Quigate

Quiguate was a populous chiefdom in the lower Mississippi valley, remembered by the chroniclers of the Hernando de Soto expedition for the size of its principal town. The chief’s house stood on an artificial elevation, surrounded by a settlement large enough to accommodate both its inhabitants and the Spanish visitors.

In 1541 de Soto marched toward Quiguate after hearing that the province was rich in maize. The expedition occupied the town for several days while seeking guides and interpreters. One account says that the Spaniards burned part of it to subdue its people and took the chief prisoner, though he escaped across a river. The expedition later continued into the Arkansas interior, seeking food and a place to spend the winter.