- The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
The result was keep per WP:HEY. (non-admin closure) Schminnte [talk to me] 22:06, 1 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Arkana, Louisiana (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log | edits since nomination)
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Leeper's place names book doesn't say what this spot is, and the topos show that it is a passing siding on the old Cotton Belt line, straddling the state line. It's clearly not a settlement, just a NN rail point. Mangoe (talk) 03:54, 20 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Note: This discussion has been included in the deletion sorting lists for the following topics: Geography and Louisiana. WCQuidditch ☎ ✎ 04:19, 20 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- I found SPC 1890, p. 122 saying that "Alden's Bridge and Arkana are also new railroad towns.". So it's a town. Would that the "Arkana" chapter of Temple 2008 were usable! It explains everything, with populations, postmasters, and federal writers projects; even the fact that this is the same place as Arkana, Arkansas in Lafayette. Uncle G (talk) 07:06, 20 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Well, it was a town. There's nothing there now. Mangoe (talk) 04:12, 21 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Actually there is, and Temple 2008, p. 356 even lists it. As I said, it's a damn shame that Robert D. Temple self-published and has undiscernable expert credentials. All that we have in the meantime are SPC 1890, p. 122 and the Federal Writers' Project, which I have now managed to track down (Temple just mentioning the FWP without title, date, or anything to go on), and the somewhat dubious ALTGA 1990, p. 197 saying "several stores, a saw mill, church and a post office". Uncle G (talk) 11:20, 21 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- No, Temple (p. 356) says "The town is gone, though, except for the name on a topo map, a UP rail siding, and the Arkana oil and gas field a few miles away in Louisiana." If we are to use him as a source we can definitely put the place in the past tense. Mangoe (talk) 23:25, 22 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- A UP rail siding and an oil and gas field are not nothing. Ironically, there's excellent support elsewhere in Temple for the claim of it being a ghost town. But as I said, I cannot discern any expert credentials for Temple. You might want to check the article; it is in the past tense. Uncle G (talk) 12:02, 27 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Liz Read! Talk! 03:15, 27 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Keep. Arkana was a small town on the border of Louisiana and Arkansas, headquarters of a railroad company, with a school, church, lumber mill, rail station, post office, 1900 census population of 12, a 1920 census of 63, and a 1940 census population of 63. The community was noted in regional newspapers from Shreveport to Bossier City to papers in Arkansas, and the Bossier City Banner had a weekly news column about Arkana, which it regarded as a prosperous, up-and-coming community. I'm seeing over 200 news articles about Arkana from about 1910 to about 1945, when Arkana seemingly fades from history. I've expanded the article; more work is in progress, but this was a notable town, with sources found in the Library of Congress, discussion of the community's resources in state publications in Baton Rouge, and regional coverage in the Shreveport area. I'm really overwhelmed by the number of sources: the Arkana and Eastern Railroad itself could be its own article, given time. (BTW, I wouldn't use the Temple (2008) source; not only is it self-published, it doesn't match what any of the other sources say about Arkana; it claims Arkana was a community of about 500 residents. No other source confirms or even approaches those numbers). Anyway, this article should be kept and expanded further, not deleted: there's no reason to delete an article which can be sourced,. Firsfron of Ronchester 17:00, 29 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- Keep. Clearly was a town on Newspapers Extended, e.g. in the May 1912 Bossier Banner-Progress: [1]
- Keep per WP:HEY. Nice work in finding sources and expanding Firsfron, and for working out how to filter out all the other hits for $arkana$ which I would guess put most people off. (It put me off when I first saw this.) Cielquiparle (talk) 21:59, 29 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- The hits for Arkana in Baxter County, Arkansas, and Texarkana definitely have been a bit frustrating. Thanks for the additions! The article already looks better. Firsfron of Ronchester 22:04, 29 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
- The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.