ASA announces true crime symposium

The Arkansas State Archives will host a symposium on Sat., Oct. 28, at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The symposium’s theme, “Case Files and Conspiracies: True Crime and Lore in Arkansas,” will feature speakers Brooks Blevins, George Lankford, Tom Dillard, Denise Parkinson and State Archives staff member Brian Irby.

Topics include I'll Never Be Taken Alive, The Strange Tale of Helen Spence; Murder & Memory: The Murder of Green Thompson and its Aftermath; Ghost of the Ozarks: Murder and Media in the Ozarks; Daughter of the White River and A Shot in the Back in 1841: Then Chaos in Independence County.

The seminar is free to attend but registration is required. Deadline for registration is Oct 23. Registration is limited, so be sure to make reservations soon. Check-in will begin at 9:15 a.m. Teachers can earn up to four professional development hours through attendance. Lunch will be provided.

The Arkansas State Archives is a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and is responsible for collecting and maintaining the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world. The State Archives has two branch locations: the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Washington.

Other divisions of the Department of Arkansas Heritage include the Arkansas Arts Council, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

For more information about the symposium, email events.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900. To register, please visit: http://truecrime.eventbrite.com.

The Arkansas State Archives's September 2017 newsletter is out!

The September 2017 issue of our newsletter, the Arkansas Archivist, is out!

This month's topics include Arkansas Archives Month/American Archives Month, our final Pen to Podium lecture for 2017, our upcoming Oct. 28 True Crime symposium, and much more!

You can read our newsletter at: September 2017 Arkansas Archivist

Arkansas State Archives Celebrates Archives Month

Every year for the past 11 years, archives across the country have celebrated the work of archives and archivists by marking October as American Archives Month.  Through educational programs, posters, and social media posts, archives use the month of October to raise awareness about the importance of archives and the preservation of American records and historical material.

On Oct. 4, archivists across the country will participate in a nation-wide Ask an Archivist Day on Twitter, where they will field questions from the general public.  On Oct. 10, archives will celebrate Electronic Records Day through educational posts across social media about the importance of preserving electronic records.

Also, in conjunction with American Archives Month, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has proclaimed October to be Arkansas Archives Month, Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst announced today.  In the proclamation, the Governor cites the important work done by the Arkansas State Archives and “encourages his fellow citizens to discover the abundance of documentary treasures contained in our state’s archival repositories.” 

During the month of October, the State Archives will be hosting two events and will be participating in the national Ask an Archivist Day and Electronic Records Day online. On Oct. 17, the ASA will host its final Pen to Podium lecture for 2017, at Historic Arkansas Museum.  For more information or to register, please visit http://pentopodium.eventbrite.com.  On Oct. 28, the ASA will host a symposium, “Case Files and Conspiracies: True Crime and Lore in Arkansas,” at the Historic Pulaski County Courthouse.  For more information or to register, please visit http://truecrime.eventbrite.com.

The Arkansas State Archives is a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and is responsible for collecting and maintaining the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world.  The State Archives has two branch locations; the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Washington.

Other divisions of the Department of Arkansas Heritage include the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Simon P. Hughes and James P. Eagle letters, MS.000638

Simon P. Hughes (1830-1906) served as Governor of Arkansas from 1885-1889. Hughes was born in Smith County, Tennessee, on April 14, 1830. Educated in Tennessee, Hughes was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1857 and practiced law in Clarendon, Arkansas. During the Civil War, he enlisted and was commissioned as a captain, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Hughes first entered politics in 1853 as sheriff of Monroe County, where he served for two years. He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1866 to 1867, was a delegate to the 1874 Arkansas Constitutional Convention, and Arkansas' attorney general from 1874 to 1877. On September 1, 1884, Hughes was elected Governor of Arkansas. He later served on the Arkansas Supreme Court for 16 years before his death in 1906.

