📜 Pocahontas Since 1856

POCAHONTAS
HISTORY

Stepping back in time through Pocahontas, Arkansas — the photos, the faces, and the places that built the Randolph County seat. From Black River steamboats and the old downtown square to a century of Redskins yearbooks, this is where we keep the memory alive.

1815
First Settlers
Pioneer families settle along the Black River near present-day Pocahontas — drawn by fertile farmland and river trade.
1835
Randolph County Formed
The Arkansas legislature creates Randolph County, named for Virginia congressman John Randolph of Roanoke.
1856
Pocahontas Incorporated
Pocahontas is officially incorporated and becomes the county seat — named for the famous Powhatan woman.
1860s
Steamboat Era
The Black River becomes a major steamboat route, hauling cotton, timber, and passengers north to the Mississippi.
1900s
Railroad Arrives
Rail lines reach Pocahontas, transforming the local economy and tying the town into national markets.
1955
Hoxie Integrates
Nearby Hoxie schools integrate — one of the first districts in the South to do so after Brown v. Board of Education.
Today
The Voice Continues
POKY Radio carries the stories of Pocahontas, Walnut Ridge, Hoxie, Maynard, and Imboden into a new century.

Old Photos of Pocahontas

A growing archive of vintage photos showing how downtown, the river, the schools, and Main Street looked decades ago. Filter by topic, or click any photo to see it full-size.

Yearbook Photos

Old yearbook photos from Pocahontas High and surrounding schools — class portraits, sports teams, prom nights, and the everyday moments captured between the covers. Pick a decade to filter.

Got Old Pocahontas Photos?

If you've got vintage photos of downtown, the river, old schoolhouses, or yearbooks tucked away in a closet, we'd love to add them to the archive. Send them to POKY Radio and help preserve our town's story.

📬 Send Us Your Photos