Arkansas (, AR-kən-saw) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma to the west. Its name derives from the Osage language, and refers to their relatives, the Quapaw people. The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta.
Previously part of French Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase, the Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15, 1836. Much of the Delta had been developed for cotton plantations, and landowners there largely depended on enslaved African Americans' labor. In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. On returning to the Union in 1868, Arkansas continued to suffer economically, due to its overreliance on the large-scale plantation economy. Cotton remained the leading commodity crop, and the cotton market declined. Because farmers and businessmen did not diversify and there was little industrial investment, the state fell behind in economic opportunity. In the late 19th century, the state instituted various Jim Crow laws to disenfranchise and segregate the African-American population. During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly Little Rock were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. Following World War II in the 1940s, Arkansas began to diversify its economy and see prosperity. During the 1960s, the state became the base of the Walmart corporation, the world's largest company by revenue, headquartered in Bentonville.
Arkansas is the 29th largest by area and the 33rd most populous state, with a population of just over three million at the 2020 census. The capital and most populous city is Little Rock, in the central part of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, namely the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area, is a population, education, cultural, and economic center. The Fort Smith Metropolitan Area is also an economic center and is known for its historic sites related to western expansion and the persecution of Native Americans. (Full article...)
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Hurricane Ismael approaching Sinaloa on September 14 killed 116 people in Mexico during the 1995 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from a persistent area of deep convection on September 12, and steadily strengthened as it moved to the north-northwest. Ismael attained hurricane status on September 14 while located 210 miles (340 km) off the coast of Mexico. It continued to the north, and after passing a short distance east of Baja California Sur it made landfall on Topolobampo in the state of Sinaloa with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). Ismael rapidly weakened over land, and dissipated on September 16 over northwestern Mexico. The remnants entered the United States and extended eastward into the Mid-Atlantic states. Offshore, Ismael produced waves of up to 30 feet (9.1 m) in height. Hundreds of fishermen were unprepared for the hurricane, which was expected to move more slowly, and as a result 52 ships were wrecked, killing 57 fishermen. On land, Ismael caused 59 deaths in mainland Mexico and resulted in $26 million in damage (1995 USD$, 54.9 million 2026 USD). The hurricane destroyed thousands of houses, leaving 30,000 people homeless. Moisture from the storm extended into the United States, causing heavy rainfall and localized moderate damage in southeastern New Mexico. ( Full article...)
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The 2nd Indiana Battery in action at Cane Hill, during the beginning of the battle. The Battle of Cane Hill was fought between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War on November 28, 1862, in northwestern Arkansas, near the town of Cane Hill. Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman had made an abortive offensive into southwestern Missouri from Arkansas earlier in the year, but had withdrawn to Arkansas. Union troops under Brigadier General James G. Blunt had followed Hindman into northwestern Arkansas, and the Confederate general saw an opportunity to attack Blunt while his division was separated from the rest of the Union Army of the Frontier. Hindman then sent a force under Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke to Cane Hill, which was also known as Boonsboro, to collect supplies. In early November, a detachment of Blunt's command led by Colonel William F. Cloud defeated a small Confederate force commanded by Colonel Emmett MacDonald in the Cane Hill area. After MacDonald's defeat, Marmaduke remained in the Cane Hill area with his force. Blunt moved to attack Marmaduke on November 27. The Confederates expected the Union attack to come up the Cincinnati Road, but it instead followed the Ridge Road and then the Fayetteville Road. Cloud's men led the Union advance and made contact with Colonel Joseph O. Shelby's Confederate troopers on the morning of November 28. Shelby withdrew from the Cane Hill area after an artillery duel, and Marmaduke reformed his line in the Newburg area. ( Full article...)