James Phillip Eagle (1837-1904) served as Governor of Arkansas from 1889-1893. Eagle was born in Maury County, Tennessee, on August 10, 1837. His family moved to Arkansas where James was educated in the county schools. He served as sheriff of Prairie County before the Civil War. During the Civil War, Eagle enlisted as a private, and rose later to the rank of colonel. He served as a member of the Arkansas Legislature, serving from 1873 to 1878, and in 1885, he served as speaker of the house. Eagle was nominated by the Democratic State Convention for governor in 1888, and was elected in September. He was reelected to a second term in 1890. During his tenure, he advocated reform in the state penitentiary system, supported a progressive policy on immigration, and endorsed liberal support for education. In 1902, he was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and twice was reelected. Governor James P. Eagle died of heart failure on December 19, 1904, in Little Rock and is buried at Little Rock's Mount Holly Cemetery. Conditions Governing Access

This collection contains a letterbook of outgoing correspondence by Simon P. Hughes and James P. Eagle between 1888 and 1889.

·         1888-1889: Letterbook, outgoing correspondence of Simon P. Hughes and James P. Eagle (Box 1)

September 2017 Acquisitions and Accessions

ASA Books

The Pritchard/Pritchett Family History, by Emily Pritchard Cary

Vital Records Handbook, by Thomas Jay Kemp

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, by Eric Schlosser

NEARA Periodicals

Independence County Library - Climbing Your Family Tree #15

SARA Books

Rondo: All But Forgotten Arkansas History Southwest of the Red River, by Ed Black (2 copies—one for SARA, one for ASA)

SARA Periodicals

The Ouachita County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 1, Fall 2017

The Gems of Pike County, Arkansas, Volume 28, Number 2, 2nd Quarter 2017

ASA Accessions

AHPP State Review Board Meeting report, August 2, 2017, 0.10 cu. ft.

El Dorado Senior Citizens Club scrapbooks, 1963-1970, 2 cu. ft.

Hawthorn[e] Garden Club[El Dorado, AR] scrapbooks, 1952-1972, 1 cu. ft.

El Dorado [AR] Police Court docket ledgers, 1922-1923, 2 cu. ft.

The Spade and the Trowel Garden Club [El Dorado, AR] record book, 1991-1993, 1 cu. ft.

El Dorado Garden Club records, 1950-1985, 2 cu. ft.

Murmil Heights Elementary School photograph albums, 1962-1980, 2 cu. ft.

El Dorado Self Culture Club scrapboo, 1903-1970, 1 cu. ft.

Ouachita Baptist College scrapbook, 1920s-1930s, 0.25 cu. ft.

El Dorado Rose Society scrapbook, c. 1949-1966, 0.5 cu. ft.

South Arkansas Audubon Society scrapbook, c. 1960s-1970s, 0.5 cu. ft.

El Dorado Business and Professional Women’s Club, Southeast Arkansas District, scrapbook, 1973-1974., 0.5 cu. ft.

El Dorado Kiwanis Club photo album, circa 1970s-early 1980s, 0.5 cu. ft.

Daughters of the American Revolution, Robert Rosamond Chapter [El Dorado, AR] scrapbook, 1967-1968, 0.5 cu. Ft.

1933 El Dorado, AR newspaper clippings scrapbook, 0.25 cu. ft.

World War II scrapbook presented to the El Dorado Public Library by Lou Arden Andrews Murphy, 1940s, 0.25 cu. ft.

Union County [AR] records, 4 cu. ft.

El Dorado Hi-Gusher, 1937-2000 (various issues), 1 cu. ft.

Refined Products [El Dorado, AR high school publication], 1922, 0.10 cu. ft.

Hudson and Brooks family photographs, 0.5 cu.ft.

Early Catheys and Ulster Scots by Everett Henry Cathey, 0.02 cu.ft.

Arkansas State Medical Board records, 16 cu. ft.

Herbert Roberts photo album

26 Arkansas postcards

Kay Waters Sakaris papers, artifacts: 2 quilts

Kay Waters Sakaris papers, 3 cu. Ft.

Leo and Sylvia Wulfsohn papers, 1 cu. ft.

