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This Day in Arkansas History

July 29, 1993

Fairfield Bay (Van Buren County) was incorporated. Located in north-central Arkansas on the north shore of Greers Ferry Lake, it was created as a recreational and retirement resort. Although Fairfield Bay is small in terms of residential population, the number of people who visit each year through the town’s timeshare program is well over 20,000.

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Henry Dumas

Sweet Home (Pulaski County) native poet and author Henry Dumas was killed on May 23, 1968, by a New York Transit policeman. This photo was taken only a few days earlier. Details surrounding his death remain controversial; some evidence suggests that it was a case of mistaken identity, while other evidence suggests that Dumas’s behavior led the officer to believe that Dumas was reaching for a weapon. Regardless of the exact circumstances, Dumas’s tragic, early death serves as a reminder of the capricious state of Black men in American society during the 1960s and beyond. Dumas’s poems and short stories were not widely published until after his death.

 

Sweet Home (Pulaski County) native poet and author Henry Dumas was killed on May 23, 1968, by a New York Transit policeman. This photo was taken only a few days earlier. Details surrounding his death remain controversial; some evidence suggests that it was a case of mistaken identity, while other evidence suggests that Dumas’s behavior led the officer to believe that Dumas was reaching for a weapon. Regardless of the exact circumstances, Dumas’s tragic, early death serves as a reminder of the capricious state of Black men in American society during the 1960s and beyond. Dumas’s poems and short stories were not widely published until after his death.

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Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War 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 School Consolidation "The Truth About the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" newspaper clipping Ku Klux Klan Early Twentieth Century, Parties and Interest Groups Multistory house with fence on street corner Edmondson Crittenden African-American men standing in front of shelves in store Lake View Phillips Concrete dam with lake and countryside in the distance Greers Ferry Dam and Lake Engineering, Water Concrete dam and buildings with power station on water Blakely Mountain Dam Engineering, Water White man in button-down shirt standing on covered porch with machinery John Daniel Rust Engineering, Plant Culture "Lawrence County" map with borders roads cities waterways Strawberry Lawrence Plowed farm field with workers and houses in distance England Lonoke Portrait white man in suit military medal long wavy hair thick beard smoking large pipe Arkansas Mounted Rifles [Mexican War] Units and Organizations Man in St. Louis Cardinal uniform throwing a pitch in crowded stadium "Dizzy" Dean Baseball, Radio Blue diamond with stars and crossed swords above blue and red text Action at Sugar Creek Civil War Three story brick building of shops with long balconies with cars parked by it and railroad tracks in foreground Randolph County Book cover with saturated colors showing bearded Blaze Foley postcard of multistoried light building with gabled roofs and chimneys "The Baker Hospital Eureka Springs Arkansas" Norman Baker Criminal Activities, Malpractice

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Blocky red brick buildings on wooded lot University of Arkansas at Little Rock Four-Year: Colleges and Universities White man in suit sitting at his desk with his arms crossed John Ellis Martineau Governors African-American man with mustache in suit John Lee Webb Architects, Philanthropy A&M College concrete arch in front of tree and building Higher Education Topical Profile view of white man in suit and tie Owen Vincent Madden Criminal Activities Profile view of white man with beard in suit John Charles Black Individuals Crowd of Asian-American children stand in rows holding hands over head in field near housing units. Japanese American Relocation Camps Projects, World War II to Faubus Era White students and teachers posing for a group photo outside single-story school house Vandervoort Polk The "Preamble" page from the "Constitution of the Grand Agricultural Wheel of the State of Arkansas." Labor Movement Labor, Political Movements African-American women in formal dresses with a child sitting in chairs while men in suits stand behind them African Americans Ethnic Groups, Topical Two-story log house with covered porches on grass Taylor Log House and Site Museums and Historic Sites Crowded city street with multistory buildings cars and trolley car Fort Smith Sebastian three black men and black woman looking off in the distance Civil Rights Movement Political Movements, World War II to Faubus Era Wooden electric chair with leather straps on display Penal Systems Law Enforcement Sovereign Citizens Movement Criminal Activities Tornado Outbreak of 2025 Climatology, Natural Disasters

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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