Historical Sites of Arkansas
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Description
This is a tour that showcases Archeological Sites of interest in Arkansas.
1. Arkansas State Capitol
Construction on the Arkansas State Capital began in July 1899 and by January 1, 1915, the building was deemed complete enough for the Senate, House, and the majority of elected officials to move in. The building replaced the State House, now the Old State House Museum, which was constructed between 1834 and 1842. The building was designed by architect George Mann and the construction was supervised by Capitol Commissioner George Donaghey. The land that was chosen for the project had been the Arkansas State Penitentiary and it was proposed that the land was too valuable to remain a prison site. Many of Arkansas' most famous politicians, such as Orval Faubus, Winthrop Rockefeller, and Bill Clinton have served terms in this building.
2. Scott Plantation Settlement
This historic plantation home preserves and shares the history of some of the early settlers with artifacts and histories from local families. The living history museum.complex is located on Ashley’s Bayou, the location of a Civil War skirmish that is among the various histories preserved and shared by this site. This land was originally part of Arthur Alexander's small plantation and was donated by his descendants for use as a living history museums. The complex includes a local history and genealogy library in addition to original historic buildings such as a log home constructed on the property in the 1840s. The complex also includes recreated buildings and historic buildings such as a one-room school that was moved to the site. There is also a Blacksmith shop, smokehouse, and homes that would have been occupied by servants or tenant farmers after the Civil War.
3. Little Rock Central High School
Now a National Historical Landmark, Little Rock Central High School was home to one of the pivotal episodes of American history and a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. White school officials in Little Rock, with the support of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, refused to comply with the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board by allowing Black students to enter the school. Even after ordered to comply by a federal court and a reluctant President Eisenhower, school officials refused to allow Black students to enter the school. Defenders of segregation were emboldened by the actions of Governor Faubus, who illegally ordered state troops to keep nine Black children from attending their school. Eisenhower was not a strong defender of civil rights, but he recognized that the state of Arkansas was challenging the authority of the federal government by refusing to comply with the law. Faced with few alternatives after Faubus continued to use troops to violate the law, Eisenhower deployed the United States Army to occupy the school and enforce the law. For an entire school year, soldiers occupied the school to ensure the safety of the nine Black children. After the soldiers left, however, public school officials in Little Rock and throughout Arkansas again tried to evade the law. In some cases, including Little Rock Central, white officials closed schools rather than comply with the integration law. Today, visitors can tour parts of the school and view interpretive exhibits offered by the National Park Service. The school itself is historically significant.When it was built in 1927, the American Institute of Architects declared the building to be the most beautiful high school ever constructed in the United States. The links below include a direct link to the visitor's center which is operated by the National Park Service.
4. Battle of Jonesboro
On August 31 and September 1, 1864, Union forces under the command of Sherman engaged Confederate forces led by Lieutenant General William J. Hardee and under the overall command of Confederate General Hood. Fighting occurred near Confederate supply lines by Jonesboro, Georgia. Hardee's men attacked Union forces but were easily repulsed as they had not expected the Union Army to be in such force at that location. The following day, September 1, Sherman's men broke through Hardee's defensive line forcing them to retreat to Lovejoy's Station and forcing Confederate General Hood to withdraw his men and abandon Atlanta as this loss meant his supply lines had been cutoff.
5. Mountain Home National Cemetery
Mountain Home National Cemetery opened shortly after the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers opened in 1903. On these grounds, over 10,000 veterans are buried. The cemetery is a National Historic Landmark and covers nearly 92 acres.
6. Searcy House, 1904-2014
Until 2014, this ornate two-story mansion was the only surviving home in what was once a thriving residential area of Tuscaloosa. This grand home was built in 1904 by banker George Searcy. The home was later purchased by the Tuscaloosa County Commission in 1925 and later purchased by the Board of Education in 1968 for use as its headquarters. The Board of Education decided to sell the property, its deteriorating condition leading the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation to place the property on its list of endangered historic sites.
7. Original Tom Green County- historical marker
Tom Green County, where San Angelo is the county seat, was officially established in 1874. It was on a trail of the California Gold Rush and was part of the Bexar Land District in the Republic of Texas until 1846. The county was named after Confederate brigadier general Thomas Green.
8. John Cabot House and Beverly Historical Society
Constructed in 1781, the John Cabot House is now the headquarters of the Beverly Historical Society. The Cabot family were among the first merchant families in the region, settling in Massachusetts in the 17th century. John Cabot was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Cabot and his mother moved to Beverly after she became a widow and built a home at Central and Cabot. This stately home was built for the family of her son John in 1781 and was the very first brick mansion in Beverly. The home contains two floors of exhibits related to local and regional history, as well as the Beverly Historical Society's Research Library. Both are open to the public.
9. Cabot's Pueblo Museum
Cabot's Pueblo Museum is a Hopi-inspired pueblo. The structure is hand-made, created from reclaimed and found materials. The Pueblo is four-stories, 5,000 square feet, and includes 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors. Visitors will notice many unique features including windows and doors collected and reassembled from abandoned homesteads, old telephone poles, buck board wagon parts and many other materials used creatively.
10. Jacksonville Museum of Military History
The purpose of the Jacksonville Museum of Military History is to display and appreciate the me and women who served the country and to ensure that the freedoms Americans enjoy are not taken for granted. The museum is there to educate the public on the important military and home front role played by the community of Jacksonville and the men and women of the armed services. The museum is located where it once was the site of the administration building of the Jacksonville Ordnance Plant during World War II. The site is now 4,500 square feet with a new additional 10,000 square foot area of new construction behind the building. There are many permanent and special exhibits located throughout the museum's galleries.