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Hindman in uniform, c. 1862 (January 28, 1828 – September 28, 1868) was an American lawyer, politician, and a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he later moved to Mississippi and became involved in politics. He served in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848. Hindman practiced law and in 1853 was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. After his term expired in 1854, he moved to Helena, Arkansas where there were more opportunities for his political ambitions. Hindman opposed the Know-Nothing party and Arkansas's ruling Conway-Johnson dynasty. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1858, and supported slavery (and was a slaveholder himself) and secession. He was assassinated during the Reconstruction era. Once the American Civil War began in 1861 and Arkansas seceded, Hindman joined the Confederate States Army, first commanding the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, then a brigade, and then an ad-hoc division at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862; he was wounded during the battle. Following Shiloh, Hindman was promoted to major general and sent to the Trans-Mississippi Department to command Arkansas, Missouri, the Indian Territory, and part of Louisiana. As commander of the region, his policies were sometimes legally questionable and were unpopular, although they were successful in building up the district from a basically indefensible state. Public outcry led to Hindman's removal from his regional command. He was defeated at the Battle of Prairie Grove in December. Transferred to the Army of Tennessee in 1863, he led a division at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, where he was again wounded. After recovering, he commanded a division during the early stages of the Atlanta campaign although he wished to be transferred elsewhere. ( Full article...)
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The Bombardment and Capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, Ark. Jany. 11th 1863 The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as the Battle of Fort Hindman, was fought from January 9 to 11, 1863, along the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate forces constructed Fort Hindman near Arkansas Post in late 1862. Also in late 1862, Major General John A. McClernand of the Union army (as the United States Army was known during the war) was authorized to recruit troops in the Midwest for an expedition down the Mississippi River against Vicksburg, Mississippi. Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant began an overland campaign against Vicksburg along the Mississippi Central Railroad in November. He and Union General-in-Chief Henry Halleck did not trust McClernand, and through machinations placed the start of the riverine movement against Vicksburg under the command of Major General William T. Sherman before McClernand could arrive. Sherman's movement was defeated at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou in late December, and Confederate cavalry raids forced Grant to abandon his overland campaign. McClernand arrived at Memphis, Tennessee, in late December and found that Sherman had left without him. McClernand moved downriver, joined Sherman's force, and took command in early January 1863, calling it the Army of the Mississippi. Both Sherman and McClernand had independently come to the conclusion that Arkansas Post should be attacked: Confederate forces raiding from Fort Hindman had recently captured a Union supply vessel, and Sherman may have been hoping for a victory to restore his reputation after Chickasaw Bayou. McClernand's troops and a Union Navy fleet commanded by Acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter moved upriver towards the Arkansas River. The expedition began unloading troops downriver from the fort late on January 9. The next day, some of Porter's warships bombarded the fort, while McClernand's troops maneuvered into position. At 1:00 pm on January 11, Porter's warships began another bombardment of the fort, and McClernand's troops attacked the Confederate positions, which consisted of the fort and a line of rifle pits that extended west to a bayou. ( Full article...)
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Image 6On September 6, 1863, near Little Rock, Arkansas, a duel was fought between John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker, two generals in the Confederate States Army. Tension had risen between the two officers during the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863, when Marmaduke accused Walker of not supporting his force, and then retaliated by not informing Walker of a Confederate retreat. Marmaduke was later assigned to serve under Walker during a Union advance against Little Rock. Walker did not support Marmaduke during a retreat after the Battle of Brownsville, and Marmaduke questioned Walker's courage after the Battle of Bayou Meto on August 27. A series of notes passed between the two generals by friends resulted in a duel, during which Marmaduke fatally wounded Walker. Marmaduke was arrested and charged with murder but was soon released, and later the charge was dropped. He survived the war and later became Governor of Missouri. Union forces captured Little Rock later in the campaign, after the Battle of Bayou Fourche. ( Full article...)
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Fort Southerland Park in 2022 , also known as Redoubt E and Fort Diamond, is a redoubt built during the American Civil War to protect Camden, Arkansas, United States. Confederate forces, assisted by slave labor, built it along with four other redoubts in early 1864 after a Union victory in the Little Rock campaign the previous year. A roughly oval irregular octagon in plan, it mounted three cannon. When Union forces captured Camden in April 1864 during the Camden Expedition, they improved the defenses of the five redoubts, which were not sufficient for proper defense of the city. After the Confederates retook Camden later that month, they continued to improve the city's defenses. The fort lies within Fort Southerland Park, a municipal park dedicated in 1974. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark. Along with Fort Lookout (Redoubt A), it is one of only two redoubts around Camden still in existence. ( Full article...)
