tHE butlEr bannEr newsletter Of the butler center fOr studies Volume 11, Number 2 Spring 2009

Butler Center Events ASI Galleries: Dramatic Debut Legacies & Lunch June 3, 2009 Bob Ford and Jeannie Whayne discuss the process of creating a play from Whayne’s research on the Wilson Plantation July 1, 2009 Arkansas student winners of the national History Day competition discuss their winning projects August 5, 2009 Marshall Grant, member of and the Tennessee Two, discusses his memoir, I Was There When It Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash he Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) full of loose photos. Jackson has used these photo- Galleries opened to the public with graphs in two books: Killing Time: Life in the Ar- Teddy Roosevelt & Arkansas J. French Hill: A Discussion Ttheir first exhibit, titled Portraits from kansas Penitentiary and Pictures from a Drawer: of President Theodore Prison: A Collection of Photographs from Prison and the Art of Portraiture. However, many Roosevelt and His Arkansas Cummins Prison. The exhibit showcases of the photographs have never been displayed out- Connections. June 4, 2009, historical and contemporary photographs of side of book format; they are now being exhibited 6:30 p.m., Darragh Center, Cummins Prison inmates from the collection for the first time at the ASI Galleries. Main Library. A reception, sponsored by Delta Trust & of artist and author Bruce Jackson. Jackson also intends to donate the entire collec- Bank, will follow. RSVP to The photographs, which date from the early tion of more than one hundred prints to the Butler Kathryn Heller by June 2, at 1900s to the early 1970s, show male and fe- Center’s permanent collection, an amazing gift 501-320-5717 or kheller@ male prisoners at Cummins Prison, which both in artistic and historical terms that will greatly cals.org. This event is free and is located 28 miles south of Pine Bluff. The enrich the Butler Center’s collection. This exhibi- open to the public. photos were acquired during a research trip to tion runs through June 30, 2009, and will be fol- Art News Cummins Prison, when a prisoner in charge lowed in early July by Small Works on Paper, an 2nd Friday Art Night on June of identification photographs told Jackson to exhibit organized by the Arkansas Arts Council. 12, 2009, will feature the “help himself” while leading him to a drawer Cont. on page 3 Bruce Jackson exhibit Portraits from Prison: A Collection of Photographs from Cummins Prison, which is on display in the Arkansas Studies Institute Genealogy Workshop Main Gallery through June 30, 2009. On the 2nd Friday of each month, the ASI Galleries Focuses on Research remain open until 8 p.m. Visit he Butler Center for Arkansas Stud- his expertise in the www.butlercenter.org/art or call 501-320-5791 for more ies, in conjunction with the Arkansas creation and naviga- information. TGenealogical Society (AGS), will tion of Internet sites host its eighth annual Genealogy Workshop. for family research- Featured speaker Beau Sharbrough will be ers. He is the creator introduced by the Butler Center’s genealogy of both the Federa- Beau Sharbrough specialist, Rhonda Stewart. The workshop tion of Genealogical Societies (FGS) website will be held Saturday, July 18, 2009, in the and the GENTECH website. Former president of Darragh Center at the Main Library. GENTECH, Sharbrough has previously worked Visit www.butlercenter.org for Sharbrough, a native of , Texas, for online genealogy and history research tools more information. is known in genealogy communities for Cont. on page 5 Present. For almost two hundred years, Arkansans have been part of America’s Butler Center Books struggle to maintain democracy and keep the peace at home and around the globe. Homefront Arkansas shows how war has Announces New Titles affected those at home as well as those utler Center Books will release Roberts, who graduated from Califor- who served as soldiers. three new books in 2009, plus nia State University and earned a PhD The short stories include characters Bthe paperback edition of former in psychology from Southern Illinois such as a wounded Civil War soldier who governor ’s A Pryor Com- University, now resides in California, stumbles onto a homestead after a battle mitment: The Autobiography of David where he owns and directs a management at Poison Springs, forever changing the Pryor. The book program is now under consulting firm. President Clinton pre- family living there; Arkansas volun- the direction of Rod Lorenzen, a former sented Roberts with the Congressional teers who follow Teddy Roosevelt into journalist, who has worked with Butler Gold Medal in 1999. Roberts has been the Spanish-American War, only to find Center Books for more than a year. As featured on Good Morning America, The troops crowded into a filthy camp as they a former owner and operator of a Little Today Show, The Show, wait to be shipped out; and an African- Rock bookstore, Lorenzen is well versed The Rachel Maddow Show, and NPR’s American girl who leaves her native state in the publishing world and a great fit as Tavis Smiley Show. to escape persecution, only to find that a head of the program. Main Street Arkansas: The Hearts of world war is threatening to envelop her The books to be published include the Arkansas Cities and Towns—as Por- new home in England. Woody’s stories trayed in Postcards and Photo- are set against the factual and compel- graphs by Ray and Steven Hanley ling backdrop of Arkansas’s storied his- is a postcard and photographic tour tory. Woody is also the author of Bandits, of every section of Arkansas. Bill Bears, and Backaches: A Collection of Worthen, director of the Historic Ar- Short Stories Based on Arkansas History. kansas Museum, says, “Every corner Books published by the Butler Center of the state is included. It is a real are available through national and lo- treasure for travelers and celebrants cal book sellers, including River Market of Arkansas and American history.” Books & Gifts. They may also be ordered This visual history traces many through the distributor, the University of towns’ humble beginnings, with Arkansas Press in Fayetteville, at www. wooden-frame structures lining rut- uapress.com or by calling 1-800-626- ted dirt streets teeming with wagons, 0090. For mail-order forms, please con- horses, and mules. The evolution of tact the Butler Center. n towns such as Walnut Ridge, Ben- tonville, Little Rock, and Lake Vil- lage, as well as tiny hamlets such The Butler Banner is the quarterly as Black Rock and Ponca, unfolds newsletter of the Butler Center for Terrence Roberts before readers’ eyes. Scenes from Arkansas Studies the 1950s feature stores such as Ben Arkansas Studies Institute memoirs of a mem- Franklin, OTASCO, and Western Auto. Central Arkansas Library System ber, pictures and postcards of Arkansas Success stories of Main Street preser- 100 S. Rock St., throughout several decades, and wartime vation and revitalization in El Dorado, Little Rock, AR 72201 histories of Arkansans written by a previ- Siloam Springs, Conway, and Harrison 501.320.5700 - [email protected] ous Butler Center Books author—all im- show how local elders have set an exam- www.butlercenter.org portant additions to Arkansas’s historical ple for other towns. literature. Ray and Steven Hanley have published Printed and distributed with private funds. Lessons from Little Rock by Little Rock extensively from their research of Ar- Kathryn Heller: Editor Nine member Terrence Roberts illumi- kansas history as told through postcards. Mike Keckhaver: Design/Layout nates the Central High School integra- Traveling thousands of miles to collect tion crisis and its effect on his family and and authenticate postcards, as well as himself. take comparative photos, they are the Roberts’s rich narrative and candid undisputed authorities on historical post- voice take readers through that rocky cards from Arkansas. They live in Little year, helping us realize that the historic Rock. events of the Little Rock desegregation A Butler Center Books veteran, Velma crisis happened to real people—to chil- B. Woody brings us Homefront Arkan- Volume 11, Number 2 dren, parents, our fellow citizens. sas: Arkansans Face Wartime Past and

