Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

February 23, 1892

Folklorist Vance Randolph was born in Pittsburg, Kansas. Soon after earning his MA in psychology at Clark University, he moved to the hills of Arkansas and spent most of his life writing and studying the folklore of the Ozarks. In March 1962, Randolph married his second wife, Mary Celestia Parler, a folklore researcher and English professor at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County). He later published a collection of Ozark jokes and jests, Hot Springs and Hell (1965), and Ozark Folklore: A Bibliography (1972). Pissing in the Snow (1976), a collection of bawdy folk tales, became far and away his most popular book.

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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.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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