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Welcome to the new 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
Sentinel of Freedom by Adrian Brewer

Sentinel of Freedom, artist Adrian Brewer’s most famous painting, was completed in 1941. Commissioned by a Little Rock (Pulaski County) insurance executive, the painting was unveiled at a special ceremony in Washington DC. The popularity of the painting resulted in the printing and distribution of millions of prints. Most every school, church, and government building displayed Brewer’s work. Today, the original painting is owned by the U.S. Naval Academy, where it is displayed in the school’s library.

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This Day in Arkansas History
November 21, 1867

Carrie Nation, who became a temperance advocate so fervent that she was known to smash with a hatchet any place that sold alcohol, married a doctor named Charles Gloyd. She did not know at the time they were married that Gloyd was an alcoholic, and she blamed his alcoholism for the fact that their only child, a girl, had a mental disability. He died a month after she left him.

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