Agnes Petray (Clift) Collection: Atkinson Funeral Home Fan

Agnes Petray (Clift) elementary school diploma, England, AR, 1921

John J. Truemper, Jr. papers, 1 cu. ft.

John Lemon letters, 1861-1863, 0.10 cu. ft.

Joe Wheeler No. 247, United Daughters of the Confederacy Records, 0.50 cu. ft.

NEARA Accessions

Wright, Marguerite family papers (pending Deed of Gift), 9.2 cu. Ft.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - John Crowell Wright papers, SMC.32.13

John Crowell Wright was born March 14, 1835, in Georgia, and moved with his family to Union County, Arkansas, in 1843. He married Mary Alabama Newton on March 29, 1859. At the start of the Civil War, Wright joined the Confederate Army and was elected captain of Company C, Fifteenth Infantry Regiment, and then lieutenant colonel. Captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, Wright escaped and rejoined the Confederate Army, serving in Arkansas with the regiment of his brother-in-law, Asa Morgan, and then as colonel in the Twelth Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. After the war, Wright returned to Union County and served as circuit and county clerk and state representative. He died January 18, 1915. A compilation of Wright's memoirs were published in 1982 under the title "Memoirs of Colonel John C. Wright C.S.A."

This collection contains material related to or written by John Crowell Wright. His memoir provides details of General Sterling Price's raid into Missouri in 1864, as well as the guerrilla warfare in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.

·         1. 1980 August 1: Marjana (Mrs. Ted) Beavert, El Dorado, Arkansas, to the Arkansas History Commission (Reel MG00218)

·         2. 1914 November 20: Dallas T. Herndon, Little Rock, Arkansas, to J.C. Wright, Whelen Springs, Arkansas

·         3. Undated: Arkansas History Commission biographical memoranda, John Crowell Wright

·         4. Undated: Speech, "A Gem of Purest Ray," John Crowell Wright's oration at the unveiling of the cannon "Old Betsy"

·         5. Undated: "In Memorium," Mary Alabama Wright

·         6. 1915: "Quotes from tributes paid Col. John Crowell Wright, at his death in El Dorado, Arkansas, Age 79"

·         7. Undated: "Missouri Raid of General Price 1864: The Memoirs of Col. John Crowell Wright of Union County, Arkansas"

AHA and NEARA announce award

The Arkansas Historical Association and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA), a branch of the Arkansas State Archives, announce the annual NEARA Award for Exemplary Archival Research. The award recognizes the best original unpublished research paper using archival materials from the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives, particularly the Lawrence County Territorial Papers (1815-1836).

 Established by the family of Eugene Sloan, in partnership with the Arkansas Historical Association, the annual award will include a $1,000 cash prize.  The award will be announced at the AHA’s Annual Conference Awards Banquet. Entries must use documents housed in NEARA’s collection. Deadline for entries is February 1. Details are available on the NEARA website, http://archives.arkansas.gov/neara/neara-about-us.aspx and on the website of the Arkansas Historical Association, www.arkansashistoricalassociation.org.  NEARA’s collection includes county records dating to the 1815 creation of Lawrence County by the Missouri Territorial Assembly.

The original Lawrence County included most of what is now northern Arkansas and a slice of southern Missouri and has since been carved into 46 counties on both sides of the state line.

Eugene Sloan was born in Powhatan on September 15, 1892, and attended the Powhatan Male and Female Academy, which is located adjacent to NEARA in Powhatan Historic State Park.  He was a successful lawyer and landowner in Jonesboro, where he died in 1981. Throughout his life, he supported preservation efforts in his hometown, including saving the Powhatan courthouse and its records.

NEARA is located at 11 Seventh Street in Powhatan, Arkansas. The research room is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except for state legal holidays.  For more information, call 870-878-6521 or e-mail northeast.archives@arkansas.gov. 
           
 Located in Little Rock, the Arkansas State Archives is the official state archives, with branches in Powhatan, and Washington, Arkansas. The Arkansas Historical Association, headquartered in Fayetteville, is a membership organization that promotes the preservation, writing, publishing, teaching, and understanding of Arkansas history through the publication of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and other activities including a respected awards program.

