Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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This Day in Arkansas History

April 2, 1961

Buddy Jewell was born in Lepanto (Poinsett County). Jewell is a country musician best known for having won the top prize in the first season of the reality television show Nashville Star, which landed him a recording contract with Columbia Records. His first major-label album reached gold-record status after being released in July 2003. In 2015, Jewell was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame.

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John Paul Hammerschmidt

Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, the first Republican congressman from Arkansas since Reconstruction, is shown here meeting with President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 (David Pryor is in the background). Hammerschmidt served in the U.S. Congress for twenty-six years. His ability to relate to and serve the home population through effective casework management is perhaps his most lasting legacy.

 

Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, the first Republican congressman from Arkansas since Reconstruction, is shown here meeting with President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 (David Pryor is in the background). Hammerschmidt served in the U.S. Congress for twenty-six years. His ability to relate to and serve the home population through effective casework management is perhaps his most lasting legacy.

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busy city intersection with cars and people, view of state capitol in background Little Rock Pulaski Three Caddo women in dresses and hair ornamentation photographed from behind Native Americans Ethnic Groups, Topical Barbed wire fence post with "Choc." written on it Arkansas State Boundaries Political Geography Old white woman in hat and dress holding a revolver Belle Starr Criminal Activities African-American women in formal dresses with a child sitting in chairs while men in suits stand behind them African Americans Ethnic Groups, Topical Close up small blooming flower with four buds fuzzy leaves held by grubby fingers Official State Flower Official State Symbols Young African-American man in graduation robe with cap Ernest Gideon Green School Desegregation, School Segregation and Desegregation Wooded parkland along flooded river Flood of 2019 Natural Disasters Multistory red brick church building with steeple Seventh-Day Adventists Faiths and Denominations White man in purple suit with bow tie Conway Twitty Country Faces of three white men superimposed upon forest with red and white text on book cover West Memphis Three Criminal Activities Aerial view of flooded town with trees in the distance Flood of 1927 Natural Disasters "In memory of those killed December 1987 Pope County Arkansas" flat engraved marker on grass Ronald Gene Simmons Criminal Activities Interior of high ceilinged room with chairs and desks in rows beneath chandelier and stained-glass dome Arkansas General Assembly white man in embroidered black shirt and white woman in turtleneck and white jacket smiling in front of trees "Tony and Susan Alamo Tony Alamo sings Mister DJ" Tony Alamo Criminal Activities, Religious Figures Mockingbird perched in cedar branches with small blue berry in beak Official State Bird Official State Symbols
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Two-story wood frame building with dark shutters and "Confederate State Capitol" on the front with rectangular stone monument and barbed wire fence Hempstead County White man smiling in cowboy hat and western clothing Volmer "Cactus" Vick Television and Streaming Two white men in large field with railroad tracks Diamond Mining Industries, Mining Two white men shaking hands outside airplane hanger with crowd behind them Lindbergh Day Festivals and Events White woman posing in flowing Mary Sybil Kidd Lewis Classical and Opera White man in suit wearing pin and chain Frederick Kramer Pulaski Leaders Oval military portrait white man wavy hair large mustache stars on collar large buttons Office of State Treasurer State Organizations and Structures Panoramic overview of streets and buildings of a town Belmont Locations, Pulaski Street with ornate church and parked cars on the right and two-story building on the left Methodists Faiths and Denominations City street with traffic and "Purvis Jewelers" on the right Jonesboro Craighead "Cleveland County" map with borders roads cities Draughon Cleveland Illustrated caricature drawing of black man pointing at white man who is holding rifle with three other white men standing behind them Creeper Cato, the Shadow Swamp Trailer; or, The Hunchback of Deadman’s Forest Fiction Young white man wearing cowboy hat boots and western outfit holding sides of belt buckle with both hands smiling inscription "to Billy always Elton Britt Country White man with slicked back hair wearing suit Dwight Hale Blackwood "Pig Trail Scenic Byway" sign with stone base Arkansas Department of Transportation Land, State Organizations and Structures "Judge John Hallum fell at Pine Bluff and was killed" newspaper clipping John Hallum Historians and Historic Organizations, Lawyers

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.

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