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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
This Day in Arkansas History
September 15, 1861
Arch McKennon, also known as Archibald Smith McKennon, married Virginia Arkansas Berry, a sister of James H. Berry, a U.S. senator and Arkansas’s fourteenth governor. McKennon was a Confederate military officer, storekeeper, lawyer, temperance advocate, and political activist in Arkansas during the latter part of the nineteenth century and served on the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, known as the Dawes Commission, which negotiated land allotments to individual Native Americans in order to lessen tribal claims. It also served eventually to open the Oklahoma Territory to white settlements and facilitate statehood for the territory.
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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.
Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!
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