Arkansas History's Mysteries: The Strange Career of Old Mike

Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Leavin’ nobody to sing his sad song
Leavin’ nobody to carry him home
Only a hobo, but one more is gone
-    Bob Dylan

On the evening of August 20, 1911, a short man stumbled through the crowd to listen to a tent revival meeting being held in the city park in the railroad town of Prescott.  The man was a drifter who had been traveling the state for a good while.  He was likely getting to be too old for the rambling life.  He was crippled by an arthritic condition on his left foot and walked with crutches.  He usually spent his days selling pencils and shoestrings to the people on the sidewalks of the towns he visited.  It was hardly an enjoyable career for someone who had difficulty standing for long periods of time.  But, now he could relax after his long day.  After the revival meeting ended, the man sat down in the grass and leaned against a tree to rest.  This was the hobo’s last ride; sometime during the night, the man died. 

The next morning, city officials discovered his body and took him to the Prescott Hardware Company, which doubled as the city’s morgue.  The coroner declared the cause of death a heart attack, quickly settling the matter.  The man carried no identification – not unusual in 1911, which meant that identifying him would be difficult.  Dr. W.W. Rice, the Nevada County Coroner, also could not find any clues to the man’s identity in his pockets.  He seemed to have been carrying all of his worldly possessions in his pockets -- eighty cents, a silver teaspoon, a handkerchief, and about a dozen pencils.  Asking around, it seemed that there were plenty who had seen him in town, but unfortunately no one could recall his name.  One person said that he had seen the deceased a few weeks before in the drunk tank in Little Rock where the municipal judge ordered the man out of town.  Another witness claimed to have seen the man in Gurdon and Arkadelphia, both towns served by the railroad that came through Prescott.  He seemed to be wearing a suit purchased at Texarkana, and when asked about the suit, the merchant who sold it could not remember anything about the buyer. 

There were some clues that authorities hoped would be able to help them to identify the man.  He was a small man, only around 5 foot 4, full head of hair, thick mustache, and a tattoo on his right arm of a woman standing on a pedestal.  He had rather elaborate dental work, which caused many to suggest that he might have been of European origin, possibly Italian.  Blue Avery, who worked at the funeral home in the 1960s and 1970s remarked, “In my opinion, he has some of the most beautiful gold work in his lower teeth that I’ve ever seen.”  One person claimed that he had talked to the deceased and the unknown man had told him that he had a sister in Chicago.  Unfortunately, the witness said that he could not recall the man’s name. 

With few clues from which to work, the coroner released the man’s body to the Cornish Funeral Home, where the undertaker, John D. Cornish, would embalm him.  The man was not the only unidentified body in the funeral home.  There was a woman whom the funeral home employees referred to as “Old Kathy.”  Keeping with the naming convention of unidentified bodies, the funeral home workers started calling the drifter “Old Mike.”  While Old Kathy was eventually claimed by family members, no one came to give Old Mike his proper name.  The funeral home decided to take the unusual step of placing “Old Mike” on display with the hopes that someone would come along and identify the man.  A week passed with no one providing any information.  Weeks passed into months.  At some point a woman visited Prescott in the hopes that he was her long lost husband.  He was not.  The months then passed into years.  And “Old Mike” went from being a tragic figure into being a town attraction.  Because the funeral home decided not to bury “Old Mike,” instead the anonymous drifter would remain on display for the next 64 years.

Old Mike, as he will likely forever be known, stood in a closet in the back of the funeral home behind a curtain.  Reverend Jerry Westmorland, who would preach his funeral years later, recalled that as a child it was always a thrill to see Old Mike.  “You would dare your friend to touch him,” he remembered, “All you had to do is go by the funeral home and ask to see Old Mike and they’d usher you right back to the back.  They had him behind a curtain and then they’d draw back the curtain and there he’d be!”  An article from the Arkansas Democrat in 1970 claimed that two busloads of children came in to see Old Mike in a single week’s time.  One persistent story told by many who lived in the Prescott area was that some high school kids stole his body at one point and took him to the movies with them.  Traveling carnivals also asked to purchase his body, one offering $1000 to the mortuary.  Blue Avery remarked, “They wanted to know if we’d sell him, but we couldn’t from an ethical standpoint.”

