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This Day in Arkansas History

September 1, 1998

The city of Jacksonville (Pulaski County) marked the official end of the Vertac site’s cleanup, which cost more than $150 million. The Vertac site in Jacksonville is one of the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites and Arkansas’s most publicized Superfund site. Cleanup of the area after its abandonment by its corporate owner took more than a decade, and the name “Vertac” soon became synonymous in Arkansas with the fear of industrial pollution.

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World's Championship Duck Calling Contest

The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest determines the World Champion Duck Caller each Thanksgiving in Stuttgart (Arkansas County). Seventeen contestants participated in the first contest in 1936. Shown here is a young participant calling the ducks in the 1946 competition. Among the many levels of the competition today is the Junior World Championship.

 

The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest determines the World Champion Duck Caller each Thanksgiving in Stuttgart (Arkansas County). Seventeen contestants participated in the first contest in 1936. Shown here is a young participant calling the ducks in the 1946 competition. Among the many levels of the competition today is the Junior World Championship.

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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, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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