ASA announces final Pen to Podium lecture for 2017

The Arkansas State Archives, in conjunction with its sister agency Historic Arkansas Museum, is hosting the fourth and final in a series of lectures in 2017, Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst announced today.

The lecture, which is part of the Pen to Podium: Arkansas Historical Writers' Lecture Series, will be held from 7 - 8 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 17, at Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. The lecture will feature Erik Wright, who will present Main Street Mayhem: Crime, Murder and Justice in Downtown Paragould.

Before the lecture, a reception sponsored by the Friends of the Arkansas State Archives will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the atrium of the museum.

The lecture is free but registration is required. Registration is limited and deadline for registration will be Fri., Oct. 13.

The Arkansas State Archives is a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and is responsible for collecting and maintaining the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world.  The State Archives has two branch locations; the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Washington.

Other divisions of the Department of Arkansas Heritage include the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

For more information, contact events.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900.

To register, please visit http://pentopodium.eventbrite.com.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - John E. Martineau papers, MS.000414

John E. Martineau was the twenty-eighth governor of Arkansas, serving from 1927 to 1928. Born on December 2, 1873, in Clay County, Missouri, Martineau moved to Lonoke County, Arkansas, with his family when he was still a small child. He studied law and was elected governor as a Democrat. During his brief time in office, Martineau was faced with the disaster of the 1927 flood and was elected President of the Tri-State Flood Commission, formed by Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. He called out the National Guard on May 4, 1927, to stop rioting in Little Rock following the lynching of John Carter, and he reformed the state highway system by authorizing the use of highway bonds to fund road construction. Martineau resigned as governor on March 2, 1928, after he was appointed United States district judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. He remained in this position until his death on March 6, 1937.

This collection contains the official correspondence of Governor Martineau during his term of office, covering topics such as the highway department, the flood of 1927, and appointments to offices.

