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.
White interests dominated Arkansas's politics, with disenfranchisement of African Americans and refusal to reapportion the legislature; only after the federal legislation passed were more African Americans able to vote. During the
civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly Little Rock were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. (Full article...)
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...)
Image 2
Angelou in 1993
Maya Angelou (/ˈændʒəloʊ/ⓘAN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, 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.
On 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...)
Gragg played as a
wide receiver for
Warren High School, and converted to a tight end after his freshman season at the
University of Arkansas. In his sophomore and junior seasons for the Razorbacks, the team made appearances in
Bowl Championship Series games and defeated the
Kansas State Wildcats in the
2012 Cotton Bowl Classic. A knee injury caused Gragg to miss eight games his senior season as Arkansas finished with a losing record. Gragg participated in the
NFL Scouting Combine, an evaluative competition among prospective NFL players, and topped several statistics among the tight ends in attendance; in the following
draft, the Bills chose him with the 222nd overall selection. (Full article...)
Image 5
The 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...)
Differing interpretations of Holmes' order to attack at daylight resulted in
Brigadier GeneralJames 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...)
Image 7
Hurricane Ismael off the coast of
Baja California nearing landfall
Hurricane Ismael was a weak, but deadly
Pacific hurricane that killed over one hundred people in northern
Mexico in September of 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 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 $26 million in damage (1995 USD$, 52 million 2024 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...)
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, Hindman's 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...)
Image 9
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 GeneralThomas 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 GeneralJames 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
ColonelWilliam 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...)
Image 10
Fort Southerland Park in 2022
Fort Southerland, also known as Redoubt E and possibly Fort Diamond, is a
redoubt built during the
American Civil War to protect
Camden, Arkansas.
Confederate forces built it along with four other redoubts in early 1864 after a
Union victory in the
Little Rock campaign the previous year. Fort Southerland is about the size of a
city block and is roughly oval. It could hold three cannons. 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 northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a
mockingbird commonly found in North America. This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather. This species has rarely been observed in Europe. This species was first described by
Carl Linnaeus in his 1758
10th edition of Systema Naturae as Turdus polyglottos. The northern mockingbird is known for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, "many-tongued mimic". The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its tail and wings have white patches which are visible in flight.
The
Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, the first bridge to connect the two towns, had become functionally obsolete. Its narrow road had only two lanes with no
shoulders. Because of its location near a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, the bridge had become a hazard to river traffic;
barges and
towboats frequently collided with it. In 1994, a study concluded that a new bridge was needed and the old one should be torn down. Construction was begun in 2001 and the new bridge opened in 2010. In 2011, the process of removing the old bridge began. (Full article...)
Tropical Storm Felice 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...)
Image 7
Keith Grimwood (left) and Ezra Idlet (right), April 2019
Trout Fishing in America is an American musical duo from
Houston, Texas. The members are Keith Grimwood (vocals, bass guitar,
upright bass,
fiddle, piano) and Ezra Idlet (vocals, guitars, banjo,
bouzouki, percussion). Both musicians were previously members of the folk rock band
Wheatfield, also known as St. Elmo's Fire. They took their name from the novel Trout Fishing in America by
Richard Brautigan. The duo has released 24 studio albums through their own label, Trout Music. Trout Fishing in America is known for varied musical styles, with albums alternating between
folk rock and
children's music, as well as the contrast between Grimwood's and Idlet's stage presence. In addition to their music, Trout Fishing in America holds songwriting workshops with children. Four of their albums have been nominated for
Grammy Awards. (Full article...)
Marmaduke's men defended a forward position, while Walker's remained to the rear in some woods; the plan was for Marmaduke to draw Union troops into an ambush. However, Walker did not come to Marmaduke's aid when a Union
brigade commanded by Geiger advanced. Geiger's men drove the outnumbered Confederates from their first position. Reforming, Marmaduke attempted to form another line further to the west, but retreated again after delaying the Union advance. Union troops pursued until nightfall. The campaign against Little Rock continued, and the city was taken on September 10. (Full article...)
