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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
This Day in Arkansas History
March 19, 1850
Writer Alice French was born in Andover, Massachusetts. Writing under the pseudonym Octave Thanet, she was a leading writer of local color stories. Some of her best work is based on the years she spent at her winter home in Clover Bend (Lawrence County). The best of her Arkansas fiction demonstrates her considerable skills: she could render the speech of common people; she had an eye for the colorful, arresting details of the southern landscape; and she presented a view of Arkansas that was popular with the American people. One of her reviewers wrote, “There is but one Arkansas, and Octave Thanet is its prophet.”
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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, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.
Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!
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