• 1926
  • Adjutant General (Box 1)
  • Applications (6)
  • Arkansas Service Bureau
  • Bank Commission
  • Blind and Deaf School (2)
  • Charitable Institutions
  • Clerical - Stenographic
  • Comptroller
  • Confederate Home (2)
  • Congratulations and personal
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • H
    • I-J
    • K-L
    • M
    • N-P
    • Q-R
    • S
    • T
    • U-W
    • X-Z
  • County officials
    • Assessor
    • Chancellor
    • Circuit Clerk
    • Constable
    • Coroner
    • Judges
    • Mayor
    • Sheriff
    • Surveyor
    • Treasurer
    • Education
    • Election Commission
    • Feed and Fertilizer Inspector
    • Fish and Game Commission
    • Game Warden, H-Z
  • Governor Correspondence (Box 2)
    • Campaign and political
      • A-G
      • H-M
      • N-Z
    • Miscellaneous and personal
      • A-G
      • H
      • I-Mc
      • M-S
      • T-Z
  • Health
  • Highway Department (3)
  • Honorary Board
  • Industrial School
    • General
    • Boys (2)
    • Girls
    • African American
  • Inheritance Tax Attorney
  • Insurance
  • Invitations
    • A-G
    • H-Z
  • Judges-Supreme Court
  • Labor Commission (2)
  • Legislation
    • General
    • Bills
    • Employees
    • Speakership
  • Oil and gas
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D-G
    • H
    • J-Mc
    • M-N
    • O-Q
    • R-S
    • T-Z
  • Penitentiary
    • A-J
    • H-J
    • K-M
    • N
    • O-S
    • T-Z
  • Publicity
  • Purchasing department
    • A-G (Box 3)
    • H-Z
  • Revenue Department
    • A-G
    • H-Z
  • State Democratic Convention
  • State Hospital
    • A-G
    • H-Z
  • State Hotel Inspector
  • State Mine Inspector
  • State Veterinarian
  • University of Arkansas
    • A-G
    • H-Z
• 1927-1928
  • Aeronautics (Box 4)
  • Agriculture
  • Applications, miscellaneous
  • Applications
    • A-C
    • D-H
    • I-L
    • M
    • N-Z
  • Appointments
    • A-J
    • L-Z
  • Arkansas Service Bureau
  • Bank Commission
    • A-G
    • H-Z
  • Blind and Deaf School
  • Bonds
  • Boxing Commission
  • Child Welfare
  • Confederate Home
  • Conservation Department
    • A-C
    • D-G
    • H
    • J-Mc
    • M-Q (Box 4)
    • R-T
    • U-Z
  • Crippled Children's Home
  • Education, schools and colleges
    • A-G
    • H-Z
  • Fire Marshall
  • Fish and Game
  • Flood
    • A-C
    • D-H
    • J-M
    • N-R
    • S-Z
  • Governor's correspondence
    • A-B
    • C-E
    • F-G
    • H
    • I-L
    • M
    • N-S
    • T-Z
  • Health Department (Box 5)
  • Highway Department
    • A-C
    • D-G
    • H
    • I-L
    • M
    • N-R
    • S-V
    • W-Z
  • Honorary Board
  • Industrial schools
    • General
    • Boys and girls
  • Invitations
    • A-C
    • D-G
    • H-K
    • L-O
    • P-S
    • T-Z
  • Justice of the Peace
    • A-B
    • C-D
    • E-H
    • J-M
    • N-S (Box 6)
    • T-Z
  • Labor Department
  • Legislature
    • A-B
    • C-G
    • H-K
    • L-O
    • P-S
    • T-Z
  • Medical Board
  • Military Department
  • Mine Inspector
    • A-R
    • S-Z
  • Miscellaneous
    • A-B
    • C-D
    • E-G
    • H-M
    • N-P
    • R-Z
  • Notary Public
    • A-M
    • N-Z
  • Penitentiary
    • A- B (Box 7)
    • C-G
    • H
    • I-L
    • M-N
    • O-R
    • S-T
    • U-Z
  • Pensions
  • Proclamations
  • Publicity
  • Purchasing Department
  • Revenue Department
    • A-H
    • I-Z
  • Insurance and Revenue
  • State Hospital
  • State Sanitorium
  • State Veterinarian
  • Tax Commission
    • A-D
    • E-G
    • H
    • N-S (Box 8)
    • T-Z
  • Text Book Commission
  • Tick Eradication
  • University of Arkansas
  • United States Government
  • Journal of the House of Representatives of Arkansas: Thirty-Sixth Regular Session, 1907 (2)
  • Oversized Penitentiary records (Box 9)

Arkansas State Archives receives donation of movie memorabilia

For 112 years, the Arkansas State Archives, a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, has maintained and preserved artifacts and archival materials pertaining to the state’s rich and unique history.  Much of what the State Archives holds, though, comes through generous donations from the general public. From county records and newspapers to gubernatorial papers and Arkansas artifacts, the State Archives has received countless donations of historic Arkansas material over the years.

In July, the State Archives received a large donation of movie memorabilia.  Mary Jean Hall, a frequent State Archives patron, donated a large collection of material from the western movie, “Terror at Black Falls,” which was filmed in Scotland, Ark., in 1959. The western starred House Peters, Peter Mamakos, and Gary Gray.

 “We’re really excited to have this unique donation. Our state has long been a location for filmmaking, but not many people know about this particular movie. It’s a great addition to our special collections,” shared Arkansas State Archives Director Dr. Lisa Speer.

Mary Jean began collecting memorabilia from the movie nearly four decades ago. “I don’t really know exactly how many years I’ve spent collecting everything. In 1980, I started researching my genealogy and the history of Scotland by reading microfilm of the Van Buren County Democrat in Clinton.” Through her research, she discovered that Scotland had been the location for filming the movie. “I started asking around about pictures of the making of the movie,” she recounted.

Mary Jean received her first piece of “Terror at Black Falls” memorabilia in the 1980s.  Over the years, the collection grew to include the original film reel of the movie, a signed script, lobby cards, posters, publicity photos, and letters. 