Sue Bailey Thurman (née Sue Elvie Bailey; August 26, 1903 – December 25, 1996) was an American author, lecturer, historian and civil rights activist. She was the first non-white student to earn a bachelor's degree in music from
Oberlin College, Ohio. She briefly taught at the
Hampton Institute in Virginia, before becoming involved in
international work with the
YWCA in 1930. During a six-month trip through Asia in the mid-1930s, Thurman became the first
African-American woman to have an audience with
Mahatma Gandhi. The meeting with Gandhi inspired Thurman and her husband, theologian
Howard Thurman, to promote non-violent resistance as a means of creating social change, bringing it to the attention of a young preacher,
Martin Luther King Jr. While she did not actively protest during the
Civil Rights Movement, she served as spiritual counselors to many on the front lines, and helped establish the first interracial,
non-denominational church in the United States.
Thurman played an active role in establishing international student organizations to help prevent foreign students feeling isolated while studying abroad. She organized one of the first international scholarship programs for African-American women. She studied racism and the effects of prejudice on various people throughout the world, making two round-the-world trips in her lifetime. She wrote books and newspaper articles to preserve black heritage, and initiated the publishing efforts of the
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) by founding the Aframerican Women's Journal. In addition to writing the second ever history of black Californians, in 1958 Thurman published a cookbook laced with historical information about black professional women at a time when African Americans had few civil rights. Recognizing that there was little academic interest in black women's history at the time, Thurman used the marketing ploy of food to report on the lives of black women who were not domestics. She participated in international peace and feminist conferences, and in 1945 attended the San Francisco Conference for the founding of the
United Nations as part of an unofficial delegation. Thurman also established museums such as the
Museum of Afro-American History in
Boston in 1963. (Full article...)
"A Plague O' Both Your Houses!" by C.S.R. shows "
Arkansas" as victim of the feud between the two men.
The Brooks–Baxter War, also known as the Brooks–Baxter Affair, was an attempt made by failed gubernatorial candidate
Joseph Brooks of the “Brindle-tail” faction of Arkansas'
Republican Party to take control of the state from
Elisha Baxter, who was the
Republicangovernor. The victor in the end was the Baxter administration, also known as the "Minstrels", supported by "
carpetbaggers" 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...)
An
Arkansas resident most of his life, Pierce made his directorial debut with Boggy Creek, a
faux documentary-style film inspired by the legend of the
Bigfoot-like
Fouke Monster. Pierce followed that with several inexpensive, regional films set in the southern United States, including The Town That Dreaded Sundown, based on the true story of the
Phantom Killer murders in
Texarkana. (Full article...)
Image 14
The Real Estate Bank of Arkansas was a
bank in
Arkansas during the 1830s through 1850s. Formed in 1836, the bank had a troubled history with accusations of waste and favoritism, as well as violations of the bank's legal charter. The bank suspended
specie payments in 1839 to allow it to lend out more money.
Paper money issued by the bank lost value, and the bank entered
trusteeship in 1842. An act of the Arkansas legislature approved of the transfer to the trustees in 1843, but the trustees did not forward information to the state and personally benefited from the arrangement. In 1853, the Arkansas legislature passed a bill to have the
Arkansas Attorney General take the bank to
chancery court, but the filing could not be made until 1854 because of lack of cooperation from the trustees. April 1855 saw the bank's assets transferred from the trustees to the state, and in 1856 the first full public accounting of the bank's finances was made. The bonds related to the bank were not fully extinguished until 1894, and a portion of them, known as the
Holford Bonds, proved particularly problematic. (Full article...)
... that an Arkansas TV station apologized for not being on the air by sending local media a drawing of ducks?
... that employees claimed to have temporarily shut down an Arkansas radio station over not receiving paychecks?
... that a bystander's video of the arrest of Randal Worcester in
Mulberry, Arkansas, showed one law enforcement officer holding Worcester on the ground while two other officers beat him?
