Civil War marker approved for LR corner

The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission has said it has approved an application for placement of a Civil War marker in Little Rock.

The marker, to be located on the corner of 15th and Gaines streets, will commemorate Fort Steele, a fortification build after Union soldiers occupied Little Rock in September 1863, the commission said in a Tuesday statement. The fortification was named for Gen. Frederick Steele, who led his Union forces in capturing the northern half of Arkansas, including Little Rock, from the Confederates that month, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Arkansas Historic Preservation Program spokesman Mark Christ said marker preparation typically takes about six weeks, depending on how long it takes to finalize the text and get it sent to the manufacturer.

So far, 70 markers have been approved in 45 counties; the commission hopes at least one marker will be placed in each of the state's 75 counties by the end of the sesquicentennial commemoration in 2015. About 60 of the markers are in place now and can be found here.

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