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This Day in Arkansas History

July 4, 1846

Two groups of Mexican War volunteers from Arkansas rendezvoused at Washington (Hempstead County) and elected regimental officers. Archibald Yell, the state’s only sitting U.S. congressman, was elected colonel. John Selden Roane, a former speaker of the House in the state legislature, was elected lieutenant colonel. Solon Borland, a prominent physician, was elected major.

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George Dallas

Dallas County was formed in 1845, the same year that the annexation of Arkansas’s southwestern neighbor, Texas, was being hotly debated. As vice president at the time, George Dallas supported President James K. Polk’s policy of the acquisition of Texas, which was accomplished by the end of 1845. Due to his stance on the Texas issue, his popularity in Southern slave states such as Arkansas resulted in the new county being named in his honor.

 

Dallas County was formed in 1845, the same year that the annexation of Arkansas’s southwestern neighbor, Texas, was being hotly debated. As vice president at the time, George Dallas supported President James K. Polk’s policy of the acquisition of Texas, which was accomplished by the end of 1845. Due to his stance on the Texas issue, his popularity in Southern slave states such as Arkansas resulted in the new county being named in his honor.

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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 Wooden electric chair with leather straps on display Capital Punishment Law Enforcement Single-story cabin like building with decorative plants and row of flag poles Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo Business Organizations White man in aviator uniform with hat and goggles John Smith Thach Individuals Small white building with pointed roof with awning and sign Tomato Mississippi Stone monument "Ouachita County Poison Springs Battlefield" with trees in the background Engagement at Poison Spring Civil War White man in long-sleeved shirt and vest working at his desk Adrian Louis Brewer Painting "The Truth About the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" newspaper clipping Ku Klux Klan Early Twentieth Century, Parties and Interest Groups Farm rows of purple hull peas in soft dirt with pine forest in background Emerson PurpleHull Pea Festival & World Championship Rotary Tiller Race Festivals and Events "Philander-Smith Colored Institute Little Rock" illustration campus scene brick building road pedestrians trees Philander Smith University Four-Year: Colleges and Universities Vertical stream in woodland area parallel to gravel and dirt road to its right silos visible in background Ring Slough Physical Geography Row of cars parked outside single-story brick building with "Burns Gables restaurant cottages" sign Burns Gables Attractions (Historic and Current), Businesses postcard of multistoried light building with gabled roofs and chimneys "The Baker Hospital Eureka Springs Arkansas" Norman Baker Criminal Activities, Malpractice Concrete dam and buildings with power station on water Blakely Mountain Dam Engineering, Water Rows of uncovered wooden vats with wooden walking path in between them Atkins Pickle Company Businesses, Foodways

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African-American man with a mustache in suit and tie Mifflin Wistar Gibbs Business Leaders, Judges White woman short bob hairstyle in button up blouse and bracelet sitting with arms propped on table fingers entwined Ellen Gilchrist Fiction African-American man in suit and tie Isaac Taylor Gillam Individuals, Pulaski Leaders "Welcome to Gillett" sign with lake and ducks painted on it Gillett Coon Supper Arkansas Leaders, Festivals and Events Homelessness Poverty White man wearing glasses in suit and tie Office of the Governor Governors Consensual Guardianship Law Issues and Controversies, Laws and Court Cases Holiday Inn sign congratulating Miss America Elizabeth Ward Gracen Television and Streaming Stone marker with square base and trees in the background Grant County White man wearing a hat and women in dresses picking cotton with long cotton sack stretching out behind her Great Depression Great Migration African-American man in button-up shirt smiling with his left hand on his head Al Green Gospel Headline "Christmas comes a little early this year" above illustration of parents labeled "Arkansas Voters" handing large present with text "Better Educational Opportunities" to two children labeled "Arkansas School Kids" all four smiling Forrest Rozzell Educators and Administrators, Pulaski Leaders Young African-American man in graduation robe with cap Ernest Gideon Green School Desegregation, School Segregation and Desegregation street scene with various storefronts and horse drawn carts Greene County "Lemuria" bookseller, Jackson, Mississippi, bookmark ticket for "John Grisham" book signing with portrait, date, price John Grisham Fiction

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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