Page 2 The Butler Banner through UALR with Chinese cultural A Word from the Center institutions. Seven officials of historical organizations in China visited the ASI for David Stricklin, Head of the Butler Center two days—two days after we opened— and got a lesson not only in how we do history in Arkansas but also in how we Well, in my last Archives and Special Collections Pro- open a new building! They were espe- column, I said gram has doubled as compared to usage cially intrigued by the more than 100 we’d either have in our former research room. Many tour image panels we have in the ASI show- an announcement groups and folks wanting to hold meet- ing scenes from the state’s history, most in the next But- ings in the ASI have been excited by the especially the one showing the original ler Banner about beautiful space. A teacher who brought Wal-Mart store in Rogers. the date of our in a group of kids wrote to say, “The We recently received an announce- grand opening, ASI and its staff make me glad to be an ment of the admission of the next class of or pictures of it, Arkansan.” We are deeply grateful to be students in the Clinton School of Public having already held the event. If you’ve able to share this wonderful space with Service, which holds classes and has of- looked at pages 4 and 5, you’ve seen the people who want to know more about Ar- fices in the ASI. Some of these thirty-six pictures. We had the grand opening of kansas. It is a great pleasure to be open remarkable students, drawn from sev- the Arkansas Studies Institute on Satur- for service! enteen states and five foreign countries, day, March 21. It was truly a grand oc- Also in these pages, you can see the have some tie to Arkansas. Many do not. casion, with five former Arkansas gover- results of the awards ceremony at the Their experience as students will be dif- nors, one of whom used to be president annual meeting of the Arkansas His- ferent because a great deal of their class of the , and representatives torical Association in Magnolia. Butler work will take place in our building. But of three late governors. The event was a Center staff members or projects won I couldn’t help thinking about the ways wonderful combination of immense good seven awards, including five for the Pu- having classes in the ASI will change humor and devotion to the high calling of laski County Historical Review, which their very understanding of Arkansas, preserving and sharing Arkansas history. we publish under the editorship of Bob their appreciation for its history and We didn’t have long to savor the expe- Razer, assisted by Kathryn Heller. Grif identity, and their desire to share in its rience, however, as we opened for busi- Stockley won the Ragsdale book prize, present and future. That is why we are ness the following Monday morning at and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas won here, both for the benefit of people who 9:00. Immediate comments and reactions the Diamond Award. It was a big night live in the state and for those from oth- were overwhelming and gratifying. The for our colleagues. er places. We look forward to welcom- number of visitors to the research room Other big things are coming up, includ- ing those students in the fall, and we we share with our colleagues from the ing the next step in our participation in a look forward to welcoming you soon at at Little Rock’s State Department–sponsored partnership the ASI! n