Although he had been embalmed, the years had still taken their toll on Old Mike.  Constant embalming had caused his body to mummify.  The mummification process caused his skin to darken leading to the rumor that Old Mike had turned into wood.  Over time, the skin around the eyes tightened.  The funeral workers placed caps over his eyes with drawn pupils on the caps to make it appear that Old Mike was looking at you presenting an even more ghoulish image.  He had also shrunk from 5’4 to around 4’5, his weight declining to around 50 pounds.  Even with the mummification, Old Mike seemed to have held up pretty well over the years.  Blue Avery recalled, “Some have asked why we keep him.  The reason is that it is such a good job of embalming.  Some people even today have doubts about him being dead.”  Every few years, the funeral home workers would replace Old Mike’s clothes, burning his old suit and replacing it with a new one, ready for the next round of sightseers. 

While many readers might think that the idea of keeping a body on display for over sixty years is quite disturbing, it seems that there was little dissent from the public at the time.  Peggy Lloyd, who grew up in southwest Arkansas recalled that when visitors to the town wanted to see the sights, she’d try to direct them to the Nevada County Depot and Museum, but they’d often be more interested in learning where they could find Old Mike.  He became known nationwide.  Even Johnny Carson made reference to Old Mike in one of his Tonight Show monologues. 

In 1975, one funeral home worker finally decided that enough was enough.  To him, having a body – a human being – on display for entertainment purposes was beyond tacky.  So, he contacted the office of Arkansas Attorney General Jim Guy Tucker to report the sad tale of Old Mike.  Since the Arkansas Legislature had recently passed a law that required that bodies be buried in a reasonable time period after death, it seemed a good time to make sure that Old Mike receive a proper burial.  Tucker’s office ordered that the Cornish Funeral Home bury Old Mike.  The funeral home decided to provide Old Mike with a private funeral; they did not contact the press, but decided to keep it a small affair – only five of the funeral home employees and a preacher were in attendance.  Rev. Jerry Westmorland preached the funeral.  The theme of his eulogy was that we might not know who Old Mike was, but God did.  He was laid to rest in the De Ann Cemetery in Prescott with a simple headstone that read, “Old Mike, Died August 21, 1911.”

Who was Old Mike?  We will likely never know.  He was one of many drifters who crossed this state in the early part of the twentieth century.  He came to Prescott with little and died with little.  He had a name, but that name was lost the moment he drew his last breath.  And herein lies one of the biggest ironies of the story:  The fact that he died without a name meant that he would become possibly one of the most famous parts of Prescott’s cultural landscape.

Arkansas History's Mysteries - The Strange Career of Old Mike

Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Leavin’ nobody to sing his sad song
Leavin’ nobody to carry him home
Only a hobo, but one more is gone
- Bob Dylan

On the evening of August 20, 1911, a short man stumbled through the crowd to listen to a tent revival meeting being held in the city park in the railroad town of Prescott.  The man was a drifter who had been traveling the state for a good while.  He was likely getting to be too old for the rambling life.  He was crippled by an arthritic condition on his left foot and walked with crutches.  He usually spent his days selling pencils and shoestrings to the people on the sidewalks of the towns he visited.  It was hardly an enjoyable career for someone who had difficulty standing for long periods of time.  But, now he could relax after his long day.  After the revival meeting ended, the man sat down in the grass and leaned against a tree to rest.  This was the hobo’s last ride; sometime during the night, the man died.

