Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September 2015 Arkansas History Commission Newsletter

Our monthly newsletter, The Arkansas Archivist, is out.  Below is a sampling of what's inside.  To read the full newsletter, visit: September 2015 Arkansas Archivist

AHC Celebrates Archives Month with Documentary Film Festival Oct. 10

One  of  the  most  overlooked  primary  sources  available  to historians are films.  In October, the Arkansas History Commission hopes to shed light on historic films from a number of archival institutions around the state.  On October 10 from 1-6 p.m. at the Ron Robinson Theater at 100 River Market Ave. in Little Rock, the AHC  will  join  with  Ouachita  Baptist  University  Archives  and Special Collections, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies,  UALR’s  Center  for  Arkansas  History  and  Culture,  the  Garland County Historical Society, and the University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections, to present historically significant films from our collections. 


AHC Welcomes Amy Gragert to Our Staff

A couple of months ago we told you about the grant that we received to take care of the backlog of newspapers that we needed to microfilm.  Part of the grant was to hire new staff to assist with the project.  We are glad to have Amy Gragert join our staff as extra help to work on the project.


From the Director

Do you know what a SHRAB is?  Or are you familiar with the AHRAB?  If these acronyms are familiar to you, it’s probably because you have applied for a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.  The NHPRC, as it’s more commonly known, is the grant
-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), supporting a wide variety of projects that preserve, publish, and promote the use of documentary sources on United States history


News from SARA

Women  Take  Over  Political Power In Washington!!  Well, in  Washington,  Arkansas,  in 1934,  that  is.    Washington achieved  national  notice  for having  an  all-female  town council  and  a  lady  mayor  in 1934.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Griffin Smith papers, SMC.30.3

Griffin Smith, Sr., (1885-1955) was Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court from 1937-1955 and an influential Arkansas newspaperman, business leader, and attorney. He was born in DeKalb County, Tennessee, on July 13, 1885, the son of Napoleon and Louisa Watkins Smith. He lost both parents before he turned sixteen and was raised by a distant relative, Rutledge Smith, a Cookeville, Tennessee, newspaper publisher who taught the younger Smith the trade.

Smith moved to Arkansas in 1911 and married Amelia Daggett (1889-1982) of Marianna. They had two children, a daughter, Sheffield (Mrs. Drew) Lander (1913-2003), and a son, Griffin Smith, Jr. (1915-2000).

The Smiths lived briefly in Bonham, Texas, where Smith worked as a linotype operator, but returned to Arkansas after he became editor and part owner of the Paragould Daily Press and the weekly Paragould Soliphone, two publications that he eventually owned outright. When World War I broke out, Smith reported from France to the Paragould newspapers. The Arkansas Gazette, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and the United Press also carried his dispatches from the trenches.

After ten years as an editor, Smith decided to to pursue a law degree at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. He passed both the Tennessee and Arkansas bar exams and then moved his family to California, where he studied more law at Stanford University and bought a newspaper at Paso Robles. The family returned to Arkansas in 1926 and Smith opened a law practice in Marianna.
In 1932, Governor Harvey Parnell named Smith to fill an unexpired term as State Comptroller. Smith announced himself as a candidate for governor in 1936 but then changed his mind and instead campaigned successfully for chief justice.

Smith was speaking at First Christian Church in El Dorado, Arkansas, when he suffered a heart attack and collapsed. He died about six hours later, on April 29, 1955, and is buried in Little Rock's Roselawn Cemetery.

This collection consists of correspondence and other papers belonging to Griffin Smith, Sr.

