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This Day in Arkansas History

June 3, 1903

The officers of the monitor-class naval vessel the USS Arkansas were “royally entertained” in Arkansas City (Desha County) as large crowds gathered to see the battleship. The train into town was so crowded that it took double the usual time to unload, and not everyone who wanted to could find space in the trains. Arkansas City presented the monitor with a silver water service, and many speeches were made.

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William Cazort

Johnson County native Lee Cazort was the youngest man to serve as the Arkansas General Assembly’s speaker of the House (a post he assumed at twenty-nine years of age) and later as the president of the Senate (at age thirty-three). In 1924, the future lieutenant governor made a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination with the strong support of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). His second-place finish in a field of six helped weaken the influence of the Klan in state politics.

 

Johnson County native Lee Cazort was the youngest man to serve as the Arkansas General Assembly’s speaker of the House (a post he assumed at twenty-nine years of age) and later as the president of the Senate (at age thirty-three). In 1924, the future lieutenant governor made a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination with the strong support of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). His second-place finish in a field of six helped weaken the influence of the Klan in state politics.

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African American woman and white woman working in garden Lucie’s Place Poverty, Sexual Orientation Group of white people sitting in rows of chairs Historic Washington Foundation Historians and Historic Organizations Large reptile with broad snout short legs and long tail partially submerged in water sitting on grass shore in wetlands American Alligator Zoology Two-story building with "Jones' Bar-B-Q Diner" sign Jones Bar-B-Q Diner Businesses, Foodways Stone monument with plaque and chairs with planters and trees on bricks behind iron gate with "Paul W. Klipsch Memorial Gardens" written in the iron Klipsch Group, Inc. Businesses Paper flyer advertising "True Grit Trail" with photograph depicting roadside and sign True Grit Trail Museums and Historic Sites Ring Slough Physical Geography Large crowd gathered on town street and empty lot adjacent to two-story storefront Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc. Historians and Historic Organizations Group of six white girls in library Arkansas Girls State Educational Organizations and Programs Robert Paul Crockett Football Three-story ornate white house with red round towers and columns with an iron fence Ghost Legends Folktales and Songs "Lonoke County" map with borders roads cities Allport Lonoke Joe Glass Actors and Filmmakers, Business Leaders Wooden electric chair with leather straps on display Capital Punishment Law Enforcement Aerial view of steel truss bridge and arched truss bridge over river with trees and mountains in the background Mulberry River Physical Geography Hand-blown glass bluebird display on thin shelves outdoors with forest and mountains in background Arkansas Bluebird of Happiness Folk Art, Glasswork

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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