Arts and Humanities Commons^™

First Airplane Lands In Arkadelphia One Century Ago, Wendy Richter

Articles

Many technological advancements occurred in the United States during the early twentieth century, bringing about change in many phases of life, including transportation. One new type of travel drew a lot of attention in Clark County on Saturday, May 25, 1918, when an airplane landed for the first time at Arkadelphia.

Flanagin Serves On Military Board, Wendy Richter

Articles

At a critical point in the Civil War in Arkansas, major troop movements occurred in Arkansas after the United States army occupied Arkansas's capital city on September 10, 1863. Union General Frederick Steele led the U.S. Army into Little Rock, and the Confederates withdrew to the southwest.

Automobiles Take Over Roadways A Century Ago, Wendy Richter

Articles

In the early twentieth century, a transportation revolution was underway: automobiles were becoming commonplace on the roads. In 1903, a Hot Springs man drove to Arkadelphia "on his automobile," and by 1910, about twenty-five Arkadelphians owned cars.

Banking Establishments Popular In Clark County, Wendy Richter

Articles

Clark County is home to a number of banking institutions today. Some of these businesses have many branches across the state and the region, all connected with modern methods of communication. The banking business was much different in the early twentith century when a brand new facility was constructed in downtown Arkadelphia.

Richardson's Paintings Depict Landscapes, Wendy Richter

Articles

At this time of year in Arkansas, flowers, shrubs, and trees come to life showing new colorful leaves and blooms for the enjoyment of all. The nautral beauty of Clark County in the springtime brings to mind the work of an Arkadelphia artist who produced many paintings depicting the area's natural environment. Charles Richardson's well-known and very recognizable landscapes featuring river scenes and beech trees are prized possessions for many today. His work continues to be highly sought-after today.

Bozeman House One Of County's Oldest Structures, Wendy Richter

Articles

One of Clark County's oldest stuctures stands a few miles west of Arkadelphia alongside Highways 26 and 51. The historic Bozeman House endures as a reminder of a bygone era. The frame, Greek-Revival home was built in the mid-nineteenth century for early settler Michael Bozeman.

Daylight Saving Time Introduced A Century Ago, Wendy Richter

Articles

Last weekend marked the annual change from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time. One hundred years ago Arkadelphia's Southern Standard newspaper reported on the then-new concept, implemented in the United States during World War I to give people more time to spend in their gardens after their workday was over.

Habicht-Cohn-Crow House One Of The Oldest In Town, Wendy Bradley Richter

Articles

One of Arkadelphia’s oldest homes sits at the corner of Eighth and Pine streets. Known as the Habicht-Cohn-Crow House, the building was constructed in 1870 for Captain Anthony E. Habicht, who came to the South during Reconstruction. Local legend says that Habicht patterned the house after one he had seen in Natchez, Mississippi, and its design was heavily influenced by the Greek Revival style.

Barkman Considered "The Father Of Clark County, Wendy Richter

Articles

At this time of year, excitement abounds at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs as thoroughbred horses race around the track there. Since beginning operations more than a century ago, Oaklawn remains one of Arkansas's most popular touist desinations. However, many may not know that Clark County had a race track of its own which pre-dated Oaklawn by almost 100 years!

Ashby's Building Used By Freedmen's Bureau, Wendy Richter

Articles

The years following the Civil War were tumultuous times in the South as people began to adjust to a new way of life. To assist in that effort, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands--commonly called the Freedmen's Bureau--began work in Arkansas in June of 1865. In the state, the federal agency helped a population of approximately 110,000 African Americans.

History Of Library Cannon, Wendy Bradley Richter

Articles

Today, relatively few Arkadelphians know the history behind the cannon that sits on the lawn of the Clark County Library on Caddo Street.

Manufactured by the Confederate Army at the foundry/arsenal here in Arkadelphia in the early 1860s, it never fired a shot at an opposing army. Interestingly, the weapon also served as a hitching post after the war, before being place on the library grounds.

Cates Remembered As Early Pioneer, Wendy Bradley Richter

Articles

Few people were privileged to witness the spread of settlement into the virtually untouched wilderness of Arkansas following the arrival of European explorers. Even by the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, only two places in what is now Arkansas could truly be called settlements, and both were near the Mississippi River.

1918: Bone-Chilling Temperatures Freeze River, Wendy Bradley Richter

Articles

With recent frigid temperatures in the area, it is difficult to imagine that the harsh cold weather does not come close to that which visited Arkadelphia 100 years ago.

Flanagin Law Office Constructed Prior To Civil War, Wendy Bradley Richter

Articles

Today, many visitors to the downtown Arkadelphia vicinity may not realize the historical significance of one of the buildings across the street from the Clark County Court House.

The structure known to some as the "Flanagin Law Office" was constructed prior to the Civil War and served as an office for a number of different attorneys, including Arkansas Governor Harris Flanagin of Arkadelphia. Flanagin became governor in 1862 and held the office during some of the most tumultuous year in American history.