I'm sometimes asked for a two-day itinerary that will provide a better understanding of Arkansas history. That's not an easy assignment, given the fact that I'm constantly learning new things about the state while still finding interesting spots in all 75 counties.
Here's my best shot at a two-day schedule that will provide an Arkansas overview, using Little Rock as the base. Start early both days.
Begin your tour at Historic Arkansas Museum. It opened in 1941 as Arkansas' first state-supported history museum and was known for decades as Arkansas Territorial Restoration. It was the pet project of preservationist Louise Loughborough. She was determined to save several historic houses, including the 1827 Hinderliter House, the oldest house still standing in central Arkansas.
"When the city threatened to condemn these houses, Loughborough began a campaign to save them, garnering the support of the state, the federal Works Progress Administration and private sources," writes former HAM director Bill Worthen. "Act 388 of the 1939 General Assembly created the Arkansas Territorial Capitol Restoration Commission, naming Loughborough as chairwoman. With the help of architect and artist Max Mayer, she directed the restoration of the half-block of houses, placing them in a park-like setting surrounded by the downtown commercial district."
In 1981, the Arkansas Territorial Restoration became the first history museum in Arkansas accredited by the American Association of Museums. In 2001, the museum received its current name, and a building was opened with 10,000 square feet of exhibits and a theater. It focuses on the work of Arkansas artisans and interprets the frontier period.
After leaving HAM, walk to the Old State House, the oldest state Capitol building west of the Mississippi River. The Old State House was transformed into a museum of Arkansas history in 1951. The state's territorial governor, John Pope, had hired an architect named Gideon Shryock in 1833 to design a capitol overlooking the Arkansas River. Shryock, who had designed the Kentucky Capitol, drew up the plans. When Arkansas became a state in 1836, the structure was nearing its completion. Gov. Archibald Yell declared the building complete in 1842.
The Old State House served as the center of state government until the Legislature first met at the current state Capitol in January 1911. Statewide elected officials moved into the new building later that year, and the Arkansas Supreme Court moved in 1912. The Old State House was in bad shape by the late 1940s. The Legislature appropriated $350,000 in 1947 for improvements, and the museum opened to the public on Feb. 14, 1951. Agnes Loewer, the curator, began an aggressive campaign to collect everything from battle flags to quilts. The museum interprets Arkansas history from statehood to the present with permanent and changing exhibits.
After a busy morning at HAM and the Old State House, it's time for lunch at the Capital Hotel, either in the main dining room or the bar and grill. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture describes the hotel as a place that "has been part of the city's history since 1872. Once the most luxurious hotel in the state, it often served as an unofficial political headquarters where decisions as well as political careers were made. In 1974, the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places." The hotel is again the state's most luxurious. Architect Ed Cromwell restored the building in the early 1980s, and it reopened in late 1983. Owner Warren Stephens closed the Capital for almost two years for yet another renovation project that was completed in November 2007.
Following lunch, visit downtown's Mosaic Templars Cultural Center to learn more about African American history and culture. The Mosaic Templars of America, which was based in Little Rock, once was among the largest black fraternal societies in the country. Its 1913 building was being converted into a state museum when it was destroyed by fire in March 2005. A new building on the same site, built to resemble the original, opened in 2008.
After leaving the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, make a short drive to Little Rock Central High School to learn about one of the most significant events of the civil rights era, the 1957 desegregation of the school. The building opened in 1927 at a cost of $1.5 million. The New York Times called it the most expensive high school ever built. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Spend time in the National Park Service visitors' center across the street.
Once it's closing time, head back downtown for dinner at Doe's Eat Place and see if you can spot any famous Arkansans in the place that staffers for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign made famous in 1992.
Start early the second morning with breakfast in the basement of the state Capitol before touring the building, which wasn't fully completed until 1915 at an estimated cost of $2.2 million. I'm biased since I had an office in the state Capitol for almost a decade, but I believe it's among the most beautiful capitols in the country.
It's time to leave Little Rock for a few hours. Head west out Arkansas 10 and then take Highway 9 until you see the turn for Petit Jean State Park. Drive up the mountain and go see the displays at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute so you can better understand the life of one of the most transformative figures in Arkansas history.
Follow that with lunch at Mather Lodge in Arkansas' first state park while learning more about the park system and the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Then hurry back to Little Rock and stay until closing time at the Clinton Presidential Center to learn about the first president to come from Arkansas.
If it's a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, stay where you are for dinner at the recently renovated 42 Bar & Table. Your two-day Arkansas history lesson has reached its conclusion.
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Rex Nelson is a senior editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Editorial on 06/24/2018