Galley (Galla) Rock Historical  Association

Welcome! The Galley (Galla) Rock Historical  Association was organized to care for the Galley Rock Cemetery and to preserve the history of the area. Membership is open to any one interested. There are no set dues. A member may contribute to the Cemetery Fund ,contribute work time or contribute history items. Galley (Galla) Rock was a Town on the Arkansas River. It was located in Pope County, Arkansas. When the Railroad came through in 1871, the people of Galley Rock began moving to Atkins. Cemetery   In May of 2003 we began a project to clean up the Cemetery and put up a new chain link fence. By July we had the front fenced, for a cost of $1100. We had new medal markers made by Lemley's because the tombstones were getting hard to read.      The annual walk through the cemetery and town site will be May 18, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. This years theme will the Darr Wagon Train that came here in 1858 from Lincoln County, North Carolina. We would like for anyone who has any information passed down from this trip to share it with us.      We will be working at the cemetery from Monday May 12, until we finish. Any help or donations for flowers for the forgotten peoples graves will be appreiated. For further information call John Stroud at 479-641-1472 or James D. Peak at 479-970-4036.                               HISTORY We plan to develop a history of the people who lived there and the surrounding area. Galley (Galla) Rock Galley (Galla) Rock was a settlement on the Arkansas River. It had its beginnings with the Cherokee and continued on into the 1880's. The first record found of Galley Rock being used as a boat landing was in June 1835, when the Arkansas Times at Little Rock reported on the passage of the new boat Neasho, with Captain Pennywit in charge, pass through on the way to Fort Gibson. They had listed with them a cargo of 31 sacks of salt and one barrel of whiskey for Galley Rock. This was two years before (1837) the time that Neal Bell gave as the date of incorporation of the town of Galley Rock and the establishment of the Post Office. Two of the early pioneers to come to the area in the late 1830's were James Carden and Daniel Gilmore. In 1839 James Carden had 80 acres in section 12, township 6 north, range 19 west and Daniel Gilmore had 120 acres in the same section. South of the river Daniel Gilmore had 87.8 acres in section 14, township 6 north, range 19 west. In 1858 Daniel Gilmore had 72 acres in section 13, township 6 north, range 19 west. The earliest of the original land entries was on June 19, 1931 to a John Hicks. This was 126.26 acres in the south east 1/4 of section 13, township 6 North range 19 west. This was also a Cherokee preemption (1824) and south of the river.   Thomas Nuttall In 1819 Thomas Nuttall traveled up the Arkansas River. He found both sides of the river lined with houses and farms of the Cherokee. On the fifth day out of Little Rock they came to the mouth of Petti Jean River they traveled over land for about five miles to the Galley which was located on the west bank of Petti Jean River.   The Galley "Here the Cherokee had a settlement of about a dozen families, who in construction and furniture of their house, and in the management of their farms, imitate the whites, and appeared to be progressing toward civilization, were it not for their baneful attachment to whiskey," A Journal of Travels into the Arkansas Territory During the Year 1819 by Thomas Nuttall, page 135.

CONTACT US We would like to hear from our members and visitors. You may contact us if you have any comments, want to contribute to the fence fund, history of the area, or ask questions. Sign our Guestbook Write to  John Stroud P.O. Box 152 Atkins Arkansas, 72823 [email protected] Write to James David Peak 6979 SR 105 S Atkins, Arkansas, 72823       Last Updated April 18, 2008

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