 The next morning, city officials discovered his body and took him to the Prescott Hardware Company, which doubled as the city’s morgue.  The coroner declared the cause of death a heart attack, quickly settling the matter.  The man carried no identification – not unusual in 1911, which meant that identifying him would be difficult.  Dr. W.W. Rice, the Nevada County Coroner, also could not find any clues to the man’s identity in his pockets.  He seemed to have been carrying all of his worldly possessions in his pockets -- eighty cents, a silver teaspoon, a handkerchief, and about a dozen pencils.  Asking around, it seemed that there were plenty who had seen him in town, but unfortunately no one could recall his name.  One person said that he had seen the deceased a few weeks before in the drunk tank in Little Rock where the municipal judge ordered the man out of town.  Another witness claimed to have seen the man in Gurdon and Arkadelphia, both towns served by the railroad that came through Prescott.  He seemed to be wearing a suit purchased at Texarkana, and when asked about the suit, the merchant who sold it could not remember anything about the buyer.

 There were some clues that authorities hoped would be able to help them to identify the man.  He was a small man, only around 5 foot 4, full head of hair, thick mustache, and a tattoo on his right arm of a woman standing on a pedestal.  He had rather elaborate dental work, which caused many to suggest that he might have been of European origin, possibly Italian.  Blue Avery, who worked at the funeral home in the 1960s and 1970s remarked, “In my opinion, he has some of the most beautiful gold work in his lower teeth that I’ve ever seen.”  One person claimed that he had talked to the deceased and the unknown man had told him that he had a sister in Chicago.  Unfortunately, the witness said that he could not recall the man’s name.

 With few clues from which to work, the coroner released the man’s body to the Cornish Funeral Home, where the undertaker, John D. Cornish, would embalm him.  The man was not the only unidentified body in the funeral home.  There was a woman whom the funeral home employees referred to as “Old Kathy.”  Keeping with the naming convention of unidentified bodies, the funeral home workers started calling the drifter “Old Mike.”  While Old Kathy was eventually claimed by family members, no one came to give Old Mike his proper name.  The funeral home decided to take the unusual step of placing “Old Mike” on display with the hopes that someone would come along and identify the man.  A week passed with no one providing any information.  Weeks passed into months.  At some point a woman visited Prescott in the hopes that he was her long lost husband.  He was not.  The months then passed into years.  And “Old Mike” went from being a tragic figure into being a town attraction.  Because the funeral home decided not to bury “Old Mike,” instead the anonymous drifter would remain on display for the next 64 years.

 Old Mike, as he will likely forever be known, stood in a closet in the back of the funeral home behind a curtain.  Reverend Jerry Westmorland, who would preach his funeral years later, recalled that as a child it was always a thrill to see Old Mike.  “You would dare your friend to touch him,” he remembered, “All you had to do is go by the funeral home and ask to see Old Mike and they’d usher you right back to the back.  They had him behind a curtain and then they’d draw back the curtain and there he’d be!”  An article from the Arkansas Democrat in 1970 claimed that two busloads of children came in to see Old Mike in a single week’s time.  One persistent story told by many who lived in the Prescott area was that some high school kids stole his body at one point and took him to the movies with them.  Traveling carnivals also asked to purchase his body, one offering $1000 to the mortuary.  Blue Avery remarked, “They wanted to know if we’d sell him, but we couldn’t from an ethical standpoint.”

 Although he had been embalmed, the years had still taken their toll on Old Mike.  Constant embalming had caused his body to mummify.  The mummification process caused his skin to darken leading to the rumor that Old Mike had turned into wood.  Over time, the skin around the eyes tightened.  The funeral workers placed caps over his eyes with drawn pupils on the caps to make it appear that Old Mike was looking at you presenting an even more ghoulish image.  He had also shrunk from 5’4 to around 4’5, his weight declining to around 50 pounds.  Even with the mummification, Old Mike seemed to have held up pretty well over the years.  Blue Avery recalled, “Some have asked why we keep him.  The reason is that it is such a good job of embalming.  Some people even today have doubts about him being dead.”  Every few years, the funeral home workers would replace Old Mike’s clothes, burning his old suit and replacing it with a new one, ready for the next round of sightseers.