Cont. from ASI Galleries Debut, p.1 In other art news, artist Roberta McGrath donated her painting Controlled Chaos to the CALS art program, and it is now in- stalled in the new Nixon Library in Jack- sonville. Controlled Chaos, a fun and col- orful painting, is an exciting addition to the new branch. Another notable event is the completion of the Arkansas River Valley Walking Map, located on the south side of the ASI along Count Pulaski Way. This colorful painting of the Arkansas River depicts the as represented by artifacts and animals. It is highlighted with the names of cities, historically important sites, and geo- graphic features along the river. The ASI Retail Gallery is now open as well; formerly located in the Cox Creative Center, the gallery features artists from all over Arkansas who work in a wide variety of media and styles. n Arkansas Studies Institute’s Arkansas Artists Retail Gallery

The Butler Banner Page 3 Grand Opening Celebration The Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) held its grand opening Saturday, March 21, 2009. The building officially opened to visitors and researchers the following Monday. Ceremonies began Friday, March 20, with the dedication of a plaque com- memorating the Jewish community and Concordia Hall. A Jewish community A social center in the late 1880s, Concordia Hall was housed on the second floor S of the Porbeck & Bowman building, which is now part of the ASI. I Saturday’s celebration began with remarks from a group of distinguished speakers, including Joel Anderson, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) chancellor; Governor ; Senator ; Governor ; President ; CALS board of trustees member ; CALS board of trustees president Stanley Hill; Senator David Pryor; CALS director Bobby Roberts; and David Stricklin, head of the Butler Center for Ar- kansas Studies. After heartfelt remarks and many accolades for the library’s staff and lead- ers, Governor Beebe was surprised by the unveiling of a walkway located on the first floor. The walkway is constructed using timber salvaged from an old bridge in Amagon, Beebe’s hometown. Guests then enjoyed refreshments and tours of the building.

“We’re trying to do two things with this facility—one is to cre- ate a place where anybody who wants to know about Arkansas Rabbi Eugene Levy (center), along with will have at their fingertips an David Stricklin (left) and Jerry Klinger, immense amount of resources representative of the Jewish American to do that. The other thing Society for Historic Preservation (right), unveiled the commemorative plaque lo- we’re trying to do is stimulate cated on the north side of the building, the pursuit of further knowl- facing Rock Street. edge about the state’s history.” —David Stricklin

The microfilm court records for Perry County cover the years 1821 to 1972 and County Court Records for Pulaski County from 1819 to 1979. On- line and print indexes are available in the Added to ASI Resources ASI Research Room, and staff members ore than 280 microfilm reels the Clinton School of Public Service and in will assist visitors and students in using the of court records from Pulaski the History Department of the University records for genealogy research and school n MCounty and Perry County have of Arkansas at Little Rock. assignments. been added to the resources available in Traditionally, genealogists have used the Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) Re- court records to expand family histories be- Contact the Butler Center search Room. The Butler Center purchased yond the names and dates found in census at the ASI! all court records for the CALS service area records. Arkansas county court records— Visit www.butlercenter.org and available from the Family History Library including land records, probate records, click on Contact Us for a list of Butler in Salt Lake City, Utah, and seeks to pur- tax records, and more—can illuminate an- chase court records on microfilm for all Ar- cestors’ livelihoods and quality of life, as Center staff members’ new phone kansas counties. The collection of Arkan- well give clues to what life was like in their numbers. Call (501) 320-5700 to sas county court records is intended specifi- communities. Broader historical research is reach the Arkansas Studies Institute cally to add value to the ASI as a compre- increasingly utilizing local court records to Research Desk. hensive research repository for students at illuminate political and social conditions. Page 4 The Butler Banner Grand Opening Celebration

“We have to cherish what is ours…this is a big piece of what’s ours.”—Jim Guy Tucker

View of the crowd gathered in the ASI Main gallery. Over 500 guests attended.