In 1989, Mary Jean contacted the Arkansas Gazette to see if they would be interested in writing an article about the movie and Scotland. The newspaper was very interested. “When the article came out, Ray Nelson, emcee of the Old Time Picture Show on AETN sent a copy to House Peters, who played the sheriff in the movie.” 

Peters eventually contacted Mary Jean and they began corresponding. In June 1993, Mary Jean and the town of Scotland welcomed Peters and his wife, Lucy, for a visit. A potluck was held at the Scotland Community Center in honor of the actor.  “We had a cake with “Terror at Blacks Falls,” cowboy boots and horses on it.  People who had had cowboy parts riding their horses [as extras] came to visit and have lunch, too.  It was a lot of fun!  House and Lucy really enjoyed the visit.”  During the visit, Mr. Peters presented Mary Jean with an autographed script.

House and Mary Jean corresponded until his death in 2008, after which Mary Jean was sent a canister containing the original film.

 The collection will be processed by State Archives staff before being made available to patrons in the research room.

“This donation of memorabilia is an excellent illustration of the treasures that the Arkansas State Archives preserves,” said Stacy Hurst, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.  “We are so thankful to Ms. Hall for this gift to the Archives.”

The Arkansas State Archives is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and is responsible for collecting and maintaining the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world.  The State Archives has two branch locations: the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Washington.

Other agencies of the Department of Arkansas Heritage include the Arkansas Arts Council, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Opening for temporary, part-time digital project archivist

The Arkansas State Archives has a job opening for a part-time, temporary digital project archivist.  To view the job description and to apply, please visit:

ASA Digital Project Archivist

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Wehrfritz, Rex F. Collection MS.000173

E.C. (Emil Cornelius) Wehrfritz was born April 14, 1847, at Schwabhausen, Germany, near Bingen-on-the-Rhine. He came to the United States where he resided in St. Louis, Missouri. Following the death of his brother Charles Edward Wehrfritz, who was naturalized at St. Louis in 1858, E.C. married Charles’ wife Elizabeth Berloing on July 4, 1868. In the spring of 1876, Wehrfritz moved to Little Rock with Elizabeth, Elise (Elizabeth's daughter by Charles), and their four children Edward Charles (born circa 1867), Emelia Kate (born circa 1869), Alexander Ferdinand (1871 January 12-1913 May 1), and Emil Cornelius Junior (1873-1954 January 6).

In July 1885, E.C. opened the Union Machine Works located between Markham and Second Streets. He became a naturalized citizen at Little Rock on September 25, 1906. Wehrfritz served several terms on the city council and ran unsuccessfully for mayor. He was a member of Knights of Pythias, the Knights of Honor, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He also was president of the Little Rock Turn-Verein and director of the Mechanics' Loan and Building Association. E.C. Wehrfritz died at Little Rock on April 7, 1910, leaving his business in the hands of his son, Alexander Ferdinand Wehrfritz. A newspaper report indicates his wife contested his will. Elizabeth died at age 76 on August 22, 1917.

Alexander Ferdinand Wehrfritz married Mattie Viola Graves (1875 April 29-1930 September 17) of Gurdon, Arkansas. The couple had three children who lived to adulthood: Ray Alexander Wehrfritz (1897 March 4-1981 March), Rex Ferdinand Wehrfritz (1898 November 27-1970 July 28), and Julius Graves Wehrfritz (1902 April 11-1992 March 31). After Alexander's death, Mattie Viola married D.O. Kirkland on August 6, 1914. Following his death, she married Charles Edwin Forrest, a native of Connecticut at San Diego, California, on May 24, 1923. A notice in the Arkansas Gazette December 5, 1924, records that a divorce had been granted.

Rex Ferdinand Wehrfritz (1898 November 27-1970 July 28) graduated from Little Rock High School in 1917. His mother presented him with a scholarship to Draughon's Business College in Little Rock. He owned Rex Clothing Store. He married Edith Elroy Cortrecht (1905 January 14-1974 August 26) on May 7, 1925. The couple had two children: Evelyn Wehrfritz and Rex Ferdinand Wehrfritz Junior (1929 July 4-2000 June 5).