 While many readers might think that the idea of keeping a body on display for over sixty years is quite disturbing, it seems that there was little dissent from the public at the time.  Peggy Lloyd, who grew up in southwest Arkansas recalled that when visitors to the town wanted to see the sights, she’d try to direct them to the Nevada County Depot and Museum, but they’d often be more interested in learning where they could find Old Mike.  He became known nationwide.  Even Johnny Carson made reference to Old Mike in one of his Tonight Show monologues.

 In 1975, one funeral home worker finally decided that enough was enough.  To him, having a body – a human being – on display for entertainment purposes was beyond tacky.  So, he contacted the office of Arkansas Attorney General Jim Guy Tucker to report the sad tale of Old Mike.  Since the Arkansas Legislature had recently passed a law that required that bodies be buried in a reasonable time period after death, it seemed a good time to make sure that Old Mike receive a proper burial.  Tucker’s office ordered that the Cornish Funeral Home bury Old Mike.  The funeral home decided to provide Old Mike with a private funeral; they did not contact the press, but decided to keep it a small affair – only five of the funeral home employees and a preacher were in attendance.  Rev. Jerry Westmorland preached the funeral.  The theme of his eulogy was that we might not know who Old Mike was, but God did.  He was laid to rest in the De Ann Cemetery in Prescott with a simple headstone that read, “Old Mike, Died August 21, 1911.”

 Who was Old Mike?  We will likely never know.  He was one of many drifters who crossed this state in the early part of the twentieth century.  He came to Prescott with little and died with little.  He had a name, but that name was lost the moment he drew his last breath.  And herein lies one of the biggest ironies of the story:  The fact that he died without a name meant that he would become possibly one of the most famous parts of Prescott’s cultural landscape.     

Wednesday Wonderful Collection: Elvin and Ruby Faubus papers, MS.000343

Elvin and Ruby Faubus were the brother and sister-in-law of Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus. Elvin Carl Faubus was born in Combs, Arkansas (Madison County), on August 15, 1913. He married Ruby Casteel on October 2, 1935. He later moved to Fayetteville where he served on the Arkansas Commerce Commission. He died April 13, 1983. Ruby Casteel Faubus was born in St. Paul, Arkansas (Madison County), on July 7, 1915. She died in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 4, 1984.

The Elvin and Ruby Faubus papers contain scrapbooks, newsclippings, photos and campaign memorabilia concerning Elvin's brother, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. The correspondence contained in this collection covers the time Orval Faubus served in Europe during World War II.

---

• Correspondence 1944-1947
  
  • 1. 1944: Orval Faubus World War II letters to Elvin Faubus (Box 1)
  • 2. 1944-1945: Orval Faubus World War II memorabilia
  • 3. 1945: Orval Faubus World War II letters to Elvin Faubus
  • 4. 1947: Elvin and Ruby Faubus correspondence
  • 5. Undated: Elvin and Ruby Faubus correspondence
  • 6. Undated: Miscellaneous postcards
• Governor material
  
  • 1. 1955, 1961: Governor Orval Faubus inauguration programs (Box 2)
  • 2. 1960: Southern Governor's Conference packet
  • 3. 1964: Presidential inauguration packet
  • 4. 1964: Governor Orval Faubus Christmas card
  • 5. 1967: Governor Orval Faubus farewell address
• Newspapers and magazines (Box 3)
• Orval Faubus campaign memorabilia (Box 4)
• Scrapbook, newsclippings (Box 5)
• Scrapbooks (Box 6)
• Photos (Box 7)

Annual NEARA Award

Powhatan - The Arkansas Historical Association (AHA) and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA), a branch of the Arkansas History Commission and State Archives, are sending out a call for submissions for the annual NEARA Award. 

