West Rock: Not Just a Neighborhood

ABSTRACT

There are many reasons given for the demise of West Rock, Arkansas. This paper will, by analyzing the primary documents, show the process taken by the federal, state, county, and city governments to remove the residents of West Rock using a Housing Authority plan entitled PROJECT ARK-4. This paper will also maintain PROJECT ARK-4 is an important part in the study of Little Rock’s once vibrant African-American culture and its history.

INTRODUCTION

What happens when one neighborhood’s societal and cultural values are different from those who are in control of the local government? One does not need to do a deep analysis PROJECT ARK-4 to understand the financial benefits Little Rock’s leaders saw in the demise of West Rock. Six of those reasons were listed in Resolution No. 2193 in 1953:

1. Eliminate a slum and blighted area with high city service costs and low tax revenue.

2. Straighten and widen Cantrell Road.

3. Provide improved commercial land and off-street parking area for development by private enterprise.

4. Addition to Allsopp Park.

5. Provide much needed residential building sites relatively close to downtown for development by private enterprise.

6. Increase tax base of city, county, and school district by replacing slums with a modern attractive residential development, thus increasing tax revenues for that area by nearly 400%.[1]

These six reasons succinctly stated what happened when one group’s cultural values went against the wishes of the local government.

West Rock, Arkansas became a matter out of place.

[1] Resolution No. 2193, April 7, 1958.