Arkansas History

Stanley Miller Williams’ college entrance exams “revealed he had no verbal aptitude,” he said; Williams decided that “if I didn’t want to embarrass my parents, I should go into the hard sciences.

A legendary magazine editor and book author, Helen Gurley Brown was born in the Ozarks and grew up in Little Rock.

While some of these laws have been repealed, a few are still on the books: • In Little Rock, it’s illegal to honk a car horn after 9 p.

The Capital Hotel “has been the stage for the struggles, schemes, and dreams” of guests, from authors and actors to prostitutes and politicians.

Johnny Cash’s family was part of Arkansas history long before his music became famous.

The Plum Bayou Culture, a Pre-Columbian Native American culture, once called what is now the Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park home.

When Sam Sanders discovered there were no services available for disabled people like his daughter, Sammie Gail, he set out to change that.

Since 1995 Arkansas has had the nickname: “The Natural State” identifying a shift in the late 1980s when Arkansas began building its tourism industry.

In 1957, nine African American students entered Central High School escorted by the National Guard amid violent turmoil as many, including the governor, opposed the new integration laws.

Arkansas is rife with ghost stories, haunted places and paranormal activity. One infamous abnormality is that of the Gurdon Light.

In 1962, Sam Walton created the first Walmart in the humble town of Rogers, Arkansas — a business move that would change the retail market forever.

One of the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes, French explorer Henri de Tonti established the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi valley in 1686 called Poste de Arkansas, or Arkansas Post.

You’ve likely found yourself engaged in discussions about why it’s “ArkanSAW” instead of “ArKANSAS.

In the rural town of Oark you’ll find the state’s oldest general store with original rustic charm and neighborly reputation.

December in Arkansas means holiday lights at the State Capitol.

Arkansas celebrated its first Thanksgiving in 1847, thanks to the tireless efforts of writer Sarah Josepha Hale.

Debates abound on whether or not cheese dip was actually “invented” in Arkansas, but regardless of its origin it plays an inarguable role in the state’s food culture.

You’ve likely found yourself engaged in discussions about why it’s “ArkanSAW” instead of “ArKANSAS.”

The status of sports remains iffy, and while we won’t be filling Razorback Stadium to full capacity this fall, we can always celebrate Tusk and his costumed counterpart, Big Red.

After the untimely passing of Sen. Thaddeus Caraway in 1931, Arkansas Gov. Harvey Parnell appointed Caraway’s widow, Hattie Wyatt Caraway, as his successor.

Just over 183 years have passed since Arkansas officially became the 25th state of the United States of America. In January of 1836, Arkansas residents held a constitutional convention with the goal of forming a constitution and state government.

On June 10, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Arkansas in conjunction with the Arkansas Centennial celebration (June 15 is actual statehood date).

After making history and integrating Central High School with other members of the Little Rock Nine in 1957, Ernest Gideon Green became the school’s first African-American graduate on May 27, 1958. Green’s family was joined by Martin Luther King Jr. to celebrate the historic moment.

On Saturday, May 18, 1963, amidst fanfare and fans of the arts, the Arkansas Arts Center officially opened its doors. The dedication featured remarks from U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, Rep. Wilbur Mills, Little Rock Mayor Byron Morse and Winthrop and Jeanette Rockefeller.

While this spring has brought its fair share of showers, they pale in comparison to the record rainfall 82 years ago. April 1927 saw unprecedented rainfall in Arkansas, with over 7 inches falling on Little Rock in just a few hours. As lakes, rivers and stream beds filled with water, all of the levees from Fort Smith to Little Rock began to fail.

April 5 marked the 96th anniversary of the burning of a historic building in Hot Springs. The famous Arlington Hotel, synonymous with the Spa City since its inception in 1875, suffered its demise after an employee saw smoke coming from an electrical panel.

On Feb. 16, 1940, after three years of planning and construction, the Joseph Taylor Robinson Memorial Auditorium officially opened.

On this week in 1832, Mayor Matthew Cunningham presided over Little Rock’s first council meeting. Since there was no government hall, the meeting happened at his house, which was located somewhere on the block bordered by what is now Main, 3rd, Louisiana and 4th streets.

2018 marks the 80th anniversary of the lighting of the Arkansas State Capitol at Christmastime. The custom originated in 1938 when Secretary of State C. G. “Crip” Hall began adding holiday lights to the Capitol’s exterior.

With temperatures in the lower 90s on an extraordinarily hot day, President John F. Kennedy spoke on Oct. 3, 1963, at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds. This was only a few weeks before he would be assassinated.