Pope County Historical Association

04/28/2026

May is National Preservation Month, and the Russellville Historic District Commission has planned an exciting lineup of events!

04/28/2026

02/02/2026

Make plans to attend the first PCHA meeting of the year!
Tuesday, February 3rd. 6:00 p.m.
Did you know that the original Emancipation Proclamation document, as well as several other treasured American history manuscripts, passed through the Arkansas River Valley? Well, now you do. Come find out more on Tuesday, February 3rd!
"The Freedom Train in the River Valley"
Check H Grill & Buffet
Historian Dr. Kelly Houston Jones
Guest speaker Dr. Kelly Houston Jones, Associate Professor of History at Arkansas Tech University, will share about a monumental event that happened in Pope County!
"The Freedom Train in the River Valley"
The original Emancipation Proclamation document, as well as several other treasured American history manuscripts, passed through the Arkansas River Valley in 1948 as part of a cross-country tour aimed at galvanizing American pride and patriotism during the Cold War. This presentation will explore major themes related to this train's trip through our region, with a special focus on organizers' efforts to ensure an integrated exhibition and the participation of Black Arkansans.
Dr. Kelly Houston Jones has been a member of the ATU faculty since 2018. Jones teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on topics such as Civil War and Reconstruction, Southern women’s history, the history of Arkansas, and African American history.
Dining starts at 6:00 p.m., the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin between 6:50 and 7:00 p.m.

01/22/2026

Did you know that the original Emancipation Proclamation document, as well as several other treasured manuscripts of American history, passed through the Arkansas River Valley? Well, now you do. Come find out more on Tuesday, February 3rd!

PCHA Monthly meeting - Tuesday, February 3rd. 6:00 p.m.
"The Freedom Train in the River Valley"
Check H Grill & Buffet

Historian Dr. Kelly Houston Jones
Please make plans to attend the Pope County Historical Association’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 3rd, at 6:00 pm at Check H Grill& Buffet!
Guest speaker Dr. Kelly Houston Jones, Associate Professor of History at Arkansas Tech University, and author of A Weary Land: Slavery on the Ground in Arkansas, will share about a monumental event that happened in Pope County!
"The Freedom Train in the River Valley"
The original Emancipation Proclamation document, as well as several other treasured manuscripts of American history, passed through the Arkansas River Valley in 1948 as part of a cross-country tour aimed at galvanizing American pride and patriotism during the Cold War era. This presentation will explore major themes related to this train's trip through our region, with a special focus on organizers' efforts to ensure an integrated exhibition and the participation of Black Arkansans.
Dr. Kelly Houston Jones has been a member of the ATU faculty since 2018. Jones teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on topics such as Civil War and Reconstruction, Southern women’s history, the history of Arkansas, and African American history.
Dining starts at 6:00 p.m., the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin between 6:50 and 7:00 p.m.

Pope County Historical Association Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, February 3rd , at 6:00 pm at
Check H Grill & Buffet
1105 E Main St, Russellville, AR 72801

12/04/2025

08/27/2025

PCHA Monthly meeting - Tuesday, September 2nd, 6:00 p.m.
Would you like to learn more about the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, which passed directly through Pope County?

Well, you are in luck! Historian Dr. Bob Crossman will be our featured speaker! He has written seven books and has published four articles about the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, and will discuss its history in Pope County and beyond.

PCHA Monthly meeting - Tuesday, September 2nd, 6:00 p.m.
Pope County's Stagecoach: The Butterfield Trail's Arkansas Passage
Historian Dr. Bob Crossman
Check H Grill & Buffet

Dining starts at 6:00 p.m., the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation will start between 6:50 and 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.

08/01/2025

Come listen to local Pope County resident and WWII Veteran Jock Davis on Tuesday evening, August 5th. We are honored. August 1945, the end of WWII-80 years ago this month.

07/25/2025

PCHA Monthly meeting - Tuesday, August 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Living History: World War II Veteran Jock Davis
Please make plans to attend the Pope County Historical Association’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 5th, at 6:00 pm at Check H Grill& Buffet!
WWII Veteran and local hero