  • Professional and political correspondence (Reel MG00217)
    • 1. 1919 June 11: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to Edgar Herrick, Electra, Texas
    • 2. 1919 December 6: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to W.E. Pevehouse, Burkburnett, Texas
    • 3. 1919 December 17: Harvey G. Combs, Little Rock, to Para-Tex Oil Company, Paragould
    • 4. 1919 December 19: Colter Hamilton Moses, Little Rock, to Sam McHaney, Paragould
    • 5. 1920 January 5: Colter Hamilton Moses, Little Rock, to Griffin Smith, Paragould
    • 6. 1920 April 3: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to G.A. Burr, Paragould
    • 7. 1920 May 8: Sam McHaney, Paragould, to Griffin Smith, Paragould
    • 8. 1920 June 25: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to B.F. Lewis, Peach Orchard, Arkansas
    • 9. 1920 September 10: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to the Southwestern Press Clipping Bureau, Topeka, Kansas
    • 10. 1920 September 23: Mrs. Tom Summers, Peach Orchard, Arkansas, to the Paragould Soliphone
    • 11. 1920 September 25: Griffin Smith, Paragould, to Mrs. Tom Summers, Peach Orchard, Arkansas
    • 12. 1926 October 20: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to Thaddeus Horatius Caraway, Jonesboro
    • 13. 1926 October 21: Thaddeus Horatius Caraway, Jonesboro, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 14. 1926 October 22: T.H. Caraway, Jonesboro, to Griffin Smith, Marianna (telegram)
    • 15. 1926 October 22: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to T.H. Caraway, Senath, Missouri (telegram)
    • 16. 1926 October 23: Caraway, Senath, Missouri, to Smith, Marianna (telegram)
    • 17. 1926 October 27: Thaddeus Caraway at Daughters of American Revolution commemorative site marking (speech)
    • 18. 1926 November 3: T.H. Caraway, Jonesboro, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 19. 1926 December 9: T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 20. 1926 December 11: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 21. 1926 December 14: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 22. 1926 December 17: Griffin Smith to Mrs. A. Bertig and family
    • 23. 1927 January 13: William P. Sadler, Little Rock, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 24. 1927 May 31: Charles Ebenezer Daggett, Marianna, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 25. 1927 June 6: R.Q. Lillard, Nashville, Tennessee, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 26. 1927 June 16: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to T.H. Caraway, Jonesboro
    • 27. 1927 June 17: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 28. 1927 November 17: T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 29. 1927 November 21: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 30. 1927 November 25: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 31. 1927 December 3: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 32. 1928 January 3: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia
    • 33. 1928 January 18: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 34. 1928 January 23: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 35. 1928 January 23: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 36. 1928 January 28: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 37. 1928 March 20: T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 38. 1928 March 29: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 39. 1931 January 9: T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 40. 1931 January 12: Griffin Smith to T.H. Caraway
    • 41. 1931 February 4: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia (letter and report)
    • 42. 1931 February 28: [Griffin] Smith and Fitzsimmons, Marianna, to T.H. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia
    • 43. 1931 November 21: Hatty [sic] Wyatt Caraway, Riverdale, Maryland, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 44. 1931 November 28: Mid-South Cotton Growers Association, Memphis, to Griffin Smith, Marianna (invoice)
    • 45. 1931 November 28: "Federal Compress Company warehouse receipts"
    • 46. "Arkansas Official Register, 1931-1932, compiled by Jim B. Higgins, Secretary of State"
    • 47. 1932 January 2: Garrett Whiteside, Washington, District of Columbia, to Griffin Smith, Marianna
    • 48. 1932 January 5: Griffin Smith to Garrett Whiteside
    • 49. 1932 February 16: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to Eugene A. Skillern, St. Louis
    • 50. 1932 February 16: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to H.W. Caraway, Washington, D.C.
    • 51. 1932 March 16: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to H.W. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia
    • 52. Undated: T.H. Caraway to Griffin Smith on appointment of Griffin Smith, Jr., to United States Naval Academy
    • 53. 1932 March 23: H.W. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 54. 1932 May 15: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to H.W. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia
    • 55. 1932 May 27: H.W. Caraway to Griffin Smith
    • 56. 1932 June 1: Griffin Smith, Marianna, to H.W. Caraway, Washington, District of Columbia
  • War Risk Insurance Claims correspondence
    • 57. 1919, 1922, 1931-1932: Between H.W. Caraway, Griffin Smith, and officials from United States Treasury, United States Veterans Administration, United States Adjutant General's Office, United States Veterans Bureau, and American Red Cross

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Arkansas Archives Month Proclamation



In recognition of October’s designation as American Archives Month, Governor Asa Hutchinson has proclaimed October to also be Arkansas Archives Month.

In a proclamation signed on September 14, 2015, Gov. Hutchinson encouraged Arkansans to “discover the abundance of documentary treasures contained in our State’s archival repositories” and states that “through these archives, every generation of Arkansan can study the history and learn from the experiences and accomplishments of our ancestors.”

Arkansas Archives Month celebrates the importance of the state’s historical records and recognizes the work done by those who maintain these records.  This year, as part of the observance, the Arkansas History Commission and State Archives has created an Archives Month poster and is hosting a collaborative film event, Arkansas’s Reel History, featuring historic film footage from six archival institutions around the state. The event will be held October 10 from 1-6 p.m. at Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock’s River Market. 

Established in 2006, American Archives Month is observed annually during the month of October by archival institutions around the country. Archives Month was created with the purpose of raising awareness of the importance of archives and the work of archivists. 

“Archives Month marks the culmination of a year-long commemoration at the Arkansas History Commission of 110 years of collecting and preserving Arkansas history,” noted Dr. Lisa Speer, Commission Director.  “I can think of no more appropriate way to celebrate Archives Month, and bring our year of celebration to a close, than this film festival, which demonstrates the power of collaboration when archives work together for the common purposes of preserving Arkansas history and promoting it to the public that we all serve.”

The Arkansas History Commission and State Archives, located in Little Rock, is the official state archives of Arkansas and maintains the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world.

Arkansas’s Reel History is funded in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council, the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Randolph M. Smith papers, MS.000340

Randolph McDonald Smith was born December 3, 1922, at Jacinto, Dallas County, Arkansas. He was educated in public schools at Jacinto, Sparkman, and Princeton, all in Dallas County, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Ouachita Baptist College, and a Master of Arts from George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, Tennessee. Smith became a Baptist minister in 1939, and held pastorates, taught school, and engaged in various business enterprises. He raised money to purchase the land for Central Baptist College in Conway and was first dean. Smith married Bonnie Jo Brandon of Center Point, Howard County, Arkansas, on August 15, 1953. They had three children: Marion, Linda (Krutza), Mollie (Morgan), and Robyn. Randolph Smith died in Mountain Home, Arkansas, on December 8, 2000, and was buried in Kirby's Tucker Memorial Cemetery in Gassville, Arkansas.

This collection contains letters, cards, business papers, church bulletins, sermons, obituaries, and educational and employment records dating from 1939-2000.

