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This Day in Arkansas History

August 30, 1978

Left-handed major league baseball player Clifton Phifer (Cliff) Lee was born in Benton (Saline County). Following graduation from Benton High School, Lee was drafted by the Florida Marlins; however, he decided to attend Meridian Community College in Mississippi instead. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1998 but, again, deferred, this time to attend the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County). Abandoning his college career in 2000, Lee had a slow climb in the minor leagues before being called up by the Cleveland Indians, where he remained until he was traded to the Phillies in 2009.

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Mount Olive

Mount Olive (Izard County) is one of the oldest towns founded in the county. When the first county post office was established there on December 27, 1831, it was known as Pine Bayou. The county seat of Izard County was moved to Mount Olive in 1836 and remained until May 10, 1875, when it was permanently established at Melbourne. The town, shown here in 1910, lost much of its importance after the relocation of the seat of government.

 

Mount Olive (Izard County) is one of the oldest towns founded in the county. When the first county post office was established there on December 27, 1831, it was known as Pine Bayou. The county seat of Izard County was moved to Mount Olive in 1836 and remained until May 10, 1875, when it was permanently established at Melbourne. The town, shown here in 1910, lost much of its importance after the relocation of the seat of government.

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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, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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