Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Everything from White man in bow tie standing amid displays of books August House to Black woman with long curly hair back turned holding guitar behind her with text "August Lane a novel Regina Black author of The Art of Scandal" August Lane

This Day in Arkansas History

August 27, 1963

Citizens of Lawrence County voted to move all county functions from Powhatan—which had been selected as county seat in 1869 and had once been a flourishing center of business, commerce, and government—to Walnut Ridge. The community of Powhatan had been declining since the Kansas City-Memphis Railroad bypassed the town in 1883. Removing the county functions set the stage for the rebirth of Powhatan as a historic community and its designation as Powhatan Historic State Park in 1970.

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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, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

New to Arkansas?
New to Arkansas?

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

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