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Image 8The Van Buren raid occurred in Crawford County, Arkansas, on December 28, 1862, during the American Civil War. After defeating Confederate forces led by Major General Thomas C. Hindman at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, Union forces under Brigadiers General James G. Blunt and Francis J. Herron prepared for a raid against the Confederate positions at Van Buren and Fort Smith. Disease, lack of supplies, and desertion had previously forced Hindman to begin withdrawing most of his force from the area. Setting out on December 27, the Union troops struck an outlying Confederate cavalry unit near Drippings Spring, north of Van Buren, on the morning of December 28. The Confederate cavalry fled to Van Buren, which was then overrun by Union troops. The Union pursued and captured three steamboats on the Arkansas River, and captured some Confederate troops and many supplies in Van Buren. Across the river in Fort Smith, the Confederates destroyed supplies and also burned two steamboats trapped upriver. An artillery duel took place at Van Buren, and after nightfall a minor skirmish was fought downriver at Strain's Landing. After the raid, Hindman withdrew his men to Little Rock and the Union force returned from the raid, unable to maintain a supply line to Van Buren across the Boston Mountains. The battle of Prairie Grove and the Van Buren raid broke Confederate strength in the region. ( Full article...)
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Image 9The Battle of Helena was fought on July 4, 1863, near Helena, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Union troops captured the city in July 1862, and had been using it as a base of operations. Over 7,500 Confederate troops led by Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes attempted to capture Helena in hopes of relieving some of the pressure on the Confederate army besieged in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Helena was defended by about 4,100 Union troops led by Major General Benjamin Prentiss, manning one fort and four batteries of artillery. Differing interpretations of Holmes' order to attack at daylight resulted in Brigadier General James F. Fagan's troops attacking Battery D unsupported, and Major General Sterling Price's attack against the Union center was made after Fagan's had largely fizzled out. To the north, Confederate cavalry commanded by Brigadier Generals John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker failed to act in concert and accomplished little. The assaults failed, and Vicksburg fell the same day. Later in the year, Union troops used Helena as a staging ground for their successful campaign to capture Little Rock, Arkansas. ( Full article...)
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Image 10Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim. She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. In 1982, Angelou was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem " On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961. ( Full article...)
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The Battle at St. Charles, White River, Arkansas—Explosion of the "Mound City" by Alexander Simplot The Battle of St. Charles was fought on June 17, 1862, at St. Charles, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Earlier in 1862, a Union Army force commanded by Major General Samuel R. Curtis moved against Little Rock, Arkansas, but became bogged down in the Batesville area due to lack of supplies. The Union leadership decided to send a naval force from Memphis, Tennessee, up the White River to resupply Curtis's men. Major General Thomas C. Hindman, the Confederate commander in Arkansas, had fortifications constructed near St. Charles to stop the Union movement. Two artillery positions were built, and three ships, including CSS Maurepas, were scuttled to obstruct the river. The Union ships advanced against the Confederate positions on June 17. The 46th Indiana Infantry Regiment was sent ashore to attack the fortifications on land, while two ironclads and two timberclads attacked the fort from the river. During the fighting, a Confederate solid shot struck the ironclad USS Mound City, puncturing one of the ship's steam drums. In what has been referred to as the deadliest shot of the war, scalding steam filled the ship, killing or wounding all but about 25 of the roughly 175 men on the vessel. The 46th Indiana overran the Confederate defenses on land and the position was taken. The supply mission was unable to make it all the way to Curtis's position, and withdrew back down the river due to low water levels. Thereafter, Curtis's army cut loose from their supply line and marched to Helena, Arkansas. A portion of the battlefield is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the St. Charles Battle Site. ( Full article...)
