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Welcome to the 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
Timber Cutting

The timber-harvesting boom in Arkansas occurred between the 1880s, when railroad expansion opened up new areas of the state, and the end of the 1920s. These loggers are cutting a cypress tree in the Moro bottoms area of Dallas County; circa 1925.

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This Day in Arkansas History
May 17, 1888

Henry and Elizabeth Newman, who owned land that had been surveyed and platted by a local civic leader the year before, dedicated the streets of a town called Minersville in Independence County. The town, which was renamed Cushman when it was incorporated in 1906, was the center of a valuable manganese mining industry. Manganese is considered a critical material in the manufacture of steel and was especially in demand during World Wars I and II. At one time, ore worth more than a million dollars was shipped from Cushman. Because of a shortage of laborers during World War I, Italy, an ally of the United States, sent 900 soldiers to Cushman to mine the ore that was critical to the production of weapons.

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