April 6, 2010

Rocky Comfort (Little River County) native Jeff Davis, whose 1901–1907 governorship was one of the most tumultuous in Arkansas history, is shown here in 1904 on a visit to Chicago, Illinois. Davis railed against corporations in his campaigns and often resorted to race baiting. Named after Confederate president Jeff Davis, Davis had a divisive tenure in office, creating many enemies. However, Davis dominated Democratic politics in the state in the early years of the twentieth century, being thrice elected to the office of governor and going on to become a U.S. senator.