 The Kansas City-Memphis Railway chose to bypass Powhatan around 1880, causing nearby Black Rock to grow to prominence instead.The Lawrence County judiciary chose to split in 1887, allowing court to be held in Walnut Ridge and Powhatan.US Route 63 (US 63) was rerouted to bypass Powhatan in the 1950s, and all county government moved to Walnut Ridge in 1963.