Blog

Thomas Chipman McRae came to the governor’s chair late in his life amid the social and economic convulsions that dominated the beginning of the post-World War I era. As one who had known eco ... Read More

LITTLE ROCK (June 15, 2020) —From July 13 through July 17, the Old State House Museum will host a virtual program called Camp Old State House that explores Arkansas art, music, architecture  ... Read More

Knowing statehood was in the works, residents of the Arkansas Territory began building the Old State House for the first state capitol years before Arkansas became a state. Construction was well u ... Read More

Over the years, the Old State House Museum staff has seen Bill Gatewood, the museum director, make tremendous strides toward preserving the building and making sure its educational programs, exhib ... Read More

Arkansas voters in the modern age have heard lots of campaign pleas from candidates touting their business experience and being able to “run government like a business.” This, however, has n ... Read More

Pennsylvania-born Isaac Murphy had pursued a notable career as a lawyer, teacher, farmer, local official, legislator and even prospective gold miner before the fateful day in 1861, when he s ... Read More

On Sept. 13, 1836, James Conway became the first governor of the state of Arkansas. During his term, he worked in an office within the west wing of the stately structure now known as Old Sta ... Read More

A trip made possible by the Old State House Museum School Bus Fund helped the fifth-grade students at Quitman Elementary School build background knowledge related to their classroom studies.  ... Read More

Any hopes that the government created under the Constitution of 1868 could bring peace to a state that had known turmoil for eight years were quickly dashed. Half the state was disenfranchised, an ... Read More

By the end of Isaac Murphy’s term as governor in 1868, Arkansas government was nearly deadlocked due to its refusal to cooperate with federal policies on Reconstruction. When Congress passed ... Read More