Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Everything from Church building with steeple and covered entrance inside iron fence All Souls Church to African-American man with mustache in smiling in suit and tie Bobby Rush
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This Day in Arkansas History

November 3, 1925

Sid Umsted died from injuries he suffered in a train wreck. Umsted, known as the “Father of the Smackover Oil Field,” drilled the first well in the Smackover (Union County) area, resulting in Arkansas’s largest oil discovery. In 1925, the Smackover field produced over 77 million barrels of oil and was the largest oil field in the nation at that time.

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Gil Gerard

Little Rock (Pulaski County) native Gil Gerard first appeared on film as an extra in the 1970 movie Love Story. The brief exposure helped launch a career in commercials; he appeared in more than 400. He also did a two-year stint on the soap opera The Doctors. However, his greatest success came as the lead in the late 1970s movie and television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

 

Little Rock (Pulaski County) native Gil Gerard first appeared on film as an extra in the 1970 movie Love Story. The brief exposure helped launch a career in commercials; he appeared in more than 400. He also did a two-year stint on the soap opera The Doctors. However, his greatest success came as the lead in the late 1970s movie and television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

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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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