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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas


This Day in Arkansas History
August 24, 1819
Surgeon Thomas Russell, a veteran of the War of 1812 who was with the first company of riflemen assigned to Fort Smith (Sebastian County), died. His burial in Fort Smith is the first recorded for the cemetery, which became the Fort Smith National Cemetery in 1867 and is the oldest original national cemetery in the state.
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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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