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Historic Washington State Park - Self-Guided Walking Tour
Item 9 of 18
This is a contributing entry for Historic Washington State Park - Self-Guided Walking Tour and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

In 1831, fourteen-year-old John H. Smith carried the mail 180 miles from Washington, Arkansas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana. On his route, he passed a catalpa tree growing along the Red River and one day he filled his pocket with the fluffy seed. The seeds were scattered in the old court house yard in Washington, introducing the southern catalpa in Hempstead County.


"Mail Carrier Smith" Southern Catalpa Tree, across from the 1836 Courthouse.

"Mail Carrier Smith" Southern Catalpa Tree, across from the 1836 Courthouse.

White catalpa flowers that bloom in the spring

White catalpa flowers that bloom in the spring

John H. Smith came to Hempstead County in 1824 when he was seven years old. In 1831, Smith carried the mail 180 miles on horseback from Washington, Arkansas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, a ten day round-trip he made twice each month. According to an interview he gave to the Southwest Press in 1883, he stopped one day on his route at a catalpa tree hedge growing along the Red River Of The South. He filled his pocket with the winged seed from this tree, and when he returned to Washington, he scattered them over the land around the 1836 Courthouse, introducing the species to the town. It's estimated this particular tree was planted around 1831.

Brooke, Steven. Historic Washington, Arkansas. Gretna, Louisiana. Pelican Publishing Company, 2000.

Medearis, Mary. Washington, Arkansas : History on the Southwest Trail. Hope, Arkansas. Copies + Office Solutions, 1984.

Spears, Leita. Photo Essay: Branches in Time, Historic Washington State Park . July 7th 2020. Accessed April 16th 2022. https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/articles/photo-essay-branches-time.

Williams, Charlean Moss. The Old Town Speaks : Washington, Hempstead County, Arkansas, gateway to Texas, 1835, Confederate Capital, 1863. Houston, Texas. The Anson Jones Press, 1951.

Williams, Joshua. Washington. Images of America. Charleston, South Carolina. Arcadia Publishing, 2014.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Historic Washington State Park Collection

Historic Washington State Park Collection