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THE EYE

ATTRACTIONS

HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE

ANNUAL EVENTS

A City on the Move

The largest city in southeast Arkansas and the tenth-largest city in the state, Pine Bluff sits astride Interstate 530 and U. S. Highway 65 on the banks of the Arkansas River. Located just 42 miles southeast of Little Rock and 100 miles upstream of the river’s confluence with the Mississippi River, the city is situated in the Southeast section of the Arkansas Delta straddling the Arkansas Timberlands region to its west. Pine Bluff is home to Southeast Arkansas College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, one of the 104 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation.

— SPORTS —

Play Your Game

When it comes to sporting events, Pine Bluff scores with dozens of opportunities for recreation. Some venues are open to public while others are available for use by event organizers.

19

Parks and Family- Friendly Recreational Areas

58

Buildings on the National Register of Historic Places

100's

of Connections to Historically Significant People & Events

Making History

Looking for a few quick historical facts about Pine Bluff? Try these:

JOSEPH BONNE GOT HERE FIRST

It all started when Joseph Bonne, half French and half Quapaw Indian, built a log cabin on the high bluff around 1819. His home became known as “The Pine Bluff” because it was the first bluff supporting pine trees upstream from the mouth of the Arkansas River. The settlement officially named “The Town of Pine Bluff” in October 1832 was incorporated on January 8, 1839.

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT GAINED STEAM HERE

Did you know that Pine Bluff boasts major civil rights credentials? Attorneys Harold Flowers, Wiley Branton, and Leo Branton (all Pine Bluff natives) were at the epicenter of groundbreaking cases like the Little Rock Central High crisis, the integration of the University of Arkansas Law School, and the drive to register black voters. Judge George Howard and Black Panther Bobby Hutton also played important roles.

civil rights word in open book (1024x605

WHEN IT COMES TO BLUES, ALL ROADS LEAD HERE

Some of the biggest names in blues, gospel, and jazz have Pine Bluff connections. For Delta folks, the gospel and the blues are in the air and in the water. The mosaic of cotton blossoms, catfish farms, blues juke joints, foot-stomping churches, and rich Delta dirt served as the training ground for legends in blues, R&B/soul, country music, jazz, and gospel--names like Big Bill Bronzy, Miles Davis, and Sippy Wallace, just to name a few.

MOGULS & MILLIONAIRES

LIVED AND WORKED HERE

Pine Bluff has always been home to entrepreneurs. Wiley Jones owned a rail company and was one of the richest black men in the South. Ferd Havis owned 3,000 acres of land and was known as the Colored Millionaire of Pine Bluff. O.W. Gurley was one of the catalysts for the development of Black Wall Street. Fred T. Jones established the state’s first black hospitals and created the first health insurance plan in the nation.

PINE BLUFF - ARKANSAS' ARCHITECTURAL GEM

Did you know that Pine Bluff is one of the most architecturally significant cities in Arkansas? It's one of the best-kept secrets in the state. With every period of architecture represented, Pine Bluff has a stunning 58 buildings on the National Register of Historical Places. The city's historic commercial buildings, churches and residences are characters every bit as interesting as the fascinating characters who occupied them.

THE CRADLE OF DELTA CREATIVITY

Innovators with Pine Bluff connections birthed the invention of sound in movies, invented slow-motion footage, and launched the first western-genre movie star. Discover the untold stories of Pine Bluff's creative class - the writers, the artists and the entertainment entrepreneurs who made history, along with the Pine Bluff institutions that continue to nurture fresh talent.