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This Day in Arkansas History

June 26, 1922

The Southwest American in Fort Smith (Sebastian County) was granted a license for the radio station KGAR. This was the first Arkansas newspaper to start a broadcasting station. Most early radio stations were owned by retailers or manufacturers, such as Moore Motor Company in Newark (Independence County). Another newspaper that owned a radio station was the Courier-News in Blytheville (Mississippi County).

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Coleman Dairy "Annie Oakley" Bottle

Little Rock (Pulaski County) native Betty Grayson was better known to the world as western star Gail Davis. During her career, she appeared in thirty-two feature films and was the star of her own 1950s television series, Annie Oakley. She is shown here as Annie Oakley on a Coleman Dairy bottle. She has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, in 2004, was posthumously inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Cowboy great Gene Autry once referred to her as the “perfect western actress.”

 

Little Rock (Pulaski County) native Betty Grayson was better known to the world as western star Gail Davis. During her career, she appeared in thirty-two feature films and was the star of her own 1950s television series, Annie Oakley. She is shown here as Annie Oakley on a Coleman Dairy bottle. She has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, in 2004, was posthumously inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Cowboy great Gene Autry once referred to her as the “perfect western actress.”

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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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