Honored guests and speakers (from left to “UALR is proud to have right): President Bill a presence in the Little Clinton, Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Governor Rock River Market as a President Bill Clinton spoke to Mike Beebe, CALS partner with CALS in the the crowd, praising the ASI and board of trustees mem- Arkansas Studies Insti- its historical value. Clinton’s gu- ber Jimmie Lou Fish- bernatorial papers are housed in er, and CALS board tute.”—Joel Anderson the ASI. of trustees president Stanley Hill.

Cont. from Genealogy Workshop, p.1 such as GenSmarts, Ancestry.com, and such as Ancestry.com and Footnote.com. Internet search engines. Be a Part of He writes regularly on technical topics in The workshop is free and open to the family history, with an occasional dose public. Registration is from 9:00 to 9:30 CALS’ History! of humor, and maintains the RootsWorks. a.m., and the workshop begins at 9:30 a.m. he Central Arkansas Library Sys- com website. He is the author of Gene’s Lunch is provided, and reservations are tem (CALS) comprises 12 librar- Anniversary Scrapbook, a technical how- recommended. Contact the Arkansas Stud- ies in two counties. The history Tof CALS dates back to February 1, 1910, to manual for scrapbooking. ies Institute at (501) 320-5700 or e-mail Genealogy Workshop attendees will Rhonda Stewart at [email protected]. when the original Little Rock Public learn about practical applications for The FGS will host this year’s national Library opened its doors. A written his- family history research. Sharbrough will conference, Passages Through Time, at tory of CALS and its impact on Central introduce the group to Footnote.com, a the Little Rock Statehouse Convention Arkansas is in progress. As part of that, website of historical documents and so- Center, September 2–5. Topics for the we invite you to share your memories cial networking, and RootsWorks.com, Genealogy Workshop were chosen to tie by completing a questionnaire. You may where researchers can learn how to use in with topics at the national conference. download a copy to print out and mail the latest technical tools to easily main- The Butler Center will operate a booth to us, or complete it online. A link to the tain and navigate genealogy research. during the conference to provide infor- survey can be found on the CALS web- The group will also discuss the pros and mation available on public research re- site (www.cals.org). Thank you for tak- cons of automatic research assistants sources. n ing the time to be a part of our history. n

The Butler Banner Page 5 the encyclopedia of Arkansas history & culture

WANTED: Authors and Media We need authors, photographs, documents, video, maps, and audio clips to help make the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture the most complete resource on Arkansas history. Entries Needing Media (Photographs, etc.): Atkins Pickle Company Arkansas Negro Democratic Association Command-Aire Little Italy (Pulaski and Perry Counties) Arboretum Camp Magnolia O. C. Bailey Nimrod P. Menifee Win “Skinny” Whipple Perry Wayne Ouzts Hiram Abiff Whittington Crop Circles Geleve Grice Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton Eleanor de la Vergne Doss Risley Arkansas State Guard C. D. Wright Assemblies of God Jim McDougal Island 37 Nelson Hackett If you have pictures or other media, please Mary Victor (M. V.) Mayfield contact Mike Keckhaver at mkeckhaver@ Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) encyclopediaofarkansas.net Harmonial Vegetarian Society Douglas Clyde Jones Entries Needing Authors: Edsel Ford Star City (Lincoln County) Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge Caves and Cavers Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Missouri Bootheel Camp Aldersgate Lady Baxter Church of God in Christ (COGIC) Glen Campbell Panel of American Women If you would like to write one of these entries, Flu Epidemic of 1918 please contact Anna Lancaster at Jean Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe [email protected]