  • 1. Ables, Gary T., 1995 (Box 1)
  • 2. Anniversary, ministerial fiftieth, 1989
  • 3. Anniversary, twenty-fifth wedding, 1978
  • 4. Arkansas Baptists Committed, 1999
  • 5. Arkansas State University, Mountain Home, 1998
  • 6. Baptist Education Committee, 1951-1952
  • 7. Biography, Randolph M. Smith, undated
  • 8. Business ventures, miscellaneous, 1971-1998
  • 9. Business ventures, rabbits, 1984
  • 10. Business ventures, vending machines, 1971-1973
  • 11. Camden, Board of Directors agenda, 1981
  • 12. Camden Library, 1992
  • 13. Certificates, miscellaneous, 1886, 1929-1990
  • 14. Charities, Salvation Army, 1977-1987
  • 15. Charities, Traveler's Aid, 1976-1981
  • 16. Charities, Traveler's Aid, 1982
  • 17. Charities, Traveler's Aid, 1983-1987
  • 18. Check and transaction registers, 1996-1999
  • 19. Churches, Arkana, Norfork, Arkansas, 1996-1997
  • Churches, Arkana, Norfork, Arkansas, bulletins
    • 20. 1995
    • 21. 1996
    • 22. 1997
    • 23. 1998
    • 24. 1999
    • 25. 2000
  • 26. Churches, Fairview Road, Camden, Arkansas, 1973-1990
  • 27. Churches, Fairview Road, Camden, Arkansas, undated
  • Churches, Fairview Road, Camden, Arkansas, bulletins
    • 28. 1979-1981
    • 29. 1982
    • 30. 1983
    • 31. 1984
    • 32. 1985
    • 33. 1986
    • 34. 1987
    • 35. 1988
    • 36. 1989
    • 37. 1990-1991
  • 38. Churches, Fairview Road Sunday School report, 1977-1990
  • 39. Churches, First Baptist, Mountain Home, Arkansas, 1999-2000 (Box 2)
  • 40. Churches, Hopewell, Mountain Home, Arkansas, undated
  • 41. Churches, Keo Baptist Church, Keo, Arkansas
  • 42. Churches, Mount Union, El Dorado, Arkansas, 1990-1991
  • 43. Churches, Remount, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 1998
  • 44. Churches, Rich Pond, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1989, 1999
  • 45. Churches, Trinity, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1966
  • 46. Conway, Arkansas, Central Baptist College, 1952-1954
  • 47. Death and funeral, Randolph M. Smith, 2000
  • 48. Death and funeral, Randolph M. Smith, 2000
  • 49. Diplomas, 1939, 1946-1947
  • 50. Educational and employment records, 1966 and 1971
  • 51. England, Arkansas, school, 1958
  • 52. Family history, undated
  • 53. Funerals, 1969, 1981-2000
  • 54. Furniture correspondence, 1993 and undated
  • 55. Garrett, Oliver Coleman, estate, 1988
  • 56. Jeffus, Richard Allen, 1984-1987
  • 57. Jones, Elijah B., undated
  • 58. Jones, Rosie Jane, 1986 May 29
  • 59. Legal papers, Randolph M. and Bonnie Jo Smith, 1949-1959
  • 60. Legal papers, Randolph M. and Bonnie Jo Smith, 1960-1989
  • 61. Legal papers, Randolph M. and Bonnie Jo Smith, 1990-1999
  • 62. Letters, Randolph M. Smith, 1995-2000
  • 63. Letters and cards, Krutza, Linda Smith, 1983-2000
  • 64. Letters and cards, miscellaneous, Randolph M. and Bonnie Jo Smith, 1984-2000
  • 65. Letters and cards, Morgan, Mollie Smith, 1968, 1981 and 1999 (Box 3)
  • 66. Letters and cards, relatives of Bonnie Jo Brandon Smith, 1985-2000, undated:
  • 67. Letters and cards, relatives of Randolph M. Smith, 1973, 1981-2000 and undated
  • 68. Letters and cards, Smith, Marion R., 1986-2000
  • 69. Letters and cards, Smith, Robyn, 1986-2000
  • 70. Mentoring program, 1999
  • 71. Morgan, Roger L., 1985-1999
  • 72. Newspaper articles, Randolph M. Smith, 1980
  • 73. Ouachita Baptist University, 1979-1990
  • 74. Ouachita Baptist University, Gold Tiger Club, 1996
  • 75. Photographs (photocopies)
  • 76. Poetry and drama, 1964-1994 and undated
  • 77. Political items, 1954, 1966-2000
  • 78. Princeton High School, Dallas County, Arkansas, 1975, 1986, 1993, and undated
  • 79. Property, rental, ledger and loose materials, 1965-1968, 1986-1999
  • 80. Radio ministry, undated
  • 81. Roach, Connetta Smith, Estate, 1998
  • 82. "RSV," [Revised Standard Version] controversy, 1953
  • 83. Smth, Cora Myrtle (Box 4)
  • 84. Smith, Cora Myrtle
  • 85. Smith, John L.
  • 86. Smith, Marion R.
  • 87. Smith, Ray M. and Essie J.
  • 88. Smith, Ray M. and Essie J.
  • 89. Smith, Ray M. and Essie J.
  • 90. Southern Arkansas University
  • 91. Wallet cards, small items
  • 92. Weddings
  • 93. Williams Baptist College
  • 94. Scrapbook, 1962-1965 (Box 4)
  • Sermons and notes (Box 5)
    • 95. Notebook, 1972 May 8
    • 96. "The Cross and the Crown," volume 2
    • 97. Acts
    • 98. Acts
    • 99. Acts
    • 100. Acts
    • 101. Amos
    • 102. I Chronicles and II Chronicles
    • 103. Colossians
    • 104. I Corinthians
    • 105. I Corinthians
    • 106. II Corinthians
    • 107. II Corinthians
    • 108. Daniel
    • 109. Deuteronomy
    • 110. Ecclesiastes
    • 111. Ephesians
    • 112. Ephesians
    • 113. Esther and Exodus
    • 114. Ezekiel
    • 115. Ezra
    • 116. Galatians
    • 117. Genesis
    • 118. Genesis
    • 119. Habakkuk and Haggai
    • 120. Hebrews
    • 121. Hebrews
    • 122. Hosea
    • 123. Isaiah
    • 124. Isaiah
    • 125. James
    • 126. Jeremiah
    • 127. Job
    • 128. Joel
    • 129. John
    • 130. John
    • 131. John
    • 132. I John, II John and III John
    • 133. Jonah (Box 6)
    • 134. Joshua
    • 135. Jude
    • 136. Judges
    • 137. I Kings and II Kings
    • 138. Lamentations
    • 139. Leviticus
    • 140. Luke
    • 141. Luke
    • 142. Luke
    • 143. Malachi
    • 144. Mark
    • 145. Mark
    • 146. Matthew
    • 147. Matthew
    • 148. Matthew
    • 149. Matthew
    • 150. Micah
    • 151. Nahum
    • 152. Nehemiah
    • 153. Numbers
    • 154. Obadiah
    • 155. I Peter
    • 156. II Peter
    • 157. Philemon
    • 158. Philippians
    • 159. Proverbs
    • 160. Psalm
    • 161. Psalm
    • 162. Romans
    • 163. Romans
    • 164. Revelation
    • 165. Ruth
    • 166. I Samuel
    • 167. II Samuel
    • 168. Song of Soloman
    • 169. I Thessalonians
    • 170. II Thessalonians
    • 171. I Timothy
    • 172. II Timothy
    • 173. Titus
    • 174. Zechariah
    • 175. Zephaniah
    • 176. Church Covenant
    • 177. Miscellaneous Sermons and notes: undated (Box 7)
  • Miscellaneous (Box 8)
    • 178. Sermons "The Preachers Goldmine," 1976-1977, 1989
    • 179. Church bulletins
    • 180. Church newsletters
    • 181. Members, unknown church
    • 182. Newspaper clippings
    • 183. Notes
    • 184. Church publications
    • 185. Publications
    • 186. Receipts, stamps, blank cards
    • 187. Immanuel Baptist Church calendar, Camden, Arkansas, 1972
    • 188. Plaque, Ouachita Baptist University, acknowledges Randolph and Bonnie Smith as member of the President's Associates, 1998

