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Everything from Side-view of single-story school house with wood siding and well in the foreground Turkey Creek to Headlines "Houses Are Crumpled As Though Toys Ten Killed and 35 Injured in Country Near Hot Springs Escapes are Remarkable Family in Cellar Sees Home Whirl Way---Sick Room Visitors Unhurt" Thanksgiving Day Tornado Outbreak of 1915
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This Day in Arkansas History

November 8, 1888

William Henry Grey died in Helena (Phillips County). Grey emerged as a leader of African Americans in Arkansas after he settled in Helena in 1865. His involvement in politics included being a Republican member of the 1868 state constitutional convention and a member of the Arkansas General Assembly, as well as serving as the Commissioner of Immigration and State Lands. In 1872, he became the first African American to address a national nominating convention, seconding the nomination of Republican presidential candidate Ulysses S. Grant.

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Arkansas Quarter Design

On October 7, 2002, Governor Mike Huckabee announced that the design submitted for the new state quarter by Dortha Scott of Mount Ida (Montgomery County) had been selected as the winner of the statewide contest that had received 9,320 entries. The U.S. Treasury Department announced in 1997 that fifty state quarters would be minted and released at a rate of five a year for the next ten years. The contest for the Arkansas design began in January 2001 and closed on March 31. Scott, who was awarded $1,000 for her design, was present when the quarter, the twenty-fifth in the series, was officially released at a ceremony in Murfreesboro (Pike County) on October 20, 2003. A total of 457,800,000 were minted and released by the U.S. Treasury Department.

 

On October 7, 2002, Governor Mike Huckabee announced that the design submitted for the new state quarter by Dortha Scott of Mount Ida (Montgomery County) had been selected as the winner of the statewide contest that had received 9,320 entries. The U.S. Treasury Department announced in 1997 that fifty state quarters would be minted and released at a rate of five a year for the next ten years. The contest for the Arkansas design began in January 2001 and closed on March 31. Scott, who was awarded $1,000 for her design, was present when the quarter, the twenty-fifth in the series, was officially released at a ceremony in Murfreesboro (Pike County) on October 20, 2003. A total of 457,800,000 were minted and released by the U.S. Treasury Department.

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

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