Blog

Helena in Phillips County was incorporated in 1833 and prospered as a river port, while West Helena began as a railroad town, incorporated in 1917. The two cities united their school systems in 1946 and merged into one city (preserving both names) on January 1, 2006. Two land speculators, Syl... Read More

Important Arkansan: Robert (Bob) Wootton, born March 4, 1942, in Red Branch (part of the town of Paris in Logan County). Wootton is a musician best known for having been Johnny Cash’s backing guitarist for 30 years. In addition to having played on most of Cash’s albums made after 1968, he... Read More

County Seat Spotlight: Augusta, located on the east bank of the White River, has been the county seat of two counties, first Jackson and then Woodruff, and is the oldest settlement in Woodruff County. The town’s placement at a natural river landing brought prosperity during the era o... Read More

Creativity Arkansas: Aj Smith Through drawings and prints artist Aj Smith is able to explore creative processes with freedom to experiment. Graphite pencil, silverpoint and printmaking processes provide an effective means to communicate subtle emotions and feelings where words are often inad... Read More

Davidsonville in Randolph County was founded in 1815 and is considered one of the most important frontier settlements in northeast Arkansas. Abandoned by the 1830s, Davidsonville was the site of several Arkansas “firsts.”  While a part of Missouri Territory’s Lawrence County, ... Read More

On June 27, 1806, the District of Arkansas was created by the Territorial Legislature of Louisiana from the southern part of the New Madrid District.  (Above) A new map of part of the United States of North America, containing the Carolinas and Georgia, 1806; and a Map of the U.S.... Read More

Call for Entries! 2016 Small Works on Paper The Arkansas Arts Council is seeking submissions from visual artists in Arkansas for the 2016 Small Works on Paper exhibition. Deadline for entries is Friday, July 24, 2015. Entry forms are available here or by calling (501) 324-9766. No... Read More

Pictured: On the left, an 1881 Map of Arkansas showing the distribution of forests. On the right, a map of ANHC's Natural Areas.   The Value of Natural Areas Prior to settlement, Arkansas was marked by an expansive mix of natural communities. In all, more than 40 differe... Read More

     Churches of Arkansas: Promised Land Baptist Church In 1866, after the Emancipation Proclamation, former slaves (purchased on October 18, 1841, in New Orleans, Louisiana,) homesteaded the East Kiblah community in Arkansas from the plantation of Richard Blanton. Rep... Read More

This is Isaac Charles Parker (1838–1896) who served as federal judge for the Federal Court of the Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith.  He tried 13,490 cases, with 9,454 of them resulting in guilty pleas or convictions. His court was unique in the fact that he had jurisdiction ove... Read More