Last updated on February 7th, 2023
44. Arkansas became a territory on March 2, 1819, out of the territory of Missouri after Missouri petitioned for statehood. The territory existed until June 15, 1936, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.[21]
45. In 1932, Arkansas elected the first women to serve a full term as a United States Senator. Her name was Hattie Caraway. She served for 14 years in the U.S. Senate.[24]
46. Mammoth Spring, with nine million gallons of water flowing hourly, is one of the world’s largest springs.[25]
47. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, the highest temperature ever recorded happened on Aug. 10, 1936, with a whopping 120 degrees in Ozark.[26]
About the Flag of Arkansas
1. Design and Symbolism
The flag of Arkansas features a white diamond with a thick blue border on a red field — a nod to the state’s productive diamond mining industry. Within the blue boundary are 25 white stars because Arkansas is the 25th state admitted into the Union.
Four more blue stars are inside the white diamond. One is above the word “ARKANSAS,” representing the Confederacy. Meanwhile, the remaining stars symbolize the three nations that ruled over the territory: France, Spain, and the US. Arkansas is the third state formed after the Louisiana Purchase, after Louisiana and Missouri.
Near the bottom of the diamond are “twin stars,” representing the twin states of Michigan and Arkansas. President Andrew Jackson signed their acts of admission on the same day: June 15, 1836. However, Michigan had to fulfill conditions that delayed its official entry to 1837.
2. Adoption
Arkansas adopted the current flag on February 26, 1913. However, the state made minor modifications in 1923, 1924, and 2011.
3. Technical Details
The flag has a proportion of 2:3. The exact colors are Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue, as stated in the enabling law. The secretary of state can only purchase flags made in the US.
4. History
In 1911, the Federation of Women’s Clubs sent a flag proposal to the Arkansas legislature, but the latter failed to approve it. Efforts continued in the following years.
The Daughters of the American Revolution figure once again in the tale of a flag’s creation. In 1912, their Pine Bluff chapter heard of the newly commissioned battleship USS Arkansas. They wanted to present it with an official state flag, but Secretary of State Earle Hodges said there was none.
Members of DAR urged him to hold a design contest for its immediate creation. A school teacher and poet, Willie Kavanaugh Hocker, sent the winning proposal. She is the daughter of a farmer from Kentucky. Her family moved to Arkansas when she was around eight years old.
Hocker’s original design had no state name, with only a row of three stars in the middle. It was the legislative committee that asked for this feature. She agreed to make the change, placing “ARKANSAS” at the center, one star on top, and two underneath. The first flag became official in 1913.
In 2018, the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council donated $20,000 to restore the original 1913 flag and a 1923 version.
5. Flag Revisions
In 1923, the legislature added one blue star to bring the total to four. The arrangement was two stars above the name and another two below. They represented the Confederate States, France, Spain, and the US.
In 1924, they rearranged the stars such that one remained at the top while the rest were at the bottom. This placement stands today. However, the 1924 design had to wait until 1987 before confirmation into law by Governor Bill Clinton.
In 2011, Governor Mike Beebe signed another law with new details about the flag. It specified the colors to ensure uniformity. It also limited official flag purchases to US-based manufacturers.
In 2019, Rep. Charles Blake sponsored a bill to update the flag symbols. He wanted the lone blue star at the top to represent the Native American tribes instead of the Confederacy. It did not get enough votes in the committee, but Blake vowed to keep fighting.
Arkansas – Quick facts and State symbols
| State Abbreviation | AR |
|---|---|
| State Capital | Little Rock |
| Largest City | Little Rock |
| State Size | Total (Land + Water): 53,179 sq miles; Land Only: 52,068 sq miles |
| Population | 3,045,637 (Estimate July 1, 2022 from United States Census Bureau) |
| Statehood | June 15, 1836 |
| State rank by population | 33rd |
| State rank by date of formation | 25th |
| State rank by area | 29th |
| Number of Counties | 75 Complete list of 50 states and number of counties in each |
| Demonym | Arkansan Arkansawyer Arkanite |
| Bordering States | Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas |
| Official Language | English |
| Highest Point | Mount Magazine 2,753 ft (839 m) |
| Lowest point | Ouachita River at Louisiana border 55 ft (17 m) |
| Mean elevation | 650 feet above sea level |
| Length | 240 miles (386 km) |
| Width | 270 miles (435 km) |
| Governor | Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Leslie Rutledge (R) |
| Electoral Votes | 6 |
| State Motto | Regnat populus (The people rule) |
| State Nickname | Bear State Land of Opportunity Natural State Wonder State |
| % Water | 2.09 |
| Famous people | Cortez Kennedy (Pro Football player) Arky Vaughan (Baseball player) Nat Clifton (Basketball player) Emma Stone (Actress) Iris DeMent (Singer) |
| U.S. President Born in Arkansas | 1. William Jefferson Clinton. |
| State Dinosaur | Arkansaurus fridayi |
| State Bird | Mockingbird |
| State Butterfly | Diana Fritillary Butterfly |
| State Creed | Arkansas Creed |
| State Flower | Apple blossom |
| State Fruit & Vegetable | Vine Ripe Pink Tomato |
| State Gemstone | Diamond |
| State Grain | Rice |
| State Grape | Cynthiana grape |
| Historic cooking vessel | Dutch oven |
| State Insect | Honey bee |
| State Mammal | White-Tailed Deer |
| State mineral | Quartz Crystal |
| State Nut | Pecan |
| State rock | Bauxite |
| State Tree | Pine Tree |
| Longitude | 89° 39′ W to 94° 37′ W |
| Latitude | 33° 00′ N to 36° 30′ N |
| Time Zone | Central Time Zone |
| Website | www.arkansas.gov |
| Area Codes | 327, 479, 501, 870 |
| Table last updated | April 27, 2023 |