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Image 12The Battle of Poison Spring, also known as the Poison Spring massacre, was fought in Ouachita County, Arkansas, on April 18, 1864, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American Civil War. A Union force commanded by Major General Frederick Steele had moved from Little Rock, Arkansas, in support of Major General Nathaniel Banks's movement along the Red River towards Shreveport, Louisiana. Steele's objective was also Shreveport, and his men occupied Camden, Arkansas. After Banks was defeated at the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Steele was isolated in Arkansas. Short on supplies, Steele sent a detachment commanded by Colonel James M. Williams on April 17 to forage for 5,000 bushels of corn ( maize) that were reported to be in the area. Confederate cavalry commanded by John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey attacked the foraging party. Marmaduke's men formed a roadblock east along the way back to Camden, while Maxey's men attacked from south of the road. The first two Confederate attacks were unsuccessful, but the third broke the Union line. Williams's command was routed, losing its wagon train and four cannons. African-American soldiers from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment were massacred and mutilated during and after the battle. Poison Spring has been referred to as the worst massacre in the history of Arkansas. The defeat at Poison Spring and another defeat at the Battle of Marks' Mills a week later led Steele to retreat to Little Rock. In the April 30 Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, men from the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment murdered Confederate soldiers in revenge of the massacre at Poison Spring. Poison Springs Battleground State Park, which is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark, preserves a portion of the site of the battle. ( Full article...)
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Tropical Storm Grace shortly before making landfall in Texas on August 31 was a weak tropical storm that struck Texas in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The eleventh tropical depression and the seventh tropical storm of the season, Grace was also the weakest storm of the season. On August 30 the storm developed from a long-track tropical wave in the western Gulf of Mexico. Grace remained disorganized throughout its lifetime due to an upper-level low to its west. The weak storm moved northwestward and made landfall on southeastern Texas. Grace quickly weakened over land, and dissipated on September 2 as it merged into a cold front. In Texas, the storm dropped heavy rainfall, causing minor flash flooding. The cold front, combined with the remnants of the storm, dropped moderate to heavy rainfall from Texas through the Mid-Atlantic. The worst of the flooding occurred in Indianapolis, where record rainfall affected over 700 homes. Despite the rainfall, damage was minimal along its path. ( Full article...)
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Gantt, as depicted in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1864 (1829 – June 10, 1874) was an American politician and Confederate soldier who defected to the Union in the American Civil War. During Reconstruction, he was an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau. Born in Maury County, Tennessee, in 1829, Gantt was a delegate to the 1850 Nashville Convention, which considered secession. Later in the decade, he moved to Arkansas, which he felt allowed him more opportunities to gain prominence. He spread secessionist rhetoric after the 1860 United States presidential election, at which he had been elected to the United States House of Representatives but did not take his seat. After the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Gantt became the colonel of the 12th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. He was wounded in an artillery duel while his regiment was in reserve at the Battle of Belmont, and in April 1862 was captured when the Confederate defenses of Island Number Ten fell. ( Full article...)
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Image 3The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas. A division of Union troops in the Army of the Frontier, commanded by James G. Blunt, was posted in northwestern Arkansas after winning the Battle of Cane Hill on November 28. The First Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army, commanded by Thomas C. Hindman moved towards Blunt's division in order to attack while it was isolated. However, Blunt was reinforced by two divisions commanded by Francis J. Herron, leading Hindman to take a defensive position on some high ground known as Prairie Grove. Herron attempted to assault Hindman's lines twice, but both attacks were beaten off with heavy casualties. Hindman responded to the repulse of each of Herron's attacks with unsuccessful counterattacks of his own. Later in the day, Blunt arrived and attacked Hindman's flank. Eventually, both sides disengaged and the fighting reached an inconclusive result. However, the unavailability of reinforcements forced Hindman's army to retreat from the field, giving the Union army a strategic victory and control of northwestern Arkansas. ( Full article...)
