The first World War demanded much from Arkansas. The Arkansas National Guard was incorporated into the U.S. Army and men left the state; cotton prices rose with the need for uniforms and bandages; lead and zinc mining industry grew rapidly; and factories were built to make weaponry. In all, 71,000 soldiers from Arkansas served, creating a massive labor shortage in the state.This online exhibit provides a glimpse of the changes WWI brought on Arkansas.
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Letter from Benjamin Franklin Clark to Flora Hamilton, 1918 June 27
On June 27, 1918, Benjamin Franklin Clark wrote to his sweetheart Flora Hamilton of Enders, Arkansas. He described his life as a soldier during World War I at Camp Pike, near Little Rock, Arkansas. Some of the topics he discusses in the letter include visiting Vilonia to attend the S.S. Convention, receiving mail, planning a trip home to Enders, a thousand newly drafted soldiers arriving at Camp Pike, baked goods and jelly given to him, attending a baseball game in Little Rock between Little Rock and Nashville, going to the Majestic Theater in Little Rock, and Flora working with the Red Cross.
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Letter from Benjamin Franklin Clark to Flora Hamilton, 1918 May 12
On May 12, 1918, Benjamin Franklin Clark wrote to his sweetheart Flora Hamilton of Enders, Arkansas. He described his life as a soldier during World War I at Camp Pike, near Little Rock, Arkansas. Some of the topics he discusses in the letter include inspections, dry dusty weather, going to Levy, Arkansas, writing letters for Mother's day, and services at the Y.M.C.A.
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Letter from Benjamin Franklin Clark to Flora Hamilton, 1918 May 6
On May 6, 1918, Benjamin Franklin Clark wrote to his sweetheart Flora Hamilton of Enders, Arkansas. He described his first few months after joining the service during World War I at Camp Pike, near Little Rock, Arkansas. Some of the topics he discusses in the letter include vaccinations, working in the kitchen - "Kitchen Police," the soldiers' schedule at Camp Pike, entertainment, the Y.M.C.A. building, his students in Vilonia, his friends back home, friends from Arkansas State Normal School in Conway (now University of Central Arkansas), the food, swearing, and gambling. He discusses President Wilson's daughter, Margaret, singing at the camp.
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Letter, Harrel Burke to his family, 1918 January 1
Letter from J. Harrell Burke at Jefferson Barracks in Lemay, Missouri to his family in Arkansas. Burke writes part of this letter on route to Washington, D.C.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his family, 1918
Letter from Harrell Burke in England to his family in Arkansas.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his father, 1918 June 2
Letter from Private J. Harrell Burke in France during World War I to his father in Wynne, Arkansas.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his father, 1918 May 25
Letter from Harrell Burke in Paris, France to his father in Arkansas.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his mother, 1918 August 11
Letter from Pvt. J. Harrell Burke in France during World War I to his mother in Wynne, Arkansas.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his sister, 1918 July 29
Letter from Pvt. J. Harrell Burke in France to his sister in Wynne, Arkansas.
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Letter, Harrell Burke to his sisters, 1918 May 26
Letter from Harrell Burke in France to his sisters in Arkansas.
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Letter, King George V to American Soldiers, 1918 April 1
Letter from England's King George V to American soldiers who came through England or were in the British sector of France.
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Men and planes at Eberts Field
Black and white photograph of soldiers and men gathered around two planes at Eberts Field in Lonoke during World War I. In the center of the photo is a newspaper carrier with a bag from the Arkansas Democrat.
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Series of 12 postcards of Camp Pike, Arkansas
Series of 12 postcards of Camp Pike, Arkansas, produced by the Sackett & Wilhelms Corp., New York and Brooklyn, ca. 1918. The postcards are strung together with green ribbons along the left and right sides. The postcard series is from the Bob R. Cooper collection, that contains material related to Wallace Chester Simmons Goodell (1900-1982), who served on the U.S.S. Arkansas during World War I. The fronts of the postcard have descriptions that read: [Item 1, printed] INSTRUCTION IN SIGNALLING, CAMP, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222842, [Item 2, printed] VIEW OF CAMP PIKE SHOWING Y.M.C.A. AUDITORIUM AND TRAINING GROUND 222843, [Item 2, handwritten in pencil] The first Barracks I lived in [with arrow pointing to a barracks building], [Item 3, printed] SOLDIERS WAITING FOR TRAIN TO LEAVE, CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222844 , [Item 3, handwritten in pencil] Water tanks that furnish the camp with water [with arrow pointing to a large water tanks], [Item 4, printed] LINING UP FOR DRILL, CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222845, [Item 5, printed] SOLDIERS READY TO LEAVE CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222846, [Item 6, printed] SECTION OF CAMP PIKE, SHOWING TRAINING BATTALION BARRACKS, ROCK, ARK. 222847, [Item 7, printed] VIEW OF CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (POST OFFICE IN FOREGROUND). 222848, [Item 7, handwritten in pencil] [Supplies?] Q R.R. [Railroad] Depot Belmont Hotel P.O. [Post Office] Hostess House, [Item 8, printed] VIEW OF CAMP PIKE SHOWING WAREHOUSES, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222849, [Item 9, printed] BIRD"™S-EYE VIEW OF CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222850, [Item 10, printed] SECTION OF BASE HOSPITAL, CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222851, [Item 10, handwritten in pencil] This is only about one fourth of it., [Item 11, printed] CAMP PIKE LOOKING WEST FROM ENTRANCE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222852, [Item 12, printed] SQUAD DRILL, CAMP PIKE, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 222853, Printing on the back of each postcard reads:, "Sackett & Wilhelms Corp., New York and Brooklyn. Printed in U.S.A., Post Card , [On inverted triangular shape maker's mark] FAMOUS SUPERIOR QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD V S, Address Only"
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Souvenir letter from Camp Pike, Ark.
