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This Day in Arkansas History

July 30, 1941

Harvey Couch—founder of Arkansas Power and Light (AP&L), president of the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway and Kansas City Southern Railway, and developer of rural telephone systems in northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas—died after spending the last five months of his life at Couchwood, his summer vacation estate. Couchwood, now a Historic District, consists of eight buildings on 170 acres and sits on a peninsula overlooking Lake Catherine (which was named for Couch’s daughter) between Hot Springs (Garland County) and Malvern (Hot Spring County). The property remains in the Couch family and is not open to the public.

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Railroad Tunnel

The laying of railroad tracks in some areas of the state, especially the mountainous areas, was not easy. As a result, some rail lines required the construction of tunnels. Construction on the tunnel through Cadron Ridge near Conway (Faulkner County) began in 1902. Completion in 1904 eliminated steep grade problems and allowed for a quicker delivery of goods and services. The photograph shown here was taken when the two crews of the tunnel construction company, Dalhoff Construction Co. of Little Rock (Pulaski County), met underneath Cadron Ridge.

 

The laying of railroad tracks in some areas of the state, especially the mountainous areas, was not easy. As a result, some rail lines required the construction of tunnels. Construction on the tunnel through Cadron Ridge near Conway (Faulkner County) began in 1902. Completion in 1904 eliminated steep grade problems and allowed for a quicker delivery of goods and services. The photograph shown here was taken when the two crews of the tunnel construction company, Dalhoff Construction Co. of Little Rock (Pulaski County), met underneath Cadron Ridge.

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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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