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Image 4William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979 and as the governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992. His centrist " Third Way" political philosophy became known as Clintonism, which dominated his presidency and the succeeding decades of Democratic Party history. Born and raised in Arkansas, Clinton graduated from Georgetown University in 1968, and later from Yale Law School, where he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham. After graduating from law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and won election as state attorney general, followed by two non-consecutive tenures as Arkansas governor. As governor, he overhauled the state's education system and served as chairman of the National Governors Association. Running as a " New Democrat", Clinton was elected president in the 1992 election, defeating the incumbent Republican president George H. W. Bush, and the independent businessman Ross Perot. He became the first president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation and the youngest to serve two full terms. ( Full article...)
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Image 5KFTA-TV (channel 24) is a television station licensed to Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Rogers-licensed NBC affiliate KNWA-TV (channel 51) and Eureka Springs–licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KXNW (channel 34). The stations share studios at the Underwood Building on Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville. KFTA-TV's transmitter is located on Cartwright Mountain, south of Artist Point; KFTA's programming is also broadcast from KNWA-TV's transmitter southeast of Garfield, Arkansas, as one of its subchannels and vice versa. Channel 24 was the third commercial station to be activated in Fort Smith. It began broadcasting as KLMN on November 12, 1978, and was a CBS affiliate with studios on Kelley Highway, changing affiliations to NBC in 1980. Built by MCM Broadcasting, a company in which Jim and Rob Walton were part-owners, the station was sold to the Schindler family of Houston in 1980 and renamed KPOM-TV in 1982. From 1986 to 2003, KPOM-TV was owned and operated by Griffin TV. Griffin invested in the news department. To improve KPOM-TV's poor reception in fast-growing Northwest Arkansas, it acquired the construction permit for channel 51 in Rogers and built it as KFAA, a satellite station, in 1989. However, the station remained third in local news ratings. The original news department was disbanded in 1992, but Griffin relaunched news in 2000 in conjunction with opening a studio in downtown Fayetteville. ( Full article...)
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Image 6Frederick Notrebe (1780 – April 4, 1849) was an early settler and businessman in Arkansas Post, Arkansas. A Frenchman and former soldier, Notrebe immigrated to the United States around the year 1810 and soon moved to Arkansas Post. He originally was involved with the fur trade and trade with the Native Americans, but became a dominant figure in the eastern Arkansas cotton market, both growing his own cotton and purchasing cotton from others for resale. He was one of the founders of Napoleon, Arkansas, which he named after Napoleon Bonaparte. Having to conduct some of his business on the barter basis and desiring greater circulation of money in the region, Notrebe helped bring a branch of the State Bank of Arkansas to Arkansas Post, for which purposes he donated land. Notrebe's land holdings grew to 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) and he owned 119 slaves; for a time he was the largest slaveholder in Arkansas County, Arkansas. He entertained many notable guests at his home, including Albert Pike and Washington Irving; Notrebe may have been the inspiration for a character in Irving's short story "The Creole Village". Notrebe died in 1849 of either cholera or pneumonia in New Orleans, Louisiana. ( Full article...)
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Lee with the Phillies in 2012 (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. During his career, Lee was a member of four All-Star teams, won the Cy Young Award, and had consecutive World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Phillies and Rangers. Born and raised in Benton, Arkansas, Lee's 91 mph (146 km/h) fastball attracted the attention of MLB scouts during his senior year at Benton High School in 1997, but he rejected draft offers twice in order to play college baseball for Meridian Community College and later the Arkansas Razorbacks. Lee finally came to terms with the Expos after his selection in the fourth round of the 2000 MLB draft, and he spent two years in their farm system before a trade to Cleveland in 2002. Lee made his MLB debut with his new team that year, and made his first opening day roster in 2004. His early years in Cleveland were marked by a number of temper flares, appearing to intentionally pitch at his opponents' heads and storming off of the mound, but by 2005, he was an established part of the Indians' starting rotation. The low point of his career, when he was sent back to the minor leagues in 2007, was followed by his Cy Young-winning season, during which he led the American League with a 2.54 earned run average and all of MLB with 22 wins. ( Full article...)
