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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas


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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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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