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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas


This Day in Arkansas History
June 13, 1919
Clyde Ellison was lynched at Star City (Lincoln County) for allegedly assaulting the daughter of a local farmer. According to an article in the Arkansas Gazette, it was alleged that he attempted to assault eighteen-year-old Iselle Bennett, who lived three miles from Star City. However, other sources state that Ellison was actually lynched because he refused to work in the cotton field of Iselles father David Bennett for eighty-five cents a day. In an effort to frighten him into working, Bennett invented the story of the assault and instructed his daughter to cooperate in the deception.
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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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