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Image 8USS Arkansas ( hull number BB-33) was a dreadnought battleship, the second member of the Wyoming class, built by the United States Navy. She was the third ship of the US Navy named in honor of the 25th state, and was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. She was laid down in January 1910, launched in January 1911, and commissioned into the Navy in September 1912. Arkansas was armed with a main battery of twelve 12-inch (305 mm) guns and capable of a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph). Arkansas served in both World Wars. During World War I, she was part of Battleship Division Nine, which was attached to the British Grand Fleet, but she saw no action during the war. During the interwar years, Arkansas performed a variety of duties, including training cruises for midshipmen and goodwill visits overseas. ( Full article...)
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Image 9Howard "Sandman" Sims (January 24, 1917 – May 20, 2003) was an African-American tap dancer who began his career in vaudeville. He was skilled in a style of dancing that he performed in a wooden sandbox of his own construction, and acquired his nickname from the sand he sprinkled to alter and amplify the sound of his dance steps. "They called the board my Stradivarius," Sims said of his sandbox. From the 1950s to the year 2000, Sims was a regular attraction—a "fixture"—at Harlem's noted Apollo Theater, comedically ushering failed acts offstage with a hook, broom or other prop. He was also involved in New York City's Hoofers Club, a venue primarily for black tap dancers. ( Full article...)
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Lawrence performing at a private concert in 2006 (born January 27, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Atlanta, Texas, and raised in Foreman, Arkansas, Lawrence began performing at age 15 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1990 to begin his country music career. He signed to Atlantic Records Nashville in 1991 and made his debut later that year with the album Sticks and Stones. Five more studio albums, as well as a live album and a compilation album, followed throughout the 1990s and into 2000 on Atlantic before the label's country division was closed in 2001. Afterward, he recorded for Warner Bros. Records, DreamWorks Records, Mercury Records Nashville, and his own labels, Rocky Comfort Records and Lawrence Music Group. Lawrence has released a total of 14 studio albums. His most commercially successful albums are Alibis (1993) and Time Marches On (1996), both certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has charted more than forty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including eight songs that reached the number one position: " Sticks and Stones", " Alibis", " Can't Break It to My Heart", " My Second Home", " If the Good Die Young", " Texas Tornado", " Time Marches On", and " Find Out Who Your Friends Are". Of these, "Time Marches On" is his longest-lasting at three weeks, while "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" set a record at the time for the slowest ascent to the top of that chart. His musical style is defined mainly by neotraditional country and honky-tonk influences, although he has also recorded Christmas music and Christian country music. He has won Top New Male Vocalist from Billboard in 1992 and from Academy of Country Music in 1993, and Vocal Event of the Year from the Country Music Association in 2007. ( Full article...)
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"A Plague O' Both Your Houses!" by C.S.R. shows " Arkansas" as victim of the feud between the two sides. The Brooks–Baxter War, also known as the Brooks–Baxter Affair, Arkansas Civil War, or the Second American Civil War was an attempt made by failed gubernatorial candidate Joseph Brooks of the " Brindletail" faction of Arkansas' Republican Party to take control of the state from Elisha Baxter, who was the Republican governor. The victor in the end was the Baxter administration, also known as the "Minstrels", supported by some " carpetbaggers" and Democrats over the Brindle-tails supported by " scalawags" and " freedmen". The struggle began with the ratification of the 1868 Arkansas Constitution, rewritten to allow Arkansas to rejoin the Union after the American Civil War. The Reconstruction Acts required the rebel states to accept the 14th Amendment – establishing civil rights for freedmen – and enact new constitutions providing suffrage to freedmen while temporarily disenfranchising former Confederates. Some conservatives and Democrats refused to participate in the writing of the constitution and ceased participation in government. Republicans and Unionists wanting Arkansas to rejoin the Union formed a coalition to write and pass the new constitution, and formed a new state government. In the wake of a wave of reactionary violence by the Ku Klux Klan and a poor economy, the coalition soon fractured into two factions: the Minstrels, who were mostly carpetbaggers, and the Brindle-tails, who were mostly scalawags. This led to a failed impeachment trial of the carpetbagger Republican governor, Powell Clayton; he was then elected a U.S. Senator by the Arkansas General Assembly. ( Full article...)