Foldout souvenir letter called "Souvenir Letter from Camp Pike, Ark." with images of Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas, ca. 1918. The souvenir letter folds out into five sections with images of Camp Pike on the front including: an image of the front gate of Camp Pike with space to write a mailing address (section 1); a quote from Stephan Decatur with images of President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. Pershing, and an American flag (section 2); Headquarters (section 3); Liberty Theatre (section 4); and Hostess House, Y.M.C.A. (section 5).
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Third Arkansas Infantry Company at Camp Pike, Little Rock, Arkansas
Photograph of Third Arkansas Infantry company under the command of Oscar B. Robbins, who is standing in the center of the front row. Handwritten inscription on back reads: "O.B.'s writing, My Company Mama, Which I am the Commander, Keep this I only have one, 1st Lt. Oscar B. Robbins (standing center front row), 3rd Ark. Infantry 1918, His mother"; “Mrs. J. W. R., Rosebud, Camp Pike, Little Rock, Ark."
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View of splendidly equipped Orthopedic Dept. Base Hospital - Camp Pike, Ark.
Copy of postcard titled "View of Splendidly Equipped Orthopedic Dept. Base Hospital - Camp Pike, Ark." showing nurses, doctors, patients, a possible x-ray machine, and medical equipment in the Orthopedic Department at Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas, ca. 1918.
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World War I Liberty Loan Drive at 5th and Main Streets in Little Rock
This is a black and white photograph of a Liberty Loan war bond drive at 5th (Capitol) and Main Streets in Little Rock during World War I.
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Broadside, to Camp Pike workers
This is a broadside telling the workers constructing Camp Pike that the work they were doing was equally as important as the fighting the soldiers were doing.
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Camp Pike - Little Rock, AR. - Nov. 25th, 1917
Panoramic photograph titled "Camp Pike - Little Rock, AR. - Nov. 25th, 1917" of Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas, 1917. The birds-eye-view photograph shows barracks, mule sheds, horse sheds, a drill field, a railroad line with boxcars from Iron Mountain Railroad, Sewer Department building, a shack with an "Employment Apply Here" sign, soldiers walking, soldiers in automobiles, and various other buildings. An inscription on image identifies the photographer as "Linton Prints #4" in lower right lower corner. Linton is probably the photography studio of Edgar A. Linton Photo Co., which is listed in the Little Rock City Directory in 1919 and 1920. Handwritten notations of locations in the image include: Y.M.C.A., South Ave., Mule Sheds, A Co., Horse Sheds, X, o a., Our Drill Ground, H H, R.R.S., 4, O - F, I, and S.
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Camp Pike. Little Rock [Under Construction, circa 1917]
Postcard titled "Camp Pike Camp Pike. Little Rock." shows a building under construction at Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas, ca. 1917. In the image workers place beams along a roof line, place siding on buildings, construct a water tower, and carry material by horse drawn wagons. There is no indication of the photographer or producer of the postcard on the front or back. Printing on the back of the postcard reads: "Post Card Place Stamp Here ANO Correspondence Here Name Here"
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Cantonment Site 12th Division [map]
Blueprint map titled "CANTONMENT SITE 12TH DIVISION, Prepared under direction of Major Robert S. Thomas, C.E., by detachment of students, Citizen's Training Camp sketches and other sources. June 1917" of Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Cam Pike was sometimes referred to as the 12th National Army Cantonment. The map shows topographic contours, vegetation, cultivation, residences and property owners. The lower part of the map is missing.
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Dedication exercises of the Y.M.C.A. auditorium, Camp Pike
Program for the Dedication Exercises of the Y.M.C.A. [Young Men's Christian Association] Auditorium at Camp Pike, Pulaski County, Arkansas, on October 14, 1917. Program from the Charles H. Brough Collection. Charles Hillman Brough (1876-1935) was governor of Arkansas from 1917-1921.
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Draft induction notice for Simon Turner Garland of Alum, Ark.
This postcard Draft Induction Notice ordered Simon Turner Garland of Alum, Ark., to report for military duty to the War Department Local Board for Saline Co. in Benton, Arkansas, on October 2, 1917. A postmark on the card reads Benton, Ark., Sept. 27, 11 a.m, 1917. The postcard instructs Simon Tuner Garland that he will be transported to the Army mobilization camp at Camp Pike, Arkansas and specifies what he should bring with him.