Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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This Day in Arkansas History

August 5, 1846

Arkansas’s attempt to build a penal system based on rehabilitation ended when prisoners rioted and burned the newly constructed prison in Little Rock (Pulaski County). The Arkansas General Assembly had established the state’s first prison in 1838. The new prison was modeled on the Auburn System, which was first used in a prison in Auburn, New York. Reform-minded supporters thought convicts could be rehabilitated through working to pay for the cost of imprisoning them. Because prisoners working did not turn out to be as profitable as hoped and the legislature refused to appropriate enough money to make up the difference, the lack of funding led to inhumane conditions, culminating in the destructive fire.

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George Mann

George Richard Mann, an architect educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was hired to design the Arkansas Capitol in 1899. He moved to Little Rock (Pulaski County) and developed a highly respected practice, taking on projects that included many of the largest and most significant buildings constructed in Arkansas in the first thirty years of the twentieth century. When he died in 1939, Mann was considered by some to be the “dean of Arkansas architects.”

 

George Richard Mann, an architect educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was hired to design the Arkansas Capitol in 1899. He moved to Little Rock (Pulaski County) and developed a highly respected practice, taking on projects that included many of the largest and most significant buildings constructed in Arkansas in the first thirty years of the twentieth century. When he died in 1939, Mann was considered by some to be the “dean of Arkansas architects.”

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Looking up at brick clock tower and arched entrance way to baseball stadium with hanging light fixtures Dickey-Stephens Park Baseball Group of white baseball players in baseball uniforms with uniform "L R" Arkansas Travelers [Baseball Team] Baseball Two old white men with glasses analyzing bits of pottery in artifact storage room Teaching of Evolution "Whitecap cases are now on trial" newspaper clipping Night Riders Criminal Activities, Early Twentieth Century Native American men and women standing in clearing surrounded by mound buildings and trees Quapaw Ethnic Groups multi-story brick, steel, and glass building Arkansas State University Four-Year: Colleges and Universities Civil Liberties during the Civil War Single-story brick depot building with covered entrance and signs on parking lot World War II Japanese American Internment Museum Museums and Historic Sites White man short wavy hair dressed in black turtleneck next to white woman shoulder length straight hair wearing round glasses plaid shirt and baggy jacket standing in front of a printing press Frank Stanford Poetry Large flock of geese on the in a field and some in flight over it Mississippi Flyway Protected Areas Young white man in suit and tie Larry Wainwright Criminal Activities, World War II to Faubus Era Multistory house with four columns and screened-in side porch Marshall House Buildings, Museums and Historic Sites Blue diamond with stars and crossed swords above blue and red text Skirmish at Lamb's Plantation Civil War White man in suit and red tie sitting at desk behind name plate and microphone John M. Jumper Chemistry, Math and Computer Science Newspaper clipping with illustrations and three headlines saying "runaway negro in jail," "pay up pay up," and "thirty dollars reward" Slavery European Exploration to Early Statehood White man in suit with decorative tie Bill Fulbright Legislative Branch -- Senators

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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