Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Everything from Book cover featuring cicadas and flowers Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves to White man and woman on book cover with train in the background and text "Summer of My German Soldier" Summer of My German Soldier
or Surprise Me

This Day in Arkansas History

June 28, 1956

The I-30 Speedway opened at its original location at the intersection of U.S. Highways 67/70 and Alcoa Road in Saline County under the name Benton Speedbowl. The current I-30 Speedway is a high-banked, quarter-mile, red clay auto racing track located in Little Rock (Pulaski County) near the border with Saline County. The I-30 Speedway hosts Weekly Racing Series Events on Saturday nights from the second week in March through the last week in October, with special events held throughout the season. The track is open for sprint, mini-sprint, stock, modified, and other forms of dirt track racing.

Learn more about I-30 Speedway Explore full history calendar

Browse the Encyclopedia

Entries

By Category A – Z

Media

By Category A – Z

Photo of the Day

Apple Blossom, Official State Flower

In 1901, the Arkansas General Assembly designated the apple blossom as the official state floral emblem. During the previous year, the Arkansas Floral Emblem Society had initiated the debate on what would be an appropriate emblem. The General Assembly discarded the honeysuckle, cotton boll, and others before finally choosing the apple blossom. It remains the state floral emblem.

 

In 1901, the Arkansas General Assembly designated the apple blossom as the official state floral emblem. During the previous year, the Arkansas Floral Emblem Society had initiated the debate on what would be an appropriate emblem. The General Assembly discarded the honeysuckle, cotton boll, and others before finally choosing the apple blossom. It remains the state floral emblem.

Learn More

Trending Entries
Older African-American man smiling in suit and bow tie Joseph Walter Jackson Business Leaders distant elevated view of dam holding back water and the dry spillway and embankment Beaver Dam and Lake Engineering, Physical Geography White man at base of tree covered mound site in field Archaic Period Time Periods Farmers drive mule team with plows in dirt field Farm Resettlement Projects Projects Lake with rocks in the foreground and trees on shore in the background Lake Norrell Physical Geography Single-story cabin like building with decorative plants and row of flag poles Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo Business Organizations Rows of uncovered wooden vats with wooden walking path in between them Atkins Pickle Company Businesses, Foodways Multistory wooden building with bell tower and horse outside Sulphur Rock Independence Book cover with saturated colors showing bearded Blaze Foley Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War "The Truth About the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" newspaper clipping Ku Klux Klan Early Twentieth Century, Parties and Interest Groups Young white man with curly hair in suit and cravat Robert Crittenden Acting Governors postcard of multistoried light building with gabled roofs and chimneys "The Baker Hospital Eureka Springs Arkansas" Norman Baker Criminal Activities, Malpractice Multistory brick building on street corner with traffic passing by Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Historians and Historic Organizations older White man with long mustache in military uniform Action at Bentonville Civil War Old white woman in dress holding a book Cane Hill Murders of 1839 Criminal Activities

New & Updated
Old white man with glasses smiling in suit and tie Kelly Bryant White man in suit sitting in chair on campaign brochure with red and blue text on gray background John Winston Bryant Lawyers Two white men in suits one blows out "A" shaped cake candles near Alabama elephant figurine "Bear" Bryant Football Labor Day Bombings of 1959 Criminal Activities, School Desegregation Term Limits African-American woman in suit talking to white man in suit and white woman in yellow shirt Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Modern Era Nematomorpha Zoology Older white man with beard and white man in suit and tie standing on either side of blue road sign with white text Floyd Galloway "Buddy" Villines III Pulaski Leaders "Howling Wolf" car with radio advertisement on its doors KWEM Radio African-American man in suit with his hand held up to his chin Gerald Byron Alley Business Leaders African-American man in suit and tie Charles E. Phillips Jr. Business Leaders Timothy C. Evans Judges Older African-American woman smiling in necklace and dress Erma Lee Glasco Davis Educators and Administrators "Lecture as delivered by Judge L. Clifford Davis" brochure cover L. Clifford Davis Lawyers, School Desegregation African-American woman with glasses smiling in white top Emma Kelly Rhodes Educators and Administrators African-American man with mustache in tuxedo Oliver Keith Baker Physics

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.

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