Arkansas Ties ... A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That, and a Whole Lot of Arkansas

September 2, 2010 Added photographs for a couple of small cemeteries in Pulaski County: Meto Cemetery Mower Cemetery Mower is really strange...the whole cemetery is maybe 50 by 25 feet, neatly fenced, nice little sign and no tombstones.  Each marker is a metal name plate attached to a concrete plug in the ground.  August 31, 2010   National Register Celebration and New Cemetery History Tour The cemeteries of Oakland, Fraternal, Jewish Oakland, and Confederate invite you to join us on Sunday, September 19th from 2-5pm to celebrate our recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places and to launch our new Cell Phone History Tour. Mayor Stodola will unveil our National Register Plaque at 2pm. The Cell Phone History Tour is a new program that will be available for visitors everyday from 8-5pm. Event is free. So bring your cell phone and explore audio tour stops throughout the cemeteries, including such interesting life stories as that of: --Jacob Trieber (1853–1927), the first Federal Jewish Judge in the United States. --John E. Bush (1856–1916), African American leader, politician, businessman and co-founder of the Mosaic Templars of America --Catherine C. Cuningham (1849-1908), editor of the Women’s Chronicle, a weekly suffragette paper and the first suffragette paper to be published by Southern women. --Charlotte A. Stephens (1854–1951), the first African-American teacher in Little Rock. --Uriah Rose (1834–1913), a founder of Rose Law Firm, the American Bar and the Arkansas Bar Associations. --Mifflin W. Gibbs (1823–1915), first elected African-American municipal judge in the United States and U.S. consul to Tamatave, Madagascar. --John Selden Roane (1817–1867), the fourth governor of Arkansas. --Rabbi Ira Eugene Sanders (1894–1985), civil rights activist and promoter of social work in Arkansas.   The cemeteries are located in downtown Little Rock at 2101 Barber Avenue, beside Booker Arts Magnet Elementary School and the National Cemetery. For more information contact: (501) 372-6429.   This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. August 29, 2010 I have been extremely blessed to meet the most wonderful people this year.  The other day I met Dr. Reginald Jeffrey "R.J." Hampton and his lovely wife, Regina Stewart-Hampton.  They just happened to own a house located two doors down from the Reichardt house that I was interested in photographing.  So anyway, I met Mr. R.J. and found him to be one of those people that should be in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture and for some reason is not...hint...hint (running for governor is a big thing in most places) and not that I don't love them...just saying (as the kids say). Dr. Hampton was the first black man to run for Governor in Arkansas and is noted in many books on Faubus and Rockefeller.  I found him to be very thoughtful and paired with his wonderful wife to be be the best couple....perfect ying and yang, working together with a mutual affection & love for each other that most people only dream about. So anyway...I am going to share a little of the man with you.  Dr. Reginald "R.J." Hampton and two of his homes: Deane - Hampton House Regina's Bed & Breakfast August 28, 2010 Last year I photographed the Reichardt house on Welch street.  Last week I met descendant David Jackson and he donated more old photographs on the Reichardt family and house.  His grandmother was Martha Emma Reichardt Hoeltzel.  Mr. Jackson's new photographs are on page Four. Reichardt - One | Two | Three | Four August 27, 2010 Back in the 1940's, the Pulaski Heights Lion's Club would have big "hobby" shows.  Mr. David Jackson sent us an article with a photograph of the trophy he won for the miniature circus.  The article has about 40 winners listed for various things such as coins, stamps, antiques and even cigar bands. 1949 Lion's Hobby Show Winners August 24, 2010 It's real easy to drive by this well-kept unassuming home in downtown Little Rock and not realize the history associated with it.  This is the home of Daisy Lee Gatson Bates and her husband Lucious Bates.  We have several hundred houses in Arkansas on the National Register but very few that are actually designated a National Landmark.  This is not an essay about Daisy, ( plenty of info on the internet about her) but I found it interesting that Daisy had a kiln in the basement where she did ceramics,  a hobby that a  normal woman would have dabbled in during the 1950's.   Maybe it was  therapy for her.  Maybe she was down there in the basement throwing vases against the wall to let off steam.  I would like to find a piece that she did and photograph is for posterity.  Her home is not open to the public at this time so I can only speculate.  In case you are wondering from where out in left field that came from....my mother had a ceramic shop and it was therapy for her.  Nothing like slinging a little mud to make you feel better.  Daisy Bates House In addition to the Daisy Bates House, I added a little cemetery that is located out off Dixon Road in Little Rock called Primrose Cemetery .  This was the first cemetery I photographed where unknown Civil War Soldiers were buried.  I was just astounded that so many men were buried there and no one knew their names.  I do not recall how many unknown soldiers are buried there exactly but there are probably 25 to 30. Primrose Cemetery August 22, 2010 Yesterday, I had the fortune to meet Amber Carter Jones with Friends of Dreamland and take a tour of the Taborian Hall.  Taborian Hall - One | Two | Three | Four | Five This old building is the home base for "Arkansas Flag and Banner" owned by Kerry McCoy.  You may have seen it driving down the interstate.  It's the one covered in all the flag bunting.   Kerry has spent a lot of money restoring the building and has now formed a non-profit group (Friends of Dreamland)  to restore the ballroom and brought Amber Jones on as executive director.  Amber has worked  with the Quapaw Quarter Association and is excited about the new Dreamland project.  After spending a couple of hours with her yesterday, I think she is perfect for the job and I can't wait to see where she goes with this.   After that, I skipped across town and met David and Linda Jackson and their kids David Jr. and Marcie Jackson.  David told me he had a whole lot of Arkansas to share with me and he was right.  This family is truly the epitome of Southern Hospitality and it was a real blessing to meet them.  David is the creator of Hale's circus that I posted last week.  Mr. Jackson's family goes back to early Little Rock pioneers and Linda's family goes back to early Saline County pioneers so it made for a really interesting day.  It will take me a while to get everything online but let's start with the portraits of John J. and Martha Clegg McAlmont. John was one of the founders of UAMS Medical School.