Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Everything from Book cover picturing a white woman from the back Blessings of the Heart to Book cover featuring white man in long sleeves and vest clutching from behind a white woman in yellow dress Runaway Heart
or Surprise Me

This Day in Arkansas History

February 12, 1865

The Skirmish at Madison took place. With most major military operations concluded in the state by this period near the end of the war, the majority of actions were small skirmishes and patrols like this one. Federal troops used this lack of major organized Confederate resistance to keep the enemy off balance and disorganized.

Learn more about Skirmish at Madison Explore full history calendar

Browse the Encyclopedia

Entries

By Category A – Z

Media

By Category A – Z

Photo of the Day

Augustus Garland

Augustus Hill Garland of Hempstead County was prohibited from practicing law due to his service in the Confederate Congress during the Civil War. Garland contested the 1865 law that debarred him, arguing that the law was ex post facto and therefore unconstitutional. Garland’s argument was confirmed when, in 1867, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in Ex parte Garland. The decision opened the door for him to serve as governor, U.S. senator, and as U.S. attorney general under President Grover Cleveland.

 

Augustus Hill Garland of Hempstead County was prohibited from practicing law due to his service in the Confederate Congress during the Civil War. Garland contested the 1865 law that debarred him, arguing that the law was ex post facto and therefore unconstitutional. Garland’s argument was confirmed when, in 1867, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in Ex parte Garland. The decision opened the door for him to serve as governor, U.S. senator, and as U.S. attorney general under President Grover Cleveland.

Learn More
Trending Entries
Portrait white man in suit military medal long wavy hair thick beard smoking large pipe Albert Pike Individuals, Lawyers, Poetry, State Figures busy city intersection with cars and people, view of state capitol in background Little Rock Pulaski White man with stubbled beard sitting in backwards cap and jacket with his hands clasped under his chin Billy Bob Thornton Actors and Filmmakers Group of African-American men standing and sitting before brick wall Elaine Massacre of 1919 Early Twentieth Century "Walton's" store with red and white awning and "Wal-Mart visitors center" on the windows Walmart Inc. Businesses African-American woman in turban and hoop earrings behind orchid Maya Angelou Poetry Front page of Arkansas Times with various images, the largest of which is a white man with glasses and text "Whitewater" Whitewater Scandal Multistory red brick church building with steeple Seventh-Day Adventists Faiths and Denominations white man in black embroidered alongside white woman in dark suit and hat carrying roses amid a crowd of people Johnny Cash Country, Rock Book cover "My Life Bill Clinton" with portrait white man with graying hair smiling wool jacket collar upturned Bill Clinton Executive Branch, Governors Angry white crowd surrounding young African-American girl sitting on bench with white woman talking to her Elizabeth Ann Eckford School Desegregation, School Segregation and Desegregation Older African-American man smiling in suit and bow tie Joseph Walter Jackson Business Leaders Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War Faces of three white men superimposed upon forest with red and white text on book cover West Memphis Three Criminal Activities Exploded underground missile silo and debris as seen from above Titan II Missile Explosion Post Civil War "Kickapoo Indian Worm Killer" flyer showing a drawing of a man in a headdress holding a child Worms [Medical Condition], Traditional Remedies Pathology
New & Updated
Older white woman short wavy hair in side part wearing round glasses pearl necklace and v neck collar blouse Ada Jane Harvey Educators and Administrators Robert Hale Vesey Individuals African-American man with mustache wearing large glasses in tuxedo and bow tie Art Porter Sr. Jazz Two white men in aspen grove with man in cowboy hat and eyepatch making pistol grip gesture Charles McColl Portis Fiction smiling younger African-American man with mustache and beard playing drums Art Porter Jr. Jazz White man in suit and tie holding a cigarette Dick Powell Actors and Filmmakers White men in suits one woman pose in horse drawn carriages by arched brick building Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900 Time Period Chickens in cages from egg to adult with advertisements for an electric hatchery device Poultry Industry Animal Culture, Industries Multistory red brick building with clock tower and white columns with construction equipment in front Prairie County Statue of Native American man on stone pedestal in flower bed with historical markers surrounding it and gazebo on hill in the background Route of the De Soto Expedition Land, Spanish Multistory brick building and flagpole on grass Arkansas County White man wearing a suit of armor with a sword Utiangue Cultures Map of Arkansas showing location of major Civil War events with red triangles Battle of Prairie Grove Civil War Graphic showing different types of arrowheads and artifacts Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540 Time Period Prehistoric Caddo Ethnic Groups white man in military regalia Sterling Price Individuals

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, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

New to Arkansas?
New to Arkansas?

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

See Overview