29 Interesting Arkansas Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published May 5, 2021

The first European to reach Arkansas was explorer Hernando de Soto, in 1541._[9]
Arkansan Hattie Wyatt Caraway (1931–1945) was the first woman elected to serve a full term as a United States Senator._[6]
You could fit all of Greece and almost all of Puerto Rico into Arkansas._[9]
During the height of the AIDS pandemic in Arkansas, a lone woman single-handedly buried and held funerals for over 40 gay men when their own families wouldn't claim them._[10]
Arkansas has the only active diamond mine in the United States._[9]

Calling the wild

The World Championship Duck Calling Contest in Arkansas is the longest running duck-calling contest in history._[2]
The three largest diamonds found in America were found in Arkansas._[9]
Fouke, Arkansas, is reportedly the home of the Fouke Monster, who is, according to legend, a cousin to bigfoot._[15]
Arkansas is one of the few states that has a legal pronunciation of its name._[9]
Famous Arkansas inventions include fried pickles, modern archery, the Wonder Horse, the Bowie knife, and cheese-filled hot dogs._[7]
More catfish are eaten in Arkansas than in any other state._[9]
Arkansas produces more rice than any other state._[9]
In the early 20th century, Arkansas' hot springs were a popular "hotspot" for baseball spring training._[7]
There are about 11.8 billion trees in Arkansas, and over half the state is covered in forests._[9]

Arkansas is a curious and interesting community . . . it is probably the most untouched and unawakened of all American states.

- John Gunther

The worst mass murderer in Arkansas history was Ronald Gene Simmons. He murdered his entire family of 14, including his 20-month-old grandson, and then shot 2 other people._[4]
Sam Walton opened the first WalMart in Rogers, Arkansas._[5]
The name "Arkansas" means "people who live downstream."_[8]

The word "Arkansas" comes from the Quapaw Indians, by way of early French explorers

The city of Phoenix, Arkansas, was named after the mythical bird because it was built over an ancient Hohokam settlement._[9]
Alma, Arkansas, is the self-proclaimed spinach capital of the world because their spinach canning company once processed over half of all canned spinach in the United States. The town even has a giant statue of Popeye to commemorate its leafy past._[1]
The Arkansas State Capitol was built on the grounds of the former Arkansas State Penitentiary. During excavation of its foundation in 1899, long-forgotten wooden coffins were unearthed._[3]
In 1932, Representative Iva Gurley was crushed to death by the state capitol building's elevator._[3]
The first cheese dip was created in Arkansas._[14]
Napoleon Bonaparte, former leader of France, sold Arkansas to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase._[9]
Little Rock gets its name from a small rock formation on the Arkansas River's southern bank, which is known as la Petite Roche in French._[8]

Don't mess

Arkansas native Carry A. Nation was so opposed to alcohol that she would smash alcohol bottles with her hatchets, which she named Faith, Hope, and Charity._[13]
Old Mike was a traveling salesman who died in Arkansas in 1911 and was embalmed. He was inexplicably displayed in public outside a funeral home for over 60 years. He was finally buried in 1975._[12]
In 2011, over 1,000 blackbirds mysteriously fell from the sky in Beebe, Arkansas. To this day, no one knows why._[11]
The mascot for the Arkansas School for the Deaf is named Deaf Leopard. In 2016, the students met their mascot's famous namesake, Def Leppard._[16]
In 1973, a severe storm picked up and rained down over 100 ducks in Arkansas._[17]