Loading Events
Steam train with men standing on side rails

Michael Hood: In Search of the Little Rock Maumelle and Western Railroad

CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Presents LEGACIES & LUNCH

Speaker: Mike Hood

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Ouachita Mountains west of Little Rock held one of the last expanses of virgin timber east of the Rocky Mountains. In 1904, Andrew Johnson Neimeyer moved his sawmill operation from Saginaw, Arkansas, to just south of Little Rock along the banks of the Fourche River and began construction on what would become the Little Rock Maumelle and Western Railroad. The railroad ran west and northwest through the sparsely populated area west of Little Rock, through Ferndale and onward deep into Saline County. By 1921, whatever timber could be accessed by railroad in the mountainous terrain had been cut, and the road was abandoned west of what would one day become University Avenue. The old rail line history has been documented with a series of maps and photographs of the route along with historical information about the places and machines of the time.

Michael Hood is the retired civil engineering manager for the City of Little Rock and has done numerous presentations on the early roads and places from Pulaski County history. Hood has been a regular program participant for the Pulaski County Historical Society, the Quapaw Quarter Association, and numerous other clubs and organizations. He has also co-authored several articles on how the streets, roads, and places got their names.

Register for Webinar

Legacies & Lunch is a hybrid program—offering participants the opportunity to attend either in person or virtually via Zoom. To participate in person, join us at – NEW LOCATION – UA Little Rock Downtown (333 President Clinton Ave). Parking is available in the surface lot or the CALS Parking Deck which you can access from Rock Street. Parking will be validated. Bring your lunch; we will provide drinks and cookies. To participate virtually, register for the webinar using the button above.

This program will be live-streamed to YouTube and the recording will be available immediately following the event.


About Legacies & Lunch

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.

Past Legacies & Lunch Events

Event
  • This event has passed.

Date and Time

January 3 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm