Tom Dillard: Commune goes crazy, and murder is history's outcome
One of the most notorious murders in Arkansas history was done in the name of God.
On Aug. 29, 1876, followers of an elderly divine named Cobb living in the tiny settlement of Gum Spring in White Cou...
August 9, 2020
Tom Dillard: Dorothy Shaver recalled for surefooted climb up corporate ladder
Let me introduce you to Miss Dorothy Shaver. This amazing woman was the first female in American history to manage a large corporation.
Shaver was born July 29, 1893, to Sallie Borden and James D. Sh...
August 2, 2020
Tom Dillard: Determined entrepreneur takes winning shot at success
Arkansas has been the home to a surprising number of successful and innovative entrepreneurs. Among them was manufacturer Ben Pearson of Pine Bluff, an internationally known pioneering maker of archer...
July 26, 2020
Tom Dillard: 'Easy trip' in 1800s Arkansas required trains, boats and stagecoaches
No aspect of life changed as much since the 19th century as travel. Like the Native Americans and the French before them, early English-speaking settlers used the rivers to gain access to what would b...
July 19, 2020
Tom Dillard: Consideration of segregation leads to impact of forgiveness
Almost 101 years have passed since the massacre of Black citizens near the town of Elaine in Phillips County in the fall of 1919. For years this violent episode -- perhaps involving hundreds of deaths...
July 12, 2020
Tom Dillard: Recognition of Juneteenth took long, complicated road
While I do not make a habit of excusing the ignorance of President Trump, his failure to recognize Juneteenth as an important celebration for Black Americans is probably shared of many white people.
...
July 5, 2020
Tom Dillard: Arkansans hit the jackpot taking cattle west to gold fields
Last week I told you about the role Arkansans played in the California gold rush of 1848-55 and how the state missed out on an opportunity to become a major jumping-off point to the West. This week I ...
June 28, 2020
TOM DILLARD: Sorting through the box of neglect
A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the unusual and interesting items I had collected through the years and put into a cardboard box for later filing. Filing loose notes, newspaper clippings, and ot...
June 21, 2020
Tom Dillard: Historical hoarder enjoys treasure hunting in his notes
A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the unusual and interesting items I had collected through the years and put into a cardboard box for later filing. Filing loose notes, newspaper clippings, and ot...
June 21, 2020
TOM DILLARD: Education comes to the mountains
The Rev. John T. Barr of Norman, Ark., has been dead for 57 years, but the many people whose lives he touched still refer to him with deep respect and admiration.
Barr established the first high scho...
June 14, 2020
TOM DILLARD: A long view of the U.S. census
I expect readers of a history column to be aware of the importance of the U.S. census, and thus you have probably completed your 2020 U.S. Census questionnaire. A surprising number of people, however,...
June 7, 2020
TOM DILLARD: Our statewide assault on predators
Every time I read a story about Arkansas State University's athletic teams, I am reminded that their school mascot, the red wolf, is lost to Arkansas and is critically endangered in its last refuge in...
May 31, 2020
Tom Dillard: Humans in sheep's clothing wipe out Arkansas wolves
Every time I read a story about Arkansas State University's athletic teams, I am reminded that their school mascot, the Red Wolf, is lost to Arkansas and is critically endangered in its last refuge in...
May 31, 2020
TOM DILLARD: What lurks in the box of neglect
With all the public libraries and archives closed for the coronavirus pandemic, I have been spending a good deal of time in my home library. My collection of books, periodicals, and ephemera about Ark...
May 24, 2020
Tom Dillard: 'Box of neglect' yields fascinating history, treasures
With all the public libraries and archives closed for the coronavirus pandemic, I have been spending a good deal of time in my home library. My collection of books, periodicals and ephemera about Arka...
May 24, 2020