History
The area around Little Rock National Cemetery was once a Union encampment. The cemetery itself was a plot within the Little Rock City Cemetery, purchased by the federal government in 1866 and was used to inter Union soldiers who died anywhere in Arkansas. It was officially declared a National Cemetery on April 9, 1868 at which time 3 acres (1.2 ha) were added.
In 1884, an 11-acre (4.5 ha) Confederate cemetery was established immediately adjacent to the National Cemetery. In 1938, the two cemeteries were combined, though the Union and Confederate burials continued to be in separate sections.
In 1990, additional land was purchased from the nearby Oakland Fraternal Cemetery, and in November 1999 the city of Little Rock donated 1-acre (0.40 ha), bringing the cemetery to its current size.
Little Rock National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Read more about this topic: Little Rock National Cemetery
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