Guy Explorations of Arkansas History Lancaster

rkansas history can sometimes at least once a year. I’m referring, of sumption of opossums—with Pokey be hard to beat in terms of the ri- course, to our annual April Fool’s Day O’Possum as its mascot. A diculous. After all, this is the state entry. In 2007, we posted a piece on the As with all April Fool’s Day jokes, some- where rival Baptist churches battled it out Ouachitater Buffaloes, a group of water one invariably falls for it each year. But on the streets of Jonesboro, shooting up the buffaloes living on the shores of Lake these people aren’t gullible. They know town until Governor had to Ouachita. Last year, readers of the Ency- that Arkansas history is so crazy, so popu- call out troops to restore order; where the clopedia learned about Bartleby Clown lated by the daft and the dreamers, that lit- General Assembly designated an actual College, an institution for the training of erally anything can happen here. After all, sanctuary for the mythical White River circus performers that operated in Jones- if a legislative body can set aside a special Monster; where a former mayor of Searcy boro during the 1950s. And this year, it reserve for an unseen monster, why would invented a miniature musical commode as was all about the Possum of Tomorrow they not try to promote opossum farming? a novelty and made money off of it—the Program—an initiative sponsored by Just take a gander through the Encyclope- list of historical farce goes on and on. the Arkansas Agriculture Department to dia of Arkansas. For the true Arkansas his- Hard to beat, this stuff, but we do try encourage the mass breeding and con- tory buff, every day is April Fool’s Day. n

Page 6 The Butler Banner Thad Caraway Exhibit in the ASI he Arkansas Studies Institute is hosting the first stop of a traveling Texhibit on Thaddeus Caraway, which shows a timeline of Caraway’s life. A former U.S. representative and U.S. senator, Caraway was a progressive champion of the poor who vigorously aided the people of Arkansas during the . University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor Dr. Cal Ledbetter funded the Left to right: AHA president Laura Miller, with EOA staffers Nathania Sawyer, Mike exhibit, which was researched and cre- Keckhaver, and Mike Polston ated by the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. The exhibit will be placed in the Arkansas Humanities Council’s traveling Butler Center Staff in the Community exhibit collection. Contact the Arkansas Awards and Recognitions Humanities Council at 501-320-5761 for Mike Polston, historian for the EOA, Review. Razer helped the Review win the information on hosting the exhibit or for won Exhibit of the Year by the Arkansas Walter L. Brown Award for Best County further information. n Museum Association for “Every Four or Local Journal award and Best Graph- Years: Campaigning for the Presidency” ics award given by the Arkansas Histori- as director of the museum at Cabot High cal Association. Razer also won the Best School. Biography award for his article for the Grif Stockley, historian for the Butler Review titled “Joe T. Robinson: The New Center, won several awards in 2009 in- Deal’s Majority Leader, 1933-1937,” cluding: the J. G. Ragsdale Book Award also given by the AHA. and the Walter Brown Award, both given Shirley Schuette, archival assistant, by the Arkansas Historical Association tied in the Best Edited Document cat- (AHA). Stockley also participated as an egory for her article that appeared in the author in the Arkansas Literary Festival. Review titled, “‘The Land is Good’: One Jamie Metrailer, archival assistant Immigrant’s View of Territorial Arkan- with the Bill Clinton State Govern- sas, the Klingelhoeffer Letter of 1834.” ment Project, was awarded the Pulaski The Encyclopedia of Arkansas His- County Historical Society’s F. Hampton tory & Culture staff won the Diamond Roy Award for 2009. The award article, Award, presented by the Arkansas His- “Skilled Workers in Little Rock’s Build- torical Association, for its outstanding ef- ing Trades, Manufactories, and Rail- forts in the engaging EOA website, www. Thaddeus Caraway exhibit in Concordia roads from 1871 to 1890,” appears in n encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Hall the Spring 2009 volume of the Pulaski County Historical Review. Bob Razer, Archie House Fellow and BuTLER CENTER dONORS editor of the Pulaski County Historical Gifts of Materials for Fall 2008 Mike Polston Morris S. Arnold Eugene Porter Terri Bailey Johnnie B. Pugh Linda Bly David Stricklin Joe Brazeal, Brandon, MS Holly Trantham Marcia Camp Mike Wallace Mary Crews Harvey P. Wiley, Maryland Dr. Ralph Desmarais Donations Erma Glasco-Davis Mike Polston (BASE) Morris L. Holmes Jr. Lee Rector, Nevada; In honor of Uni- William B. Jones versity of Arkansas Foundation for Ron Guy Lancaster Robinson Grif Stockley

The Butler Banner Page 7 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITTLE ROCK, AR PERMIT #183

Central Arkansas Library System 100 S. Rock Street

Little Rock, AR 72201

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