Roswell Beebe (December 22, 1795 – September 27, 1856) was a prominent businessman, land speculator, and politician in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

during the 19th century. Originally from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, he moved to Arkansas in the 1830s, where he became influential in the development of

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

. On September 25, 1839, he received the original patent for the town, signed by President

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...

. Beebe is best known for his role in resolving land disputes in and around Little Rock. In 1839, he purchased land from the federal government that included much of present-day downtown Little Rock. This acquisition helped settle longstanding legal conflicts over land claims in the area, as he later distributed portions of the land to existing settlers. In addition to his land dealings, Beebe was involved in politics and served as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Little Rock from 1849 to 1850. He was also active in

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

development, recognizing the importance of transportation infrastructure for the region’s economic growth. Beebe's legacy is reflected in the city’s expansion and stability during its formative years. His contributions were significant enough that

Beebe, Arkansas Beebe is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 8,437 at the 2020 U.S. Census, making it the second most populous in the county. The city is home to Arkansas State University-Beebe. ASU-Beebe also has branch campu ...

, a town in White County, was named in his honor.

References

Bibliography

* Atkinson, J. H., ed. "Letters from Solon Borland to Roswell Beebe." Arkansas Historical Quarterly 18 (Autumn 1959): 287–290. * "Roswell Beebe Materials, 1795–1925." Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock, Arkansas. {{DEFAULTSORT:Beebe, Roswell 1795 births 1856 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Arkansas Burials at Mount Holly Cemetery Businesspeople from Arkansas Mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas 19th-century American businesspeople