LITTLE ROCK URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT ARK-4: THE DEMISE OF WEST ROCK, ARKANSAS, 1884 – 1960

by Nancy Tell-Hall, December 2019

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 and, therefore, should be placed into Arkansas’ historical record.

DEDICATION

This paper is dedicated to my husband, Jeffrey A. Hall, Sr., my four children: Philip, Jarian, Victoria, and Jeffrey Jr., my 14 grandchildren, and all the ancestors. Without them, I could not have achieved my dream.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the following for all the help, support, and encouragement they provided me through the completion of this project:

The UA Little Rock History Department.

The American Indian Center of Arkansas.

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Okmulgee, OK.

Brian Minyard, AICP, Urban Designer, City of Little Rock.

Thank you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. WHAT IS MATTER OUT OF PLACE, OR DIRT?

III. WEST ROCK’S BEGINNINGS

IV. WEST ROCK: A COMMUNITY OR A NEIGHBORHOOD?

V. ALLSOPP PARK

VI. LITTLE ROCK URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT ARK-4

VII. ANALYSIS OF THE 1960 PROJECT ARK-4 REPORT

VIII. THE DEMISE OF WEST ROCK, ARKANSAS

IX. THE LONG-RANGE EFFECTS OF URBAN RENEWAL IN LITTLE ROCK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ATTACHMENTS

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1. Relocation in the Westrock Urban Renewal Area Project.

ATTACHMENT 2. List of Fred Allsopp’s Death Announcement in US Newspapers.

ATTACHMENT 3. Abstracts of City of Little Rock Ordinances and Resolutions Table.

ATTACHMENT 4. City of Little Rock Ordinance No. 7660 and Supplementary Chart.

ATTACHMENT 5. City of Little Rock Ordinance No. 11032 and Funding Table.

ATTACHMENT 6. HHFA Review of Progress Report Form under City of Little Rock Resolution 2624 with

a list of the 5 divisions under HHFA.

ATTACHMENT 7. LRHA: 20 Years of Progress, 1960 Report.

LIST OF CHARTS

CHART 1. RESIDENTIAL MOVEMENT OUT OF WEST ROCK, 1959.

CHART 2. RELOCATION ACTIVITY OF WEST ROCK’S 62 FAMILIES & 21 INDIVIDUALS.

CHART 3. NUMBER OF WEST ROCK RESIDENTS, N. VALMAR (1301-1515 BLOCKS), 1929 – 1961.

LIST OF MAPS

MAP 1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE WESTWARD CORRIDOR, 1926.

MAP 2. WEST ROCK, 1943.

MAP 3. WEST ROCK PHYSICAL LOCATION, 1958.

MAP 4. WEST ROCK ZONING TYPE, 2019.

MAP 5. N. VALMAR STREET AND MIDLAND AVENUE, 1950.

MAP 6. WEST ROCK LAND USE, 2019.

LIST OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND ADVERTISEMENTS

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE 1. “Try to Drive Negroes Away”

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE 2. “The Slum Clearance Program”

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE 3. “Urban Renewal: A Decade of Progress Has Brought Impressive

Changes to Little Rock.”

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE 4. “Business Leaders Making Urban Renewal a Success.”

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT 1. “Pulaski Heights: No Negroes and No Shanties”

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT 2. “Will Public Housing Eliminate Poor People From Little Rock?”

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1. PROJECTED WEST ROCK LAND USE CHANGE, 1959.

TABLE 2. WEST ROCK STRUCTURES, 1959.

TABLE 3. WEST ROCK LIVING CONDITIONS, 1959.

TABLE 4A. SOURCE OF INCOME, EMPLOYED, 1959.

TABLE 4B. SOURCE OF INCOME, GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND UNEMPLOYED, 1959.

TABLE 5A. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1301-1512 AND 1816, 1929.

TABLE 5B. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1301-1515 AND 1816 MIDLAND AVENUE, 1935.

TABLE 5C. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1301-1515 AND 816 MIDLAND AVENUE, 1942.

TABLE 5D. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1304-1511 AND 816 MIDLAND AVENUE, 1948.

TABLE 5E. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1313-1510 AND 816 MIDLAND AVENUE, 1951.

TABLE 5F. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WEST ROCK ADDRESS MOVEMENTS, N. VALMAR STREET, BLOCKS 1301-1515 AND 816 MIDLAND AVENUE, 1961.

TABLE 6. THE FINANCIAL COST OF WEST ROCK, ARKANSAS, 1958.