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This Day in Arkansas History

October 29, 1933

Novelist William Harrison was born in Dallas, Texas. Harrison established the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County) in 1966. As advisor to the university literary magazine, he actively opposed censorship and defended academic freedom. However, he is probably best known for writing the screenplay to the 1975 movie Rollerball, based upon his short story.

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City of Camden Steamboat

The location of Camden (Ouachita County) on the Ouachita River facilitated the town’s development as a trade center since its settlement in the early 1800s. By the 1850s, Camden was a major port for river traffic, with as many as 40,000 bales of cotton shipped by water every year. Such traffic continued until the early part of the twentieth century, when rail service began to reduce river trade. The steamboat City of Camden is shown here in 1894, docked at Camden and loaded with cotton.

 

The location of Camden (Ouachita County) on the Ouachita River facilitated the town’s development as a trade center since its settlement in the early 1800s. By the 1850s, Camden was a major port for river traffic, with as many as 40,000 bales of cotton shipped by water every year. Such traffic continued until the early part of the twentieth century, when rail service began to reduce river trade. The steamboat City of Camden is shown here in 1894, docked at Camden and loaded with cotton.

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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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