Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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This Day in Arkansas History

October 16, 1804

Explorers William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter departed from St. Catherine’s Landing on the east bank of the Mississippi River to explore the Ouachita River in the new Louisiana Purchase, of which Arkansas was a part. The reports the explorers sent describing the landscapes and people of the area were the first details of the newly acquired territory to reach Thomas Jefferson.

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Joseph Bocage

Joseph W. Bocage was a prominent businessman and community leader in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) during the nineteenth century. He was a farmer, lumber milll owner, judge, and mayor of Pine Bluff. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, he raised one of the county’s two Confederate companies. Later, he served as an officer in the Second Arkansas Infantry. In 1886, he used lumber from his own mill to construct a Greek Revival home which, in 1974, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Joseph W. Bocage was a prominent businessman and community leader in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) during the nineteenth century. He was a farmer, lumber milll owner, judge, and mayor of Pine Bluff. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, he raised one of the county’s two Confederate companies. Later, he served as an officer in the Second Arkansas Infantry. In 1886, he used lumber from his own mill to construct a Greek Revival home which, in 1974, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Black and white photo of white boy in tinted goggles lying on examination table below lights and medical device Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940 Time Period White man wearing a hat and women in dresses picking cotton with long cotton sack stretching out behind her Great Depression Soldiers posing in line wearing hats with buildings cabins tents on hillside in background Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874 Time Period Promotional photograph of white man woman and 19 young and teen children standing together with white text Duggar Family Religious Figures, Television and Streaming Icon of cannon next to text "The Camden Expedition Route" above old photo group of men with rifles on horseback next to large map marking various events along trail during military conflict Camden Expedition Timeline Civil War White men in suits one woman pose in horse drawn carriages by arched brick building Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900 Time Period A single bison standing at bottom of hill in grassy field trees and stump in background Bison Zoology White man with long beard in military uniform with horse and dog Prairie Grove Campaign Timeline Civil War Wooden sign held up by posts near road text "The Village @ Pickles Gap Shop Eat Relax" above smaller sign illustration of shaggy dog text "Doc's Coffee and Creamery" Pickles Gap Faulkner Group of white men and women sitting in chairs indoors Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 1968–2022 Time Period "Great seal of the state of Arkansas" with eagle holding shield and "Regnat Popluas" ribbon in beak with angel mercy on one side and sword of justice on other Arkansas Overview busy city intersection with cars and people, view of state capitol in background Little Rock Pulaski Multistory brick building with mansard roof and stairs Helena-West Helena Phillips Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War Portrait white man in suit military medal long wavy hair thick beard smoking large pipe Albert Pike Individuals, Lawyers, Poetry, State Figures Group of African-American men standing and sitting before brick wall Elaine Massacre of 1919 Early Twentieth Century

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Text "God's Country Song" above white man wearing cowboy hat and jean jacket playing guitar sitting next to young white child wearing glasses and white woman with long wavy hair in dress on porch all three smiling God’s Country Song Films White woman long wavy hair dressed in hat and dress buttoned down the middle holding rifle above text "The Road to Redemption Starts with Revenge Trail of Vengeance" above six men and a child all in western clothing some holding handguns Trail of Vengeance Films Illustration white man dressed in pants long sleeve shirt and fishing hat paddling small boat in river between cypress trees as ivory billed woodpecker flies above him in background text in middle "The Lord God Bird a Novel" text at bottom "Tom Gallant" The Lord God Bird Fiction Natalie Suzanne Canerday White woman long wavy hair in t shirt in front of white man scruffy beard wearing fedora and glasses both behind text "45 RPM the long road to lost music" in front of transparent record disc above picture of same couple standing in road next to parked car white man lighting cigarette 45RPM Films Brick building with tall pointed tower and gate entrance Muslims Faiths and Denominations multistory building with parking lot and grounds with trees Tyson Foods, Inc. Animal Culture, Businesses Yellow brick buildings with red roofs East Camden Ouachita White woman with short hair talking to old white man with crowd in the background Judy Chaney Petty Wolf Pulaski Leaders White man in suit holding his cowboy hat leaning against a rock with sky and valley behind him Winthrop Rockefeller Governors Older African-American man in glasses and suit Clifford E. Minton World War II to Faubus Era Barbed wire fence and grass field with prison buildings and water tower in the background Cummins Unit Law Enforcement White man sitting in shirt and tie speaking into a microphone Knox Nelson State Figures African Americans lined up at "Tyronza Chapter" buildling American Red Cross Hospitals and Research Facilities Elevated view of streetscape including various buildings parking lots streetlights and trees Cabot Lonoke Multistory brick prison buildings with chimneys Arkansas State Penitentiary Law Enforcement

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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