This collection contains correspondence, business and financial papers, printed ephemera, photographs, scrapbooks, and information related to the Wehrfritz family of Little Rock, Arkansas, and the E.C. Wehrfritz Machinery and Supply Company. A series of postcards is from a tour of Little Rock citizens who visited Europe and the 1900 Paris Exposition.

---

• I. Correspondence (Box 1)
  • A. Postcards from E.C. (Emil Cornelius) and Elizabeth Wehrfritz on their trip to Europe and the Paris Exposition to Alex and Ola Wehrfritz, 1900
    • 1. 1900 May 20: Hamburg, Germany
    • 2. 1900 June 13
    • 3. 1900 June 24
    • 4. 1900 June 27: Germany
    • 5. 1900 July 4: Stuttgart, Germany
    • 6. 1900 July 10: Switzerland
    • 7. 1900 August 5: Cologne, Germany
    • 8. 1900 August 12: Paris, France
    • 9. 1900 August 19: Southampton, England
    • 10. 1900 September 5: New York
    • 11. 1901 September 17
  • B. General
    • 12. 1920 May 12: Karl Wehrfritz, Durtsch Wagram, to [E. C. Wehrfritz], Little Rock, Arkansas
    • 13. 1920 July 12: Unidentified, to E. C. Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
    • 14. 1920 November 22: Anna [U] Boetticher, to E.C. Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
    • 15. 1920 December 13: Karl jun Wehrfritz, Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien Deutsch Oster, Austria, to “Cousin”
    • 16. 1921 February 21: Karl Wehrfritz, Deutsche Wagram, Wien D. O.” [Austria], to Rex Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
    • 17. 1921 December 14: Karl Wehrfritz, Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien, D. O. Bockfluntr. N. 294 Austria, to Rex Wehrfritz
    • 18. 1922 July 2: Karl Wehrfritz, Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien Bockfluisstr 294 [Austria], to Rex Wehrfritz
    • 19. 1922 November 9: Postcard, Karl Wehrfritz, Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien D. O. Bockfluisstr N. 4, to Rex F. Wehrfritz
    • 20. 1925 January 21: Rex F. Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Edith Cortrecht, Abiline, Texas
    • 21. 1927 December 7: Karl Wehrfritz, Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien Ost. Bockfuisstr N. 4., to Rex F. Wehrfritz
    • 22. 1929 December 1: Karl Wehrfritz , Cacilia Wehrfritz, Karl Wehrfritz [Lohn], Rudolfini Wehrfritz Tochter, Deutsch Wagram b. Wien D. O. Bockfluisstr 294 Austria, to Rex F. Wehrfritz
    • 23. 1940 August: Ray [Wehrfritz], Los Angeles, California, to “Bro”
    • 24. Undated: Rex F. Wehrfritz, to Carl Wehrfritz
    • 25. Undated: Postcard, Karl [Wehrfritz], Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien D. O. Bockfluisstr 294, [Austria], to Rex F. Wehrfritz
    • 26. Undated: Postcard, Karl Wehrfritz Deutsch Wagram, Austria, b. Wien D.O. Bockfliesstr 294, [Austria], to Rex F. Wehrfritz
    • 27. Undated: [Karl Wehrfritz] to Rex F. Wehrfritz
• II. Business and financial papers
  • A. 1917 February 6: Stock: International Gradolph Electric Company
    • 1. 15 shares common-Mrs. M.V. Kirkland
    • 2. 15 shares preferred-Mrs. M.V. Kirkland
  • B. 1922 August 26: Letter of recommendation of R.F. Wehrfritz by B.N. Perry, Chief Accountant, Arrowhead Lake Company
  • C. 1925 December 2: Surety note, Mattie V. Wehrfritz
  • D. 1926 July 26: Statement of account, Dr. S.B. Hinkle
  • E. 1926 September 18: Cancelled check
  • F. 1926 September 23: Cancelled check
  • G. 1926 September 23: Statement of account, St. Vincent’s Infirmary
  • H. 1926 September 26: Statement of account, Dr. S.B. Hinkle
  • I. 1927 March 9: L.J. Rienhardt, San Pedro, California, to R.F. Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • J. 1930 December 26: New York American Investors' Service, to Rex F. Wehrfritz
