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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
Nashville: Peach Festival Float

The commercial production of peaches in Arkansas began with the introduction of the Elberta peach in the late 1800s. Production of the fruit grew rapidly, peaking in the Nashville (Howard County) area in 1950, when 425 orchards produced 400,000 bushels. In 1959, the success of the industry was celebrated with the Nashville Peach Festival, which included a parade of floats, including the horse-drawn Queen’s Float.

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This Day in Arkansas History
June 12, 1848

Arkansas senator Ambrose Sevier, who played a prominent role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican War, left Mexico City with the last occupying U.S. troops, carrying the ratified treaty in his saddle bag. Sevier shepherded the treaty through its U.S. Senate ratification, and President James K. Polk called upon Sevier to serve as a commissioner to guarantee its ratification in the Mexican congress.

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