Each year, professional and amateur historians are invited to submit a manuscript using research from NEARA archival records and primary source documents.  Rules require that manuscripts must be double-spaced, no more than thirty-five pages long, have consecutively numbered footnotes, and be submitted in triplicate.  Manuscripts must not be previously published or submitted elsewhere. Submissions are evaluated anonymously, so they must have only the full title at the top of the first page. Please include the title, author’s name, complete physical mailing address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address on a separate page.

The winner is decided by a three-person panel of representatives from NEARA and AHA. The winner will be announced at the annual AHA conference in April.  A $1,000 cash prize and framed certificate will be awarded to the winning manuscript article.  AHA reserves the right to not award a prize.  All submissions will also be considered for publication in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly.

Entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2016, and mailed to NEARA Award, Arkansas Historical Association, Department of History, Old Main 416, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.  For questions, contact AHA at 479-575-5884 or dludlow@uark.edu. No copies will be returned.  Extra copies will be placed with NEARA and Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.  Submission of an entry assumes permission for researcher use.

This annual award was created to commemorate volunteers from the Lawrence County Historical Society who, in 1963, secured and preserved the territorial records for future researchers. It is funded by the Eugene Sloan family, a Jonesboro lawyer born in Powhatan.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - J.H. Atkinson papers, MS.000014

James Harris Atkinson, long-time educator and historian, was born June 7, 1888, in Columbia County, Arkansas. He began his teaching career in Hempstead County in 1908, two years before his graduation from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After serving in World War I, he became principal of schools at Nashville and Foreman, and after that, superintendent at Wilmot (Ashley County). He also taught at Little Rock High School until he received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1927. Atkinson was then named chairman of the History Department of the new Little Rock Junior College (LRJC) and remained in that position until his retirement in 1957. His involvement in school activities through the years was varied: he helped organize the Classroom Teachers Association and served as its president; he acted as sponsor for the Delta Kappa fraternity for twenty years; he was debate coach at Little Rock Junior College; he was in charge of student employment at LRJC for many years; and, he was one of the pioneers in establishing the Teacher Retirement System.

Atkinson was one of the organizers of the Arkansas Historical Association when it was formed in 1941, and was thereafter active in its affairs. He frequently wrote articles for the "Arkansas Historical Quarterly" and served as associate editor for many years. On several occasions he headed membership drives to increase membership and procure financing for the struggling organization. Atkinson served as the Association's president for 1952-53.
He organized the state's second historical society (Pulaski County Historical Society) in 1951. Atkinson served as president of that group and edited its publication for thirteen years. He also provided leadership in the move to organize other local historical societies across the state.
Appointed to the Arkansas History Commission by Governor Sid McMath in 1949, Atkinson served twelve years, the last eight as chairman. Under his leadership, the History Commission selected and hired long-time Director and State Historian, Dr. John L. Ferguson. With Ferguson, Atkinson co-authored a textbook, "Historic Arkansas," which was used in the public schools for many years. Almost fifty years earlier, Atkinson had written an Arkansas history text which the state adopted for use in all public schools for six years, 1917-1923.
J.H. Atkinson was married to the former Zora Langston for over fifty years. He died September 17, 1973.

This collection documents J.H. Atkinson's dedication to Arkansas history and his active involvement in creating interest in that field for over forty years. The papers are arranged according to subject.