This list was generated from
these rules. Questions and feedback
are always welcome! The search is being run daily with the most recent ~14 days of results. Note: Some articles may not be relevant to this project.
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.
White interests dominated Arkansas's politics, with disenfranchisement of African Americans and refusal to reapportion the legislature; only after the federal legislation passed were more African Americans able to vote. During the
civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly Little Rock were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. (Full article...)
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...)
Image 2
Angelou in 1993
Maya Angelou (/ˈændʒəloʊ/ⓘAN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, 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.
On 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...)
Gragg played as a
wide receiver for
Warren High School, and converted to a tight end after his freshman season at the
University of Arkansas. In his sophomore and junior seasons for the Razorbacks, the team made appearances in
Bowl Championship Series games and defeated the
Kansas State Wildcats in the
2012 Cotton Bowl Classic. A knee injury caused Gragg to miss eight games his senior season as Arkansas finished with a losing record. Gragg participated in the
NFL Scouting Combine, an evaluative competition among prospective NFL players, and topped several statistics among the tight ends in attendance; in the following
draft, the Bills chose him with the 222nd overall selection. (Full article...)
Image 5
The 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...)
Differing interpretations of Holmes' order to attack at daylight resulted in
Brigadier GeneralJames 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...)
Image 7
Hurricane Ismael off the coast of
Baja California nearing landfall
Hurricane Ismael was a weak, but deadly
Pacific hurricane that killed over one hundred people in northern
Mexico in September of 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 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 $26 million in damage (1995 USD$, 52 million 2024 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...)
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, Hindman's 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...)
Image 9
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 GeneralThomas 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 GeneralJames 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
ColonelWilliam 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...)
Image 10
Fort Southerland Park in 2022
Fort Southerland, also known as Redoubt E and possibly Fort Diamond, is a
redoubt built during the
American Civil War to protect
Camden, Arkansas.
Confederate forces built it along with four other redoubts in early 1864 after a
Union victory in the
Little Rock campaign the previous year. Fort Southerland is about the size of a
city block and is roughly oval. It could hold three cannons. 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 northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a
mockingbird commonly found in North America. This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather. This species has rarely been observed in Europe. This species was first described by
Carl Linnaeus in his 1758
10th edition of Systema Naturae as Turdus polyglottos. The northern mockingbird is known for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, "many-tongued mimic". The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its tail and wings have white patches which are visible in flight.
The
Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, the first bridge to connect the two towns, had become functionally obsolete. Its narrow road had only two lanes with no
shoulders. Because of its location near a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, the bridge had become a hazard to river traffic;
barges and
towboats frequently collided with it. In 1994, a study concluded that a new bridge was needed and the old one should be torn down. Construction was begun in 2001 and the new bridge opened in 2010. In 2011, the process of removing the old bridge began. (Full article...)
Tropical Storm Felice 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...)
Image 7
Keith Grimwood (left) and Ezra Idlet (right), April 2019
Trout Fishing in America is an American musical duo from
Houston, Texas. The members are Keith Grimwood (vocals, bass guitar,
upright bass,
fiddle, piano) and Ezra Idlet (vocals, guitars, banjo,
bouzouki, percussion). Both musicians were previously members of the folk rock band
Wheatfield, also known as St. Elmo's Fire. They took their name from the novel Trout Fishing in America by
Richard Brautigan. The duo has released 24 studio albums through their own label, Trout Music. Trout Fishing in America is known for varied musical styles, with albums alternating between
folk rock and
children's music, as well as the contrast between Grimwood's and Idlet's stage presence. In addition to their music, Trout Fishing in America holds songwriting workshops with children. Four of their albums have been nominated for
Grammy Awards. (Full article...)
Marmaduke's men defended a forward position, while Walker's remained to the rear in some woods; the plan was for Marmaduke to draw Union troops into an ambush. However, Walker did not come to Marmaduke's aid when a Union
brigade commanded by Geiger advanced. Geiger's men drove the outnumbered Confederates from their first position. Reforming, Marmaduke attempted to form another line further to the west, but retreated again after delaying the Union advance. Union troops pursued until nightfall. The campaign against Little Rock continued, and the city was taken on September 10. (Full article...)
