Arkansas County is the oldest county in Arkansas, and has a rich history behind it. The only American Revolutionary battle fought West of the Mississippi (1783), was fought in Arkansas County. A dual county seat with courthouses in Dewitt and Stuttgart, the oldest records in Arkansas are kept in the Dewitt Courthouse. They date from 1796 and are written in Spanish. The courtroom in the courthouse in Stuttgart has a unique design where the witness sits in front of the judge and faces the jury, whereas, in most courtrooms the witness sits beside the judge facing the spectators. The landscape of the county is rich, flat, delta farmland. The eastern boundary of the county runs along the White River, and the southern border includes a stretch of the Arkansas River and Lock and Dam No. 2 of the River Navigation System. There are three museums in the county. The Stuttgart Agricultural Museum is located at 921 East 4th Street, Stuttgart, which is just north of the city park. The Arkansas Post Museum State Park is located 6 miles south of Gillett on U.S. Highway 165 at the junction of Arkansas Highway 169 near the entrance to the Arkansas Post National Memorial Park. The Arkansas Post is considered the earliest European settlement in the lower Mississippi River valley. The National Park includes a visitors’ center and exhibits, artifacts and a trail to take visitors by points of interest. The population of Arkansas county is 21,653 (1990) census, with 64.5% being urban and rural. Phillips Community College with a campus in DeWitt and one in Stuttgart, and a University of Arkansas agricultural research experiment station are active in research and training in the county.