FORT SMITH HISTORICAL SOCIETY Ne

FORT SMITH HISTORICAL SOCIETY News and Opportunities
	Fort Smith Historical Society’s Griffin Theater Opening Soon at the Museum of History The Griffin Charitable Organization has awarded the Fort Smith Historical Society a $10,000 donation for use in establishing a theater in the Darby Room at the Fort Smith Museum of History. This theater will be used by both the Museum and the Fort Smith Historical Society to present videos of interviews with World War II veterans and other historically important subjects. The Griffin Theater, the culmination of a dream for participants in the oral history project, is expected to be completed before the end of the year. With over 200 interviews recorded in the last five years, there is a wealth of material for the public to view. It is hoped this theater will be used by museum visitors, students, researchers, and anyone interested in the unwritten stories of World War II.

	3rd Annual Fort Smith History Conference: “The Civil War in Arkansas: Voices from the Dust” January 28 and 29, 2011 “…A hurricane of fire…” Mark Twain on the Civil War A Call For Papers and Presentations “The Civil War in Arkansas: Voices from the Dust” will commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the war and its repercussions in Arkansas. A wide range of topics will be covered, including effects on civilian life; military involvement, both Union and Confederate; involvement of Native Americans, Freedmen, and slaves; individual military campaigns, bushwhackers, and the effects on Arkansas then and now. We are requesting submissions of scholarly papers and presentations such as music and living history. The conference is open to students, faculty, administrators, independent history scholars, and living history re-enactors. This program is cosponsored by the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation, History Tellers, Fort Smith Historical Society, Fort Smith Museum of History, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the UA-FS History Department. Send abstracts to: History Conference Submissions Attn: Martha Siler 514 N. 6^th St. Fort Smith, AR 72901 Dates to remember: Abstracts for papers and presentations due: Dec.1, 2010 Notice of Acceptance: Dec. 5, 2010 Manuscript for review due: Jan. 10, 2011 *Watch our website for more details and schedule: www.claytonhouse.org*

	Fort Smith Historical Society Quarterly Meeting Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 5:30 p.m. Conference Room of the Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue Noted Fort Smith Historian, Mr. Chuck Girard, will present a program on the evolution of Garrison Avenue. All members and guests are encouraged to attend. Visitors are welcomed.

	THE DIRECTORY FOR CEMETERIES OF SEBASTIAN COUNTY, ARKANSAS In 1998, historian Wanda M. Newberry Gray, Commissioner, Arkansas State History Commission and State Archives, made an extensive effort to locate all the burial sites within the boundaries of the city of Fort Smith and in Sebastian County. A limited number of directories of her findings were published. A copy of this publication, Directory for Cemeteries, Names, Locations, and References for Sebastian County, Arkansas, was placed in the genealogy department of the Fort Smith Public Library and in the state archives. This list is a research tool to assist individuals in finding the cemeteries in which their ancestors are buried. It is in alphabetical order by name with locations and the name of the literature referencing the burials of Sebastian County, Arkansas. It is published for the knowledge of future generations of researchers. Mrs. Gray has graciously given permission to the Fort Smith Historical Society to place this directory on the Society’s website. Check it out at SebastionCountyCemeteries

	Physicians and Medicine, Crawford and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas, 1817-1976 By Amelia Martin Available with Donation to Fort Smith Historical Society This 688-page historical reference, Physicians and Medicine, Crawford and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas 1817 – 1976, compiled by Amelia Martin and published by the Sebastian County Medical Society in 1977, is a fully documented and indexed text written against a background of the history of the area. Content includes health conditions and diseases, medicines and legislation, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, public health, and biographies of 1,535 physicians who practiced in this area from the establishment of Fort Smith Post in 1817 until 1976. It also includes a history of the Army Medical Corps at Fort Chaffee from 1941 to 1976. This valuable, historical reference book may be ordered from the Fort Smith Historical Society. A donation of $25 is suggested. For information email: Info@fortsmithhistory.org

	Honor Roll of Donors Oral History Project Grants and Donations The Griffin Charitable Organization Fort Smith Area Community Foundation River Valley Paranormal Research & Investigation (RVPRI Inc.) Roy Henderson Emery Lundquist Lisa L. Hammersly Honorarium William “Bill” Cox By Dr. and Mrs. Jim S. Wells Annual Business Sponsors Special School District of Fort Smith Spiro State Bank Arkansas Best Corporation Hanna Oil & Gas Coca Cola Bottling Company of Fort Smith

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