  • K. 1931 October 5: Articles of incorporation of Rex Clothing Company
  • L. 1931 October 5: First meeting of incorporation of Rex Clothing Company
  • M. 1931 October 5: Stock, one share, Rex Clothing Company; owner, Edith Wehrfritz
  • N. 1939 August 28: List, meat market prices
  • O. 1941 November 7: Invoice, Pencil Supply Company, Incorporated
  • P. 1941 November 19: Eugene W. Sloan, Treasury Department, Washington, District of Columbia, to Rex Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Q. 1942 September 15: M. Desenberg, Flint, Michigan, to Rex F. Wehrfritz, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • R. 1942 September 21: List, meat market prices
  • S. Undated: List, meat market prices
  • T. Undated: Telegram, L.J. Rienhardt, San Pablo, Colorado, to R.F. Wehrfritz
• III. Legal papers
  • A. 1910 April 30: Letters testamentary appointing Alexander F. Wehrfritz Executor in and by the said Last will and testament of Emil Cornelius Wehrfritz (includes a copy of last will and testament)
  • B. 1913 May 5: Letters testamentary appointing Mattie Viola Wehrfritz Executrix in and by the said last will and testament of Alexander Ferdinand Wehrfritz (includes a copy of last will and testament)
  • C. 1917 April 24: Last will and testament of Elisabeth Wehrfritz. Also included are proof of will, probate record, and clerk's certificate of transcript.
• IV. Miscellaneous
  • A. Bulletin, First Baptist Church, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1902 September 27
  • B. Announcement (Invitation), Little Rock High School commencement exercises, 1917 May 31
  • C. Diploma, Rex F. Wehrfritz, Little Rock High School, 1917 June 1
  • D. Certificate of appointment and commission as notary public of Rex F. Wehrfritz, 1920 April 1
  • E. Certificate of appointment and commission as notary public of Rex F. Wehrfritz, 1926 June 18
  • F. Room ticket, William Sloan House, Young Men's Christian Association of New York, 1931 February 9
  • G. E.C. Wehrfritz Machinery and Supply Company Little Rock, Arkansas, undated
  • H. Pamphlet, Pound, Ira C. ,“A very sick world--a very sure remedy” and “the sure remedy for the world's ills,” undated
  • I. Announcement, International Committee for the Conservation of Manpower In War Industries... Announcing defense, training courses in safety engineering, undated
  • J. Birthday card, Teacher to Rex, undated
  • K. Two miscellaneous papers, undated
  • L. Postcard, Weissenburg in 1850, undated
  • M. Clipping: Arkansas Democrat, “Around the city” birth notice of Evelyn Inez Wehrfritz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Wehrfritz, 1926 September 20
  • N. Clipping, Brings law suit against her son--Mrs. E. C. Wehrfritz alleges husband's estate was larger than supposed-makes charges against son, undated
• V. Scrapbooks (Box 2)
  • A. Scrapbook containing photos, clippings, citizenship certificate, letters, death announcement, obituary of Harvey Shofner, poem, report card, broadside, postcards, ribbon, church bulletin, bonds, financial papers (voucher, statement of account), marriage licenses, temporary identification card for traveling across Mexico border, cards, receipts, incorporation papers for the Rex Clothing Company, church related material, blood donor certificate, Little Rock commencement programs, birth certificate, marriage announcement, checks, list of flowers from funeral of Mattie Viola Wehrfritz, scholarship to Draughon's Practical Business College.
  • B. Baby book, Evelyn Inez Wehrfritz
  • C. Baby book, Evelyn Inez Wehrfritz