• Personal
  
  • 1. Diary, J.H. Atkinson, 1915-1932 (Box 1)
  • 2. Diary, J.H. Atkinson, 1939-1967
  • 3. Diary, J.H. Atkinson, 1944-1973
  • 4. Correspondence, 1925-1927 (at University of Chicago)
  • 5. Family correspondence, 1927-1950
  • 6. Family correspondence, 1951-1960
  • 7. Family correspondence, 1961-1965
  • 8. Family correspondence, 1966-1970
  • 9. Family correspondence, 1971-1973 and undated
  • 10. Correspondence and notes from former students
  • 11. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1930-1970
  • 12. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1961-1973 and undated
  • 13. World War I notes, J.H. Atkinson
  • 14. Biographical information, J.H. Atkinson
  • 15. Autobiographical manuscripts, J.H. Atkinson
  • 16. Letters of recommendation for J.H. Atkinson, 1910-1913
  • 17. Awards/Certificates, J.H. Atkinson
  • 18. Family history, Atkinson
  • 19. Family history, "Reminiscence" by Emmett Atkinson, 1948
  • 20. Family history, Robert Atkinson
  • 21. Family history, Harris
  • 22. Family history; History of College Hill community
  • 23. Family history notes, records, correspondence
  • 24. Family history notes, records, correspondence
  • 25. Religious activities
  • 26. Religious activities, First Methodist Church "Visitor," 1951-1953
  • 27. Lions' Club activities (Box 2)
  • 28. Book Club activities
  • 29. Supreme Court records, S.W. Atkinson v. Bank of Nashville
  • 30. Sympathy cards, 1954 (received after death of father)
  • 31. Rezoning issue
  • 32. Miscellaneous
• Personal, college
  
  • 33. Thesis, "The Overthrow of the Reconstruction Regime in Arkansas"
  • 34. Thesis notes
  • 35. Thesis notes
  • 36. Thesis notes
  • 37. College courses, notes
  • 38. College courses, Zora Atkinson
  • 39. General information, Columbia University
  • 40. Miscellaneous, University of Chicago
  • 41. Miscellaneous
• Arkansas Historical Association
  
  • 42. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1944-1950
  • 43. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1951-1955
  • 44. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1956-1960
  • 45. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1961-1965
  • 46. Miscellaneous correspondence, 1966-1973
  • 47. Annual meeting, 1946
  • 48. Annual meeting, 1947
  • 49. Annual meeting, 1948
  • 50. Annual meeting, 1950
  • 51. Annual meeting, 1951
  • 52. Annual meeting, 1952
  • 53. Annual meeting, 1953
  • 54. Annual meeting, 1954
  • 55. Annual meeting, 1955
  • 56. Annual meeting, 1956
  • 57. Annual meeting, 1957
  • 58. Annual meeting, 1958
  • 59. Annual meeting, 1959
  • 60. Annual meeting, 1960
  • 61. Annual meeting, 1961
  • 62. Annual meeting, 1962
  • 63. Annual meeting, 1963
  • 64. Annual meeting, 1964
  • 65. Annual meeting, 1965
  • 66. Annual meeting, 1966
  • 67. Annual meeting, 1968
  • 68. Annual meeting, 1969
  • 69. Annual meeting, 1970
  • 70. Annual meeting, 1971
  • 71. Annual meeting, 1972
  • 72. "Arkansas Historical Quarterly" (Box 3)
  • 73. "Arkansas Historical Quarterly"
  • 74. Membership drives
  • 75. Membership lists
  • 76. County Organizations Committee
  • 77. Arkansas history in public schools
  • 78. Awards given by
  • 79. Miscellaneous
• Arkansas History Commission
  
  • 80. Annual reports
  • 81. Minutes, reports, budget
  • 82. Membership
  • 83. Staff
  • 84. Collections
  • 85. Newsletter
  • 86. "Historic Arkansas"
  • 87. Miscellaneous
• Pulaski County Historical Society
  
  • 88. Minutes
  • 89. "Review"
  • 90. Preparation of "Review"
  • 91. Newsletters
  • 92. Officers
  • 93. Membership
  • 94. Membership lists
  • 95. Meeting notices
  • 96. Meetings/Speakers at meetings
  • 97. Project to place marker at grave of E.P. Washburn
  • 98. "Forty Days of Disaster" project
  • 99. Mount Holly Cemetery historical marker project
  • 100. Project to place marker at grave of Sandy Faulkner
  • 101. Miscellaneous
  • Local/Other historical organizations
    
