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This Day in Arkansas History

September 14, 1932

Troops that had been called out to secure the town of Jonesboro (Craighead County) following a series of riots and brawls between competing factions at First Baptist Church withdrew after fourteen days. Governor Harvey Parnell had authorized the use of troops stationed at Arkansas State College (now Arkansas State University) during what would later be called the Jonesboro Church Wars, a veritable civil war between parts of Jonesboro’s Baptist community.

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Titan II Missile Complex

The Titan II Missile program was a Cold War weapons system featuring fifty-four launch complexes located in three states and capable of delivering a nine-megaton nuclear warhead 5,500 miles away. Construction began in 1961 on the first of eighteen complexes located in five Arkansas counties (Faulkner, Conway, White, Van Buren, and Cleburne). Two of the most noteworthy disasters that occurred in the program took place in Arkansas. The first happened on August 9, 1965, when fifty-three civilian workers perished in an accidental fire while they were modifying Launch Complex 373-4. The second occurred on September 19, 1980, when an explosion destroyed the missile at Launch Complex 374-7 near Southside in Van Buren County.

 

The Titan II Missile program was a Cold War weapons system featuring fifty-four launch complexes located in three states and capable of delivering a nine-megaton nuclear warhead 5,500 miles away. Construction began in 1961 on the first of eighteen complexes located in five Arkansas counties (Faulkner, Conway, White, Van Buren, and Cleburne). Two of the most noteworthy disasters that occurred in the program took place in Arkansas. The first happened on August 9, 1965, when fifty-three civilian workers perished in an accidental fire while they were modifying Launch Complex 373-4. The second occurred on September 19, 1980, when an explosion destroyed the missile at Launch Complex 374-7 near Southside in Van Buren County.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

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