This is part of a series of articles written by the Department of Arkansas Heritage to celebrate the Semiquincentennial of the United States. While Arkansas was not yet a territory or a state in 1776, the region that would become the state of Arkansas in 1836 played an important part in the evolution of the United States over the past 250 years.
“The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.” Harry S. Truman
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill
The Beginnings of Preservation
In the late 19th century, the academic field of history developed into a serious profession and in 1884, the American Historical Association was created. One focus of this new organization was to create general standards for archival and historic preservation efforts on national, state and local levels. As Americans moved into the 20th century, the preservation of history became an increasingly popular topic.
In 1901, Alabama established the very first state archives in the nation dedicated to preserving state and local historical materials. Mississippi established their own state archives the next year and Arkansas became the third state to create an archives when the Arkansas History Commission was established in 1905.
Professor John Hugh Reynolds from the University of Arkansas was a driving force in the creation of the Arkansas History Commission. In 1903, with a dedicated group of history-minded scholars and students, he had already established the Arkansas Historical Association and was the editor of the organization’s journal, Publications of the Arkansas Historical Association, which focused on articles and items relating to the state’s history. He also wrote Makers of Arkansas History, one of the earliest textbooks documenting the state’s past. It was a natural move for him to help create our state’s first official archives.
Creating the Arkansas History Commission
In 1905, Reynolds drafted legislation to create the Arkansas History Commission. The legislation passed and the Arkansas History Commission, designed to serve as the official archives of Arkansas, became not only the third state archives in the nation, it also became one of our first state agencies.
Today the Arkansas History Commission is known as the Arkansas State Archives (ASA). Throughout its existence, it’s called four different places home, from the Arkansas State Capitol to the Old State House Museum, then to a three-story annex beside the museum, and finally, in 1979, to its current home at One Capitol Mall.
The ASA has changed from an independent state agency to an agency of a combined department; first with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism in 1971, then to the Department of Arkansas Heritage in 2016, and finally an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism when the two departments combined in 2019.
Saving Arkansas’ History
One thing that has not changed is the agency’s commitment to “collecting and preserving the official records and historical materials for the State of Arkansas.” According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the Archive’s first director and executive secretary, Dallas T. Herndon wrote, “The Commission exists to gather the records of all [of Arkansas’] local and state activities, past, present, and future; to preserve and classify these records; [and] make them accessible to the public.”
The ASA continues to preserve the state’s history while embracing new technologies and practices. From establishing a microfilming program and purchasing the agency’s first microfilm reader in earlier years to providing a complete index of digitized collections more recently, the Arkansas State Archives is steadfast in its mission to keep and care for the official archives of the State of Arkansas; collect material bearing on the history of Arkansas from the earliest times; copy and edit official records and other historical material; and encourage historical work and research by the public.
Accessing the Past
Digitization has created easier access to historical documents, newspapers, and artifacts and opened doors to scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in learning more about the past. Just a few years ago, if you wanted to see or read the original 1874 Arkansas State Constitution, you had to plan a trip to see them in person. Today, you can see and read all five state constitutions (1836, 1861, 1864,1868 and 1874) on your computer or smartphone by clicking on a simple hyperlink.
