Names from Nature
Poke Bayou
Poke Bayou flows from Sharp County into the White River, and was probably named for the poke berry, although some have claimed that “poke” was another word for the green heron. Two settlements have had this name, including Batesville before it was named for James Woodson Bates. Another 19th-century town by this name in Sharp County was first called Martin’s Store, since the post office, like many post offices, was located in a general store, and in this case a store belonging to John Martin, and that name is preserved in the historic site. The spelling of Poke at some point was changed to Polk, like the U.S. president, and after 1894, that is how old maps show the town. Whatever its name, the town was abandoned by 1914, and only the waterway now preserves the name Poke Bayou.
Daniel Boice, University of Arkansas at Monticello, I’m Dan Boice