By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Since Clark County was formed more than 200 years ago, many a brave soul hailing from her rolling hills have served time in the United States military. From times of peace or the tumults of wartime her soldiers, like those throughout the nation, have sacrificed portions of their lives — or paid the ultimate sacrifice — in the name of freedom.
From the Civil War to modern battles, these veterans journaled daily hardships, earned accolades and pocketed enemy trinkets found abroad. Scores of these artifacts are now on display at the Clark County Arkansas Museum in Arkadelphia.
Museum officials spent months compiling artifacts for the ongoing exhibit, and now the public is invited to peruse the latest exhibit’s collection through summer 2025.
The artifacts on display come from local donors, and each is a piece of Clark County history. The following paragraphs chronicle a sampling of the collection.
In the Civil War section, visitors will find a section of finished pine on which a Confederate soldier, held prisoner in a Hollywood home, penciled a message, a scribing that would later be discovered when the Union prison was torn down and its wood repurposed for another building.
Museum director Stephanie Hunter has compiled a working list of names of Clark County soldiers who fought in either the Civil or Spanish-American War. This directory includes the age at which the troop went into service, as well as the reason for his discharge or death.
A section devoted to World War I boasts a uniform and helmet, a soldier’s metal-covered New Testament Bible, a gas mask, a mess kit and German belt buckles, one of which was fashioned into an ashtray. Items in this collection were donated by the late Betty Stagg, niece of WWI veteran Robert Mount.
The World War II collection features photos of and news clippings about the late Clayton McGuire, a 9th Division Marine Corps who fought in and survived the major Battle of Iwo Jima. Other WWII artifacts include civilian and military ration books, and an informational display on the S.S. Ouachita Victory — the only ship named after an Arkansas university — and the delegation of females who witnessed its launch in California. Additionally, the WWII collection includes the Purple Heart bestowed upon the late Bob Riley, a political powerhouse from Arkadelphia who served a brief stint as Arkansas’s governor.
From the Vietnam War era one will find artifacts from military pilots and a scrapbook compiled by Charles Todd, who was instrumental in the launch of a flight school in Amarillo, Texas.
The Clark County Arkansas Museum is open from noon until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays. It’s located at 750 S. 5th St. Admission is free. Groups are welcome.
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