Arkansas

Arkansas, the Natural State—a land where the Ozark and Ouachita mountains cradle stories as old as the hills and as fresh as morning mist. Here, rivers meander like time itself, and history doesn’t rest in dusty archives but pulses through bridges, barns, and barbecue joints. In Arkansas, what seems modest often reveals itself as mighty: a humble hatchery becomes a protein empire, a chapel in the woods becomes an architectural icon, and a roadside diner becomes a national culinary treasure.

Our tour winds through cotton fields and crystal caverns, along lakeside trails and neon-lit boulevards. You'll meet dreamers who defied convention—from artists who saw cathedrals in the canopy to entrepreneurs who saw fortune in fowl. You'll trace stories of courage and consequence, from the darkest chapters of internment to the dazzling resurgence of rollercoasters and rockabilly. Whether you stand beneath a presidential library’s glassy gaze or under the flickering lights of a drive-in marquee, you’ll come to see that Arkansas thrives in contrasts: rural but refined, rooted yet reaching, simple on the surface but rich with complexity underneath.

Oil booms… “Duck Capital of the World”… MLB spring training… bordellos… “Magic Eye Water”… Trail of tears… Climber automobiles… “Valley of the Vapors”… Ryder BB gun… zinc… the CCC... Green Book… Meskers… the golden age of motoring... iron horses… Grand Promenade… department stores… kit houses… Marsh rainbow arch bridges… glass chapels… Elaine Twelve… Little Rock Nine… riding galleries… The Ditch… Arkansas Derby… trolley parks… Civil War intrigue… salt works… Prohibition-era gangsters…

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Arkansas uniquely Arkansas. What was the smallest town in America to have a Carnegie library? Solved. Where was the first neon sign erected in Arkansas? A mystery no more. Where can you find Hanging Judge Parker’s gallows? Identified. Where was the last duel fought on Arkansas soil? Revealed. 

in print and ebook
With presidents and gangsters too,
This grand old dame had quite a view.
From Capone’s suite to thermal bliss,
A lobby full of luxe and hiss.
Where once the bathhouse row began,
Still stands this spa-born caravan.

With presidents and gangsters too,
This grand old dame had quite a view.
From Capone’s suite to thermal bliss,
A lobby full of luxe and hiss.
Where once the bathhouse row began,
Still stands this spa-born caravan.

From Florida’s coast to the mountains' embrace,
This coaster found its resting place.
A tiger once tamed by Michael’s crew—
Now thrills anew with each wind-blown view.

From Florida’s coast to the mountains' embrace,
This coaster found its resting place.
A tiger once tamed by Michael’s crew—
Now thrills anew with each wind-blown view.

A steel king’s gift for minds to grow,
On limestone ledge, the books still flow.
Carnegie’s cash, with local strain,
Built beauty steeped in Ozark rain.
Where stories rise in quiet grace—
A hillside haven, knowledge’s place.

A steel king’s gift for minds to grow,
On limestone ledge, the books still flow.
Carnegie’s cash, with local strain,
Built beauty steeped in Ozark rain.
Where stories rise in quiet grace—
A hillside haven, knowledge’s place.

An Ozark museum in shimmering light,
Where Walton’s gift took national flight.
With trails and treasures and vision wide—
A temple of art with Arkansas pride.

An Ozark museum in shimmering light,
Where Walton’s gift took national flight.
With trails and treasures and vision wide—
A temple of art with Arkansas pride.

Where hooves have flown since days of yore,
And Derby dreams took root and soared.
The track was banned, then born anew,
Where legends like Pharoah thundered through.
A winter jewel in racing's crown—
The pride and purse of Hot Springs town.

Where hooves have flown since days of yore,
And Derby dreams took root and soared.
The track was banned, then born anew,
Where legends like Pharoah thundered through.
A winter jewel in racing's crown—
The pride and purse of Hot Springs town.

Greek columns frame a chamber bold
Where Bowie knives once made men cold.
A martyr boy, a Speaker’s blade—
In blood and law, the state was made.
From halls of strife to museum calm,
It holds both scars and Southern charm.

Greek columns frame a chamber bold
Where Bowie knives once made men cold.
A martyr boy, a Speaker’s blade—
In blood and law, the state was made.
From halls of strife to museum calm,
It holds both scars and Southern charm.