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Welcome to the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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. It will also benefit people outside the state who are seeking information about Arkansas. 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. The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a work in progress. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

Photo Of The Day
Dogpatch USA

In 1993, the once-popular theme park, Dogpatch USA, located near Jasper (Newton County), was closed to the public. The amusement park was based on characters and locations in Al Capp’s popular “Li’l Abner” comic strip. The town of Marble Falls (Newton County) between Jasper and Harrison (Boone County) had changed its name officially to Dogpatch to help promote the park. The name was changed back in 1997.

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This Day in Arkansas History
September 17, 2003

Wesley Clark announced his first bid into politics from Little Rock (Pulaski County), running for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was successful in raising money, mostly via the Internet, but time for planning a run was limited. A centrist candidate who supported the pro-choice and affirmative action initiatives, Clark called for the repeal of the George W. Bush tax cuts and promoted a new national healthcare program and the restructuring of the “war on terrorism” through improved relationships with other countries.

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