Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

October 26, 1941

A tornado killed seven people, demolished forty homes, damaged numerous businesses and homes, and caused $100,000 in damage in Dardanelle (Yell County). The following month, the Arkansas River flooded, reaching 32.1 feet, the highest river level since April 1927. The flood caused 108 refugee “county” families to evacuate to Dardanelle for ten days, and 50,000 bushels of corn were destroyed. The construction in 1969 of the Dardanelle Lock and Dam as part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System helped control this kind of flooding.

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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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New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

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