A sometimes-argued topic among Americans of a certain geographical latitude concerns a state that seems to straddle many cultures, regions, and, for lack of a better term, vibes. The state in question is none other than Arkansas.
The debate is about what category the home of the “Razorbacks” belongs in. Is Arkansas part of the South? Is it a part of the Midwest? Is the formerly-dubbed “Land of Opportunity” the northern tip of the American Southwest due to its proximity to Texas and Oklahoma?
The answer might just be, well, yes!
“The Natural State” includes the gently rolling plains of southern Arkansas hugging north Texas to the high-reaching, rolling Ozark Mountains in the northern part of the state.
Its fertile deltas stretch outward from the Mississippi River in the East to the flat, seemingly endless stretch of highways flowing West into Oklahoma. Arkansas is unique in that it has a little bit of every part of its surrounding regions while being undeniably its singular place.
Once the last stop on the way to the unsettled American frontier for White explorers, the 25th state in the Union was long inhabited by Native Tribes dating back thousands of years. Bought from the French as a part of the Louisiana Purchase, it officially became a state on June 15, 1836.
While Arkansas only has two National Monuments within its borders, they still have much to tell the curious visitor about the state’s past, present, and future, whose motto is “Regnat Populus” or “The People Rule.” Read on to learn more!
President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home: The man from Hope, Arkansas, who would one day become the 42nd president of the United States, has his childhood home enshrined forever at this National Historic Site. William “Bill” Jefferson Clinton was raised in this modest home for the first four years of his life. He once said of those formative years at 117 South Hervey Street, “In this house, I learned to walk and talk. I learned to pray. I learned to read, and I learned to count by number cards my grandparents tacked on the kitchen window.” Today, visitors can learn more about the boy who would become governor and president, as well as the lessons and values he learned from a young age in his childhood home. As the former president still says, “Hope is home,” and visitors are invited in for guided tours of this famous house whenever passing through southern Arkansas.
Photo Courtesy NPS
Old State House Museum: This unique destination boasts the oldest standing state house west of the Mississippi River! The building, built in 1833, is the original one constructed in Arkansas and has seen numerous incredible happenings in nearly two centuries since. The Old State House was Arkansas’ Confederate capitol during the Civil War and then the Union capitol toward the second half of the conflict as the North overran it in 1863. Additionally, the building saw monumental legislative changes as the country and state grew around it, and it also underwent extensive renovations throughout the years to bring it to its current condition. Today, visitors can take guided tours and learn more about the history of the grand old building and the legislative history that was made and is still being made within its walls.
Photo Courtesy Arkansas Heritage
