The "Little Rock" Arkansas River, Little Rock, Arkansas The "Little Rock" This rock outcropping, the namesake for the city that surrounds it, was so named to distinguish it from the "Big Rock" bluff which stands farther upriver on the other side.   It served as a prominent landmark for the native Indians as well as early European and American travelers. The rock marked the beginning of the primary trail route to the southwest, and was also used as a boundary marker for the Quapaw Indian lands in their 1818 treaty.  Originally a much larger natural formation, the consequences of man's development have greatly diminished its presence.