63) was rerouted to bypass Powhatan in the 1950s, and all county government moved to Walnut Ridge in 1963.