Mifflin Gibbs – Object #4

Bird’s eye view of the city of Little Rock, the capitol of Arkansas 1871

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<p>Color bird’s-eye view map of Little Rock from 1871 showing the Arkansas River, street grid, buildings on the bottom near title. There are no bridges over the Arkansas River in this map.</p>

Color map of Little Rock from 1871 showing an aerial view of the Arkansas River, street grid, and downtown buildings, looking southwest.

Questions:

Describe the physical geography and the buildings in Little Rock.

What did Little Rock look like when Mifflin Gibbs first moved into town?

How has Little Rock changed since 1871? Cite evidence from the map to support your answer.

Citations

Ruger, A. Bird’s Eye View of the City of Little Rock, the Capitol of Arkansas. 1871. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.