# Why do Arkansas and Lousiana both have Ouachita counties? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395 "2026-07-03T21:10:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/1 "2026-07-03T21:10:44Z")
Or parish as the case may be. Beck? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/2 "2026-07-03T21:14:10Z")
Apparently the Ouachita River flows through both. > **[Ouachita River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouachita_River)** > > The Ouachita River (/ˈwɑːʃɪtɑː/ WAH-shi-tah) is a 605-mile-long (974 km) river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United States (by main stem). The Ouachita River begins in the Ouachita Mountains near Mena, Arkansas. It flows east into Lake Ouachita, a reservoir created by Blakely Mountain Dam. The North Fork and South Fork of the Ouachita flow... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/3 "2026-07-03T21:22:14Z")
Yep. The Oh Shitty is a long river. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/4 "2026-07-03T23:42:18Z")
In our first or second year of college, one of my High School buddies had a thing for the Philippine nurses working at Arkansas Medical Center. They pronounced it “Oh wah chee ta” instead of “wash a taw”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/5 "2026-07-03T23:48:50Z")
Mostly we get Ouachita misspelled **Q** uachita. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/6 "2026-07-04T01:59:35Z")
And both counties were apparently named because they had big towns in them that were important trading stops along said river. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/7 "2026-07-04T02:46:38Z")
The Queen City on the Ouachita is Camden the Ouachita county seat(the official, I guess, title). Camden was up thru the Civil war the second Largest town in Arkansas. And actually considered for the Capital at statehood. But Little Rock was more central. Yes. The river was very important in shipping goods. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/8 "2026-07-04T05:31:09Z")
Not just the river. The Ouachita Mountains are some seriously ancient mountains that back in their heyday were on par with the Rockies, or so my geology teacher taught us back in junior high. Wichita KS got its name from the same local native name for the mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/9 "2026-07-04T06:49:25Z")
The Ouachita were located in northern Louisiana and were part of the larger Caddo Confederation occupying parts of Texas, Louisana, and Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/10 "2026-07-04T13:48:50Z")
Ah…the ArkLaTex. Hate that. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/11 "2026-07-04T14:08:15Z")
They were originally part of the Appalachians, which were formed 480 million years ago when the continents collided into Pangea! The Rockies are young upstarts by comparison. Here’s an map showing where the full range was: [![](https://www.nps.gov/npgallery/GetAsset/75211cf5-9a37-4f22-baef-661883337856) ](https://www.nps.gov/npgallery/GetAsset/75211cf5-9a37-4f22-baef-661883337856) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/12 "2026-07-04T20:29:45Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > They were originally part of the Appalachians [It would be millions of years of weathering that Ozarks rock [part of the Ouachita range] before the Appalachian Mountains began to form, and millions more before the giant uplift that formed the Rockies. The Ozarks actually began 1.65 billion years ago. That’s how old.](https://festival.si.edu/blog/ozarks-americas-oldest-mountains) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/13 "2026-07-04T22:44:27Z")
The river is named for the Native American [Ouachita tribe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouachita_tribe "Ouachita tribe") It’s a popular name in that area. For example Ouachita Baptist College is in Arkladelphia. It’s unusual because directly across the street is Henderson State University. The Ouachita is a scary river that used to flood often. My grandparents lost almost everything when the oil camp they lived in flooded. All my mom’s baby and toddler photos were lost. The Army Corp of Engineers has done a lot to manage the river. But, it still floods in some areas. My Scout Troop studied the Osage, Caddo, and Ouachita tribes. The Order of the Arrow was a big part of scouting. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/14 "2026-07-04T23:22:25Z")
The Ozark Mountain Plateau is not part of the Ouachita Mountains at all. The Ozarks are in Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri, above the regions on the map chosen. [![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/569272_400622f0747f4d819ba9abb6a0fd53e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_800,h_668,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/569272_400622f0747f4d819ba9abb6a0fd53e0~mv2.jpg) ](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/569272_400622f0747f4d819ba9abb6a0fd53e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_800,h_668,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/569272_400622f0747f4d819ba9abb6a0fd53e0~mv2.jpg) And, well, that age is dubious. The Ozarks were originally uplifted at the same time as the Ouachitas/Appalachians by the same collision. Basically, the weight of the Ouchitas created a bulging plateau on the north side. From there, the plateau eroded, creating the peaks and valleys we see here today. Since no new rock was formed, you can technically say the rocks are significantly older, but they were below the sea floor half a billion years ago. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/15 "2026-07-05T02:42:58Z")
I’m not a geologist, and I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that website or what my 9th grade geology teacher taught us. I do interpret the website I linked to as saying the Ozarks are a subset (“the highlands”) of the Ouachita range. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/16 "2026-07-05T04:51:32Z")
The thing is, in Arkansas; mountains are never the big story. We’re small state with low mountains. The waterways and wetlands are very important. Pine trees and kudzu. And diamonds. Yep. We gots all the goodies. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/17 "2026-07-05T05:05:44Z")
Why does Arkansas have a Nevada county? And why does Nevada have a Lyon county? Named after a Civil war Union officer (never set foot anywhere near Nevada) who was killed really early, and, well then there is Favoritism… ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/18 "2026-07-05T05:08:24Z")
There’s no state without Lincoln or Washington counties. I’d almost bet money on it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/19 "2026-07-05T05:10:29Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’d almost bet money on it. Of all the things I like about you, your conviction is near the top. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395/20 "2026-07-05T05:10:37Z")
To be fair. Nevada county and the state of Nevada sound completely different. Ne VAY dah Or Nee Vah da [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-arkansas-and-lousiana-both-have-ouachita-counties/1031395.md?page=2)