Boom or Bust: Commerce and Development in Northeast Arkansas

July 8, 2014

Powhatan, Ark. - The Arkansas History Commission and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA) will be hosting the annual NEARA symposium on Saturday, August 2 from 10 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. at the Male and Female Academy at Powhatan Historic State Park, where the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located. The symposium’s theme, “Boom or Bust: Commerce and Development in Northeast Arkansas,” will feature presenters, Dr. Lisa Perry, Brian Irby, Bryan Pierce, Anna Westman and Steven Saunders, who won this year’s NEARA research award.

Topics will include Dissecting Davidsonville: A Postmortem of Arkansas’s First 12 Blocks, Digging the Natural State: Mineral Extraction and Economic Development, Tales from the Archives: Creating Lesson Plans for Arkansas Educators, A Second Chance: Farming at the Dyess Colony and Struggles & Second Chances: The Development of Agriculture in Northeast Arkansas.

The seminar is free but registration is required. Check-in will begin at 9:15 a.m. Lunch will be provided. Teachers can earn up to four professional development hours through attendance. Registration is limited and deadline for registration is July 28th, so be sure to make reservations soon.

The Arkansas History Commission, located in Little Rock, is the official state archives of Arkansas and maintains the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world. The Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is a branch of the Arkansas History Commission and is dedicated to collecting and preserving primary source materials that represent the unique history, culture and heritage of northeast Arkansas. Located at 11 Seventh Street in Powhatan, NEARA has been open since 2011.

For more information about the symposium or to register, contact April Goff at april.goff@arkansas.gov or by phone at 501-682-6891.