Historic Faulkner County

The Arkansas River, which runs along the western edge of Faulkner County, has remained a primary thoroughfare since before the time when settlers followed the first European explorers into the heart of Arkansas and points west. The county was located near the horseshoe-shaped bend in the Arkansas River, which provided an ideal location for these settlers’ cattle raising and crop production. The railroad’s Conway Station soon became the county seat of the newly established Faulkner County. From Faulkner County’s emergence as a farming and railroad community to the development of manufacturing and military training facilities, this engaging photographic history mingles fact with rich storytelling. Within these pages, discover rare photographs that illustrate a variety of the area’s historic claims to fame, including the establishment of the University of Central Arkansas, the Ward Bus Company, the WAAC training camp, and Faulkner County’s fiddle-playing namesake.