Sue Bailey Thurman (née Sue Elvie Bailey; August 26, 1903 – December 25, 1996) was an American author, lecturer, historian and civil rights activist. She was the first non-white student to earn a bachelor's degree in music from
Oberlin College, Ohio. She briefly taught at the
Hampton Institute in Virginia, before becoming involved in
international work with the
YWCA in 1930. During a six-month trip through Asia in the mid-1930s, Thurman became the first
African-American woman to have an audience with
Mahatma Gandhi. The meeting with Gandhi inspired Thurman and her husband, theologian
Howard Thurman, to promote non-violent resistance as a means of creating social change, bringing it to the attention of a young preacher,
Martin Luther King Jr. While she did not actively protest during the
Civil Rights Movement, she served as spiritual counselors to many on the front lines, and helped establish the first interracial,
non-denominational church in the United States.
Thurman played an active role in establishing international student organizations to help prevent foreign students feeling isolated while studying abroad. She organized one of the first international scholarship programs for African-American women. She studied racism and the effects of prejudice on various people throughout the world, making two round-the-world trips in her lifetime. She wrote books and newspaper articles to preserve black heritage, and initiated the publishing efforts of the
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) by founding the Aframerican Women's Journal. In addition to writing the second ever history of black Californians, in 1958 Thurman published a cookbook laced with historical information about black professional women at a time when African Americans had few civil rights. Recognizing that there was little academic interest in black women's history at the time, Thurman used the marketing ploy of food to report on the lives of black women who were not domestics. She participated in international peace and feminist conferences, and in 1945 attended the San Francisco Conference for the founding of the
United Nations as part of an unofficial delegation. Thurman also established museums such as the
Museum of Afro-American History in
Boston in 1963. (Full article...)
"A Plague O' Both Your Houses!" by C.S.R. shows "
Arkansas" as victim of the feud between the two men.
The Brooks–Baxter War, also known as the Brooks–Baxter Affair, was an attempt made by failed gubernatorial candidate
Joseph Brooks of the “Brindle-tail” faction of Arkansas'
Republican Party to take control of the state from
Elisha Baxter, who was the
Republicangovernor. The victor in the end was the Baxter administration, also known as the "Minstrels", supported by "
carpetbaggers" 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...)
An
Arkansas resident most of his life, Pierce made his directorial debut with Boggy Creek, a
faux documentary-style film inspired by the legend of the
Bigfoot-like
Fouke Monster. Pierce followed that with several inexpensive, regional films set in the southern United States, including The Town That Dreaded Sundown, based on the true story of the
Phantom Killer murders in
Texarkana. (Full article...)
Image 14
The Real Estate Bank of Arkansas was a
bank in
Arkansas during the 1830s through 1850s. Formed in 1836, the bank had a troubled history with accusations of waste and favoritism, as well as violations of the bank's legal charter. The bank suspended
specie payments in 1839 to allow it to lend out more money.
Paper money issued by the bank lost value, and the bank entered
trusteeship in 1842. An act of the Arkansas legislature approved of the transfer to the trustees in 1843, but the trustees did not forward information to the state and personally benefited from the arrangement. In 1853, the Arkansas legislature passed a bill to have the
Arkansas Attorney General take the bank to
chancery court, but the filing could not be made until 1854 because of lack of cooperation from the trustees. April 1855 saw the bank's assets transferred from the trustees to the state, and in 1856 the first full public accounting of the bank's finances was made. The bonds related to the bank were not fully extinguished until 1894, and a portion of them, known as the
Holford Bonds, proved particularly problematic. (Full article...)
... that an Arkansas TV station apologized for not being on the air by sending local media a drawing of ducks?
... that employees claimed to have temporarily shut down an Arkansas radio station over not receiving paychecks?
... that a bystander's video of the arrest of Randal Worcester in
Mulberry, Arkansas, showed one law enforcement officer holding Worcester on the ground while two other officers beat him?
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