Patridge, J. J.

Phillips County, Arkansas is located in the Arkansas Delta. Phillips County's soil consists of alluvial deposits from the Mississippi River, making it prime agricultural land. In order to protect this valuable agricultural land, levees were constructed to protect the area from flooding. The first known levee constructed in Phillips County was Laconia Circle, which was built on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Various other levees were built to control flood waters. Major floods in 1927 and 1937 devastated farms and cities in Phillips County. Levees, such as the one along the White River, which forms a portion of Phillips County's western border, had to be rebuilt and improved after floods destroyed them.