March News from SARA

Once a thriving Arkansas community, Paraclifta is now listed among several “ghost towns.”  When Sevier County was created from part of “Old” Miller and Hempstead Counties in 1828, it was designated its county seat. By 1830, a post office had been established there, and by the 1850s, there were four newspapers. There was also the Paraclifta Seminary, which was a school for the education in social graces of young southern ladies.

Among the town’s prominent residents were Robert C. Gilliam and his wife Frances Russey Gilliam, who married in 1849. During the Civil War in 1863, Robert enlisted at the age of almost 44 in the Arkansas Battalion of State Troops when a “company of old men and boys” was recruited in Sevier County. He was killed at the Battle of Marks’ Mills on April 25, 1864.

Among the collections at SARA are the Gilliam Family papers which contain a history of their home, known today as the Gilliam-Norwood House, and is the only remaining structure of Paraclifta. The town was abandoned by 1885 due to the redrawing of Sevier County lines and the removal of the county seat to Lockesburg in 1871.

Original letters between Robert and his wife, Frances, during the Civil War are also among the family papers. Perhaps one of the most poignant ones was from Frances to Robert dated May 1, 1864. She wrote, “My Dear Husband, It has been so long since I heard from you I don’t feel like I can wait much longer. If I could get to you with safety, I would feel like going to see you.” Sadly, news of Robert’s death had not yet reached her. Also included in the collection is a lock of Robert’s hair that was clipped after his death.

This collection can be viewed at SARA from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday.

First Steps Taken in Newspaper Digitization

For nearly two months, Amy Gragert and Kelsey Kahlbaum-Hoisington have been working on a digitization project that is now coming to fruition. The project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, allows for the duplication of newspaper microfilm, which will be sent to the Library of Congress to be digitized and added to the Chronicling America, an online digitized newspaper website that allows researchers to look through digitized newspapers from across the country for free.

This project is expected to run for the next six years and will include newspapers from across the state. One batch sent to the Library of Congress consisted of 21 rolls and by the end of this first cycle, there will be 200 rolls sent, making up 100,000 pages of newsprint.

The process has been long, but has paid off. Kelsey points out that the Library of Congress has very strict guidelines governing their website. “The film has to meet their density standards and those are very high,” she observes. In this first batch are titles such as the Newport Daily Independent, the Forrest City Times, and the Log Cabin Democrat. Once the Library of Congress has digitized those papers, they will be available to read at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Main Street Arkansas Records

Today, we're highlighting the Main Street Arkansas records (MS.000761).

Main Street Arkansas was established in 1984 to serve as the state's historic preservation-based community and economic development program. Main Street Arkansas is a part of Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and has been a leading advocate for downtown revitalization by providing resources, education, and professional assistance to spark life into Arkansas' traditional commercial areas.

This collection contains articles, photographs, newsletters, slides, and reports on various cities in Arkansas dating from 1984-2005, collected as part of the Main Street Arkansas program. It contains 8.75 cubic feet of material.

To view the finding aid for this collection, please visit our website at: Main Street Arkansas records

SARA to host genealogy symposium

The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives, the Arkansas State Archives, and the Arkansas Genealogical Association are hosting their annual genealogy symposium from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at the 1914 Schoolhouse in Historic Washington State Park, 103 Franklin St., Washington, AR.

Speakers will be Dr. John Dennis with UAM, Christine Woodrow with the New Boston, Texas Public Library, and Joan Gould with Preservation Matters. Topics will be “From Field to Finish: The GLO Notes in the 21st Century,” “Where's the Dirt?,” and “The Waiting Game: Staking Out Early Land Claims.”

Teachers can earn up to 3 development hours for attendance. The SARA Foundation is sponsoring the event.

The event is free but registration is required. Deadline for registration is April 30. To register for this event, please visit: Register for Event

Application Deadline Approaching for Tom and Dolores Bruce Research Fellowship

Applications are being accepted until May 1 for the 2018 Tom and Dolores Bruce Historical Research Fellowship, a grant for scholars, teachers, graduate students, documentary producers and other researchers who are researching under-studied topics relating to Arkansas history. The award has a maximum cash value of $1,000.

The fellowship is for those who use materials held by at least two of the following institutions: the Arkansas State Archives, the CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, the Historical Research Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Center for Arkansas History and Culture.

Recipients will be notified by June 1 and will have until June 15 to accept or decline the award. Materials that need to be submitted include:

• A 250-word abstract of the proposal.
• A letter describing prospects for public accessibility of the finished work.
• Expressions of interest from prospective publishers, media outlets or, in the case of web-based and curriculum materials, likely users.
• The applicant’s resume.
• The names and contact information of three references who may be asked to write letters of support.
• A projected timeline.
• An estimated budget.
• A preliminary list of collections to be used at the archival institutions.

Applications should be emailed to Brian Robertson at brianr@cals.org or to him by mail:

Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Central Arkansas Library System

100 Rock Street

Little Rock, AR  72201

For information please contact Mr. Robertson at 501.320.5723 or his email.

Funded by an initial gift by Dr. Tom Bruce and matched by the Central Arkansas Library System, this award was renamed in 2017 to honor Dr. and Mrs. Bruce after Dr. Bruce’s death.

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 - John Donelson, Jr. survey notes, SMC.0003.0024

John Donelson, Jr., was the son of John Donelson and Rachel Stockley. Donelson's father was one of the first settlers of middle Tennessee and was the fifth signer of the Cumberland Compact, a document that provided for a representative government for the settlers of the area. John Donelson, Jr., was a surveyor like his father and helped survey the land in and close to Indian Territory. His survey of the "Cherokee Line" that ran from Southwest Missouri to Fort Smith took place from September 19, 1831, to January 18, 1832.

This collection contains the field notes recorded by John Donelson, Jr., as he surveyed land that ran from southwest Missouri to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

·         1831 August 18: "Field notes of a traverse line from the SW corner of Missouri to Fort Smith"

Summer 2018 SARA Internship

The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is looking for summer interns!

Work Period:  May 29, 2018 – August 4, 2018.

Location:  Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives | 201 Highway 195 South | Washington, Arkansas 71862.

Duties:  Arrange, describe, and preserve archival collections and other duties as assigned.  Work schedule is Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Work activities will be under the supervision of the Archival Manager.

Requirements:  Ability to work with attention to detail and basic knowledge of research methods.  The applicant should have a college degree or a degree in progress in history or a related field and should be at least 18 years of age.

Compensation:  $2,500 for the period of the internship paid by SARA Foundation, Inc.  Housing and utilities are provided by Historic Washington State Park.

Send cover letter, résumé, and three letters of recommendation by April 7, 2018, to:
Melissa Nesbitt, Archival Manager | Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives |
PO Box 134 | Washington, AR 71862 or e-mail melissa.nesbitt@arkansas.gov.
Phone:  870.983.2633 | FAX:  870.983.2636.

The internship is funded by SARA Foundation, Inc. whose purpose is to promote the activities of the Arkansas State Archives by giving support to the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives.

The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives in Washington, Arkansas, is a branch of The Arkansas State Archives, which is a division of The Department of Arkansas Heritage.