Lost West Ninth Street

For many decades, Little Rock’s West Ninth Street was the heart of the city’s African American community. “The Line,” as the street was sometimes known, was home to businesses, churches, fraternal groups, and a host of other entities. It also boasted a significant residential population. Unfortunately, by the early 1960s, societal changes, urban renewal, and the construction of Interstate 630 were leading to the demise of the once vibrant community. These photographs, largely from the records of the Quapaw Quarter Association, document those structures destroyed by these developments.

Read more about West Ninth Street from the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.