Rodney Parham was a young mentally disabled Arkansas boy. When
the Union army bivouacked near his home he was fascinated. He was
caught watching them from a short distance and abducted.
An inexperienced Union officer hanged him for a spy. The inept
soldiers failed to fashion a proper knot and the poor poor hung by
his neck in agony for almost an hour before dying of
exhaustion.
Many landmarks in the area are named in honor of his tragic
sacrifice.
I know this is an old post, but I wanted to clarify some wrong
info. I think the person on that Answers website is confusing
Rodney Parham for David O. Dodd. There is not much info on the web
about Mr. Parham, but apparently he was an influential Judge and a
mover and shaker in LR in the 1950's. There was a Rodney H. Parham
who was a standard-bearer for public education in Arkansas in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, but I assume the street is
named for the 1950's Parham.
David O. Dodd was the "boy martyr of the Confederacy" who was
ineptly hanged. Although much of the detail in the above account is
incorrect, too.
Related Q&A：
Who was Rodney Parham ave named for？-Oh, well, you know, I'm not exactly sure who Rodney Parham Ave was named for. But usually, streets are named after important people in the local community, maybe a prominent businessperson, a civic leader, or someone who made significant contributions to the area. It could even be named after a historical figure who had an impact on the region. But without specific local historical records or knowledge, it's hard to say for sure. Maybe you could check with the local historical society or do some digging in the town archives to find out!