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Plot of all tornado touchdowns during the outbreak A destructive and deadly three-day-long tornado outbreak impacted the central and lower Mississippi Valley from December 30, 2010, to January 1, 2011. Associated with a low pressure system and a strong cold front, 37 tornadoes tracked across five states over the length of the severe event, killing nine and injuring several others. Activity was centered in the states of Missouri and later Mississippi on December 31. Seven tornadoes were rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale; these were the strongest during the outbreak. Non-tornadic winds were recorded to have reached as high as 80 mph (130 km/h) at eight locations on December 31, while hail as large as 2.75 in (7.0 cm) was documented north-northeast of Mansfield, Missouri. Damage estimates from the outbreak totaled US$136.98 million. This is the most prolific tornado outbreak in Missouri in the month of December. The United States Storm Prediction Center first noted a possible New Year's Eve severe weather event as early as December 25, 2010. These forecasts gained confidence as the event approached, with a focus on the Ozarks and adjacent areas. Supercells developed in this area during the night of December 30 and tracked across central Missouri, producing several tornadoes and large hail. However, the bulk of activity during the outbreak was a result of a long line of supercells that tracked from Oklahoma to Illinois, producing five EF3 tornadoes. One of these tracked through northwestern Arkansas, killing four. Another tore through eastern sections of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, destroying 159 homes and causing US$90 million in damage, making it the costliest tornado of the outbreak. A separate cluster of storms later developed in Louisiana before tracking into Mississippi, producing several tornadoes across southern and central regions of the state on January 1. ( Full article...)
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Felice near peak intensity on September 15 was a modest tropical cyclone that lightly affected parts of the Gulf Coast of the United States in mid-September 1970. Spawned by an upper-level trough over the Bahamas, the system crossed the Florida Keys and entered the Gulf of Mexico, where it gradually began to strengthen. Felice was a disorganized storm for its entire duration, plagued by dry air, a lack of deep thunderstorm activity, and an ill-defined center of circulation, but nevertheless managed to peak as a high-end tropical storm with winds just below Category 1 hurricane strength. Tracking northwestward, the storm brushed southern Louisiana on September 15 before making landfall northeast of Galveston, Texas, late that same day. Once ashore, Felice quickly deteriorated as it recurved into the central United States. While over southeastern Oklahoma, however, its remnants still closely resembled a formidable tropical cyclone. In advance of the cyclone, officials prompted residents in vulnerable communities to leave their homes, and temporary storm shelters were established. However, the effects from Felice were generally light. Beneficial rains fell over parts of southern Florida, while sections of coastal Louisiana experienced minimal gale-force winds and above-normal tides. Winds gusting to 55 mph (89 km/h) at Galveston—and estimated near 70 mph (110 km/h) elsewhere—caused scattered power outages and minor tree damage, while heavy rainfall totaling over 6 in (150 mm) triggered some street flooding. Felice delayed the local rice harvest and damaged some hay that had been cut before the storm. Significant precipitation and gusty winds accompanied the system into northern Texas and Oklahoma. Overall, the storm left no fatalities or widespread property damage anywhere along its path. ( Full article...)
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Image 15Isaac Charles Parker (October 15, 1838 – November 17, 1896), also known as "Hanging Judge" Parker, was an American politician and jurist. He served as a United States representative in two separate districts subsequently from Missouri and was appointed as the first United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (sitting in Fort Smith, Arkansas on the border), which also had jurisdiction over the adjacent Indian Territory (future Oklahoma, 1907) to the west. He was appointed by 18th President Ulysses S. Grant in 1875 and served in the federal judiciary until his death in 1896. Parker became known as the " hanging judge" of the American frontier, because he sentenced numerous convicts to death. In serving 21 years on the federal bench, Judge Parker tried 13,490 cases. In more than 8,500 of these cases, the defendant either pleaded guilty or was convicted at trial. Parker sentenced 160 people to death; 79 were executed. The other 81 either died while incarcerated, were pardoned, or had their sentences commuted. ( Full article...)
