Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

June 2, 1929

Thomas Chipman McRae, the last Arkansas governor to have served in Confederate forces during the Civil War, died in Prescott (Nevada County). He is buried in DeAnn Cemetery there. McRae—who was educated in private schools in Arkansas, at Soule Business College in New Orleans, Louisiana, and at Washington and Lee University—was a progressive Democrat who served eighteen years as Third Congressional District representative and two terms as governor. He fought to reform Arkansas’s poorly coordinated highway program and to revise the tax system to provide funding for roads and improvement of schools.

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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.

New to Arkansas?
New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

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