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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
This Day in Arkansas History
March 19, 1887
An election was held in which Russellville (Pope County) beat out all competing cities to be the Pope County seat (it had been located at Dover since 1841), though Atkins finished a close second. Russellville, which was incorporated on June 7, 1870, grew slowly until construction of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad, which had been on hold since the Civil War. After the line came through Russellville in 1873, the city grew rapidly. By 1876, the city had a population of approximately 800 serviced by fifteen stores, two cotton gins, and six doctors. The city growth prompted a debate on moving the county seat to one of the growing business centers adjacent to the new tracks.
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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.
Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!
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