Largest cities or towns in Arkansas |
|---|
| Rank
|
Name
|
County
|
Pop.
|
| 1 |
Little Rock |
Pulaski |
202,591
|
| 2 |
Fayetteville |
Washington |
93,949
|
| 3 |
Fort Smith |
Sebastian |
89,142
|
| 4 |
Springdale |
Washington |
84,161
|
| 5 |
Jonesboro |
Craighead |
78,576
|
| 6 |
Rogers |
Benton |
69,908
|
| 7 |
North Little Rock |
Pulaski |
64,591
|
| 8 |
Conway |
Faulkner |
64,134
|
| 9 |
Bentonville |
Benton |
54,164
|
| 10 |
Pine Bluff |
Jefferson |
41,253
state=expanded
|
|
Selected article -
Hot spring pool steaming at the entrance of the park Hot Springs National Park is a national park of the United States in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832, to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town.
Incorporated January 10, 1851, the city was known in the early 20th century as the home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies during the Prohibition era, and gangsters such as Al Capone, horse racing at Oaklawn Park, the Army and Navy Hospital, and 42nd President Bill Clinton. The area was established as a national park on March 4, 1921. Until the redesignation of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial as Gateway Arch National Park in 2018, Hot Springs was the smallest national park by area in the United States. Since Hot Springs National Park is the oldest park maintained by the National Park Service, it was the first to receive its own US quarter in April 2010 as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters coin series. (Full article...)
The following are images from various Arkansas-related articles on Wikipedia.
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Image 1The Indian Removal Act resulted in the transplantation of several Native American tribes and the Trail of Tears. (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 4The United States, with the Louisiana Purchase overlaid (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 5King Opera House, located in the Van Buren Historic District was built in the late 19th century (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 6Shrimp and potatoes (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 7BBQ beef platter with baked beans and coleslaw (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 9Chicken fried steak, corn nuggets, purple hull peas (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 12University of Arkansas, founded by the General Assembly in 1868, is one of many public universities in the state. (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 14Flag of Arkansas (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 15BBQ sandwich and baked beans (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 16A wing of Crystal Bridges spans its namesake spring, April 2012 (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 17Twice cooked chicken, potato salad, purple hull peas, corn bread, and iced tea (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 18Mustering in the "Hempstead Rifles," Arkansas Volunteers, at Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in 1861. (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 20A drawing of the burial of De Soto (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 21Ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and bread (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 24The Arkansas Razorbacks football team (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 25Famous Currier and Ives lithograph of The Arkansas Traveller, a major contributor to Arkansas's enduring image. Today, the painting and lithograph are housed in Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 26Man with child at a meeting of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union, 1937 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 27Pulled pork sandwich and baked beans ( Cabot) (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 28Rand McNally map of Arkansas, 1895 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 30Annie Hatley, Depiction of Arkansas Post in 1689, Arkansas State Archives, 1904 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 31Tamales platter (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 32Time magazine (October 7, 1957), featuring Army paratroopers at Little Rock. (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 33Fried chicken (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 35Map of the United States showing Arkansaw Territory, 1820 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 36A map of the region in Louisiana, 1687 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 37Arkansas' ninth largest municipality by population is Bentonville. (from List of municipalities in Arkansas)
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Image 39Map of the United States with Arkansas highlighted (from List of municipalities in Arkansas)
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Image 40Cheese dip, Stoby's ( Conway) (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 41The Turning of the Tune: Traveller Playing the "Arkansas Traveller", lithograph by Currier and Ives, 1870 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 44National campaign poster for Alson Streeter for President and Arkansas activist Charles E. Cunningham for Vice President on the Union Labor Party ticket in the 1888 United States presidential election. (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 45Map of Missouri before statehood, 1819 (from History of Arkansas)
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Image 47BBQ beef sandwich and smoked beans (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 48Tamales (from Culture of Arkansas)
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Image 49Smothered chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese and roll (from Culture of Arkansas)
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