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This Day in Arkansas History

July 6, 1941

Viola (Fulton County) was incorporated. Established shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, the town has survived largely due to its schools. By the time of the Goodspeed local-history accounts of 1889, Viola had two general stores, a drugstore, a flour mill, two cotton gins, blacksmith shops, a school, and a Masonic lodge. Baseball great Preacher Roe grew up in Viola, although he was born in Ash Flat (Sharp County). Artist M. E. Oliver also lived several years in Viola.

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Al Capp

In 1934, Al Capp created Li’l Abner, which was one of the nation’s most popular comic strips for more than forty years. In the 1960s, he was approached by a group of northwest Arkansas businessmen asking if he would consent to the opening of a theme park based on the strip’s hillbilly characters and location. Although he had rejected previous offers, Capp agreed, and on October 3, 1967, he spoke at the groundbreaking ceremonies of Dogpatch USA. The moderately successful theme park operated from 1968 to 1993.

 

In 1934, Al Capp created Li’l Abner, which was one of the nation’s most popular comic strips for more than forty years. In the 1960s, he was approached by a group of northwest Arkansas businessmen asking if he would consent to the opening of a theme park based on the strip’s hillbilly characters and location. Although he had rejected previous offers, Capp agreed, and on October 3, 1967, he spoke at the groundbreaking ceremonies of Dogpatch USA. The moderately successful theme park operated from 1968 to 1993.

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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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