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Samuel Green Daniel ledgers, MS.00172

Samuel Green Daniel was born November 2, 1867, in Sedalia, Missouri, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William P. Daniel. When still a youth, he settled with his parents on a farm on the Middle Fork of the Little Red River near Leslie, Searcy County, Arkansas. He attended grade school in Searcy County and medical school in Louisville, Kentucky. He married Malissa Hannah Bratton on May 24, 1896. They had four children.
Daniel practiced medicine in Marshall, Searcy County, Arkansas, for fifty years, 1892-1942. His large two-story residence near the public square was one of the most prominent structures in town. He died October 1, 1958, and was buried in Marshall Cemetery.

This collection consists of Samuel Green Daniel's professional records of accounts, plus some personal records. The ledgers also contain information on births, deaths, et cetera.

  • 1. 1889-1918 (Reel MG00172)
  • 2. 1895-1897
  • 3. 1898-1899
  • 4. 1900-1901
  • 5. 1902-1903 (Reel MG00173)
  • 6. 1904-1905
  • 7. 1906-1907
  • 8. 1908-1910 (Reel MG00173-MG00174)
  • 9. 1911-1913
  • 10. 1914-1916
  • 11. 1917-1920
  • 12. 1921-1924 (Reel MG00175)
  • 13. 1925-1928
  • 14. 1929-1932
  • 15. 1933-1940

Monday, September 14, 2015

Acquisitions and Accessions for August 2015



Books, Printed Ephemera, etc.

AHC

Books:
Kentucky Marriages, 1797 – 1865, by G. Glenn Clift

SARA

Books:
Musings on the Tree:  A Personal Journey through 250 Years of America, by Tom White
My Ancestors:  The Dosseys, by Mike T. Stanton
My Family:  The McJunkins, by Mike T. Stanton
My Ancestors:  Richardson-Lowery and Allied Families, by Mike T. Stanton

Periodicals:
Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Summer 2015, Vol. 74, No. 2

Accessions
Arkansas Highway Department Records, 8 cu. ft.