    • 102. Arkansas Archeological Society (Box 4)
    • 103. Arkansas Genealogical Society
    • 104. Arkansas Pioneers
    • 105. Benton County Historical Society
    • 106. Civil War Centennial Commission
    • 107. Educational television
    • 108. Faulkner County Historical Society
    • 109. Garland County Historical Society
    • 110. Independence County Historical Society
    • 111. Lafayette County Historical Society
    • 112. Newton County Historical Society
    • 113. Ouachita County Historical Society
    • 114. Overland Mail Centennial
    • 115. Ozark Society
    • 116. Phillips County Historical Society
    • 117. Southern Historical Association
    • 118. United Daughters of the Confederacy
    • 119. Washington County Historical Society
    • 120. Miscellaneous
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  
  • 121. Teaching contracts
  • 122. Retirement, J.H. Atkinson
  • 123. Student recruiting
  • 124. Promotional activities
  • 125. Expansion to four-year institution
  • 126. LRU (Little Rock University)-UA (University of Arkansas) merger
  • 127. Faculty
  • 128. Scholarships
  • 129. Letters by students, 1884-1891
  • 130. "Bulletin"
  • 131. History
  • 132. Donaghey Foundation
  • 133. Graduations
  • 134. Alumni
  • 135. Alumni newsletter
  • 136. "College Chatter"
  • 137. Debate
  • 138. Student Christian Association
  • 139. Football
  • 140. International Relations Club
  • 141. Fraternities/Sororities
  • 142. Other extra-curricular activities
  • 143. Miscellaneous
• High school
  
  • 144. Class record, 1916-1917
  • 145. Teaching contracts
  • 146. Public night school
  • 147. Course material
  • 148. Debate/Oratorical contests
  • 149. Commencement, 1927
  • 150. Candidates for graduation, 1940 and 1941
  • 151. Class reunions, Little Rock High School
  • 152. Wilmot Public Schools
  • 153. Arkansas Education Association
  • 154. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association
  • 155. Teacher salary issues
  • 156. Teacher retirement issues
  • 157. Miscellaneous
• Historical
  
  • 158. Miscellaneous correspondence (Box 5)
  • 159. Miscellaneous correspondence
  • 160. Miscellaneous correspondence
  • 161. Manuscript, "History of Arkansas," textbook by J.H. Atkinson, published 1917
  • 162. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 163. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 164. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 165. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 166. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 167. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 168. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 169. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 170. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 171. Miscellaneous manuscripts, notes, reports
  • 172. Typescripts, Civil War letters
  • 173. Miscellaneous printed material
• Miscellaneous newspapers and clippings
  
  • Selected issues of college newspapers "College Chatter" (Little Rock Junior College, 1937-1956); "Little Rock University Forum" (Little Rock University, 1967-1968); "University Weekly" (University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 1918) (Box 6)

Annual NEARA Award

The Arkansas Historical Association (AHA) and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA), a branch of the Arkansas History Commission and State Archives, are sending out a call for submissions for the annual NEARA Award.

Each year, professional and amateur historians are invited to submit a manuscript using research from NEARA archival records and primary source documents.  Rules require that manuscripts must be double-spaced, no more than thirty-five pages long, have consecutively numbered footnotes, and be submitted in triplicate.  Manuscripts must not be previously published or submitted elsewhere. Submissions are evaluated anonymously, so they must have only the full title at the top of the first page. Please include the title, author’s name, complete physical mailing address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address on a separate page.

The winner is decided by a three-person panel of representatives from NEARA and AHA. The winner will be announced at the annual AHA conference in April.  A $1,000 cash prize and framed certificate will be awarded to the winning manuscript article.  AHA reserves the right to not award a prize.  All submissions will also be considered for publication in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly.

Entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2016, and mailed to NEARA Award, Arkansas Historical Association, Department of History, Old Main 416, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.  For questions, contact AHA at 479-575-5884 or dludlow@uark.edu. No copies will be returned.  Extra copies will be placed with NEARA and Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.  Submission of an entry assumes permission for researcher use.

This annual award was created to commemorate volunteers from the Lawrence County Historical Society who, in 1963, secured and preserved the territorial records for future researchers. The award is funded by the Eugene Sloan family, a Jonesboro lawyer born in Powhatan.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Ben and Fadjo Cravens papers SMC.3.10

William Ben Cravens was born January 17, 1872, in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He attended military academies at Louisville, Kentucky, and Staunton, Virginia, before graduating from the University of Missouri at Columbia's law department in 1893. He was admitted to the bar that same year and began his law practice in Fort Smith. He served as City Attorney for Fort Smith, 1898-1902, and as Prosecuting Attorney for the 12th Judicial District, 1902-1908. He was a member of the United States Congress, 1907-1913. He was not re-elected the following session and resumed his law practice. However, he returned to Congress in 1933 and served until his death January 13, 1939.

William Fadjo Cravens, son of William Ben Cravens, was born February 15, 1899, in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, in 1920. He was admitted to the bar that same year and joined his father's law practice in Fort Smith. He served in the United States Navy during World War I. After the war, he returned to Fort Smith and served as the City Attorney for 10 years. He was elected by special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant by his father's death in 1939 and continued to serve in that capacity until 1949. He died April 16, 1974.

This collection contains legal documents and correspondence pertaining to the law practices of Ben and Fadjo Cravens of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

• Legal documents (Reel MG00201)
  
  
  • 1920 July 2: Summons, The Sisters of Mercy of the Female Academy, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1920 July 2: Notice of suit, Kansas City Southern Railway Company versus Sisters of Mercy
  • 1933 March 21: Act 131 of Arkansas
  • 1933 August 14: Act 3 of Arkansas, Special Session
  • 1934 August 3: Corporation deed, City of Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Continental Oil Company
    
• Correspondence
  
  
  • 1920 June 15: Troy Pace, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1920 July 1: James B. McDonough, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Oglesby, Cravens, and Oglesby, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1920 July 12: T.W.M. Boone, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Oglesby, Cravens, and Oglesby
  • 1920 July 13: Troy Pace, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1920 August 9: Troy Pace, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1921 June 30: John Schaap and Sons Drug Company, Fort Smith, to Dr. S.W. Ruff, Dover, Arkansas
  • 1931 December 30: George W. Dodd, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to H.C. Lane, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1931 December 30: George W. Dodd to H.C. Lane
  • 1931 December 30: City Attorney to H.C. Lane, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1932 December 6: Carl Whisenant, Mena, Arkansas, to Ben Cravens, Fort Smtih, Arkansas
  • 1932 Decmber 10: Ben Cravens to Carl Whisenant, Mena, Arkansas
  • 1932 December 14: R.L. Williams, Muskogee, Oklahoma, to Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1933 January 23: Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Judge R.L. Williams, Muskogee, Oklahoma
  • 1933 September 22: Earl E. Buck, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Messrs. Cravens, Cravens, and Friedman, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1934 September 10: Ben Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Jim Jordan, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1936 January 15: James B. McDonough, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Fadjo Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1936 February 1: James V. McDonough, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Fadjo Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1936 May 19: Harry P. Daily, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Fadjo Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1937 October 28: Receipt, J.R. Poindexter
  • 1937 November 2: Fadjo Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas to Paul Lynch, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1938 October 20: Hill, Fitzhugh, and Brizzolara, Fort Smith, to Fadjo Cravens, Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • 1938 November 25: C.W. Wofford, Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Fadjo Cravens
  • 1939 November 21: Charles I. Evans, Booneville, Arkansas, to David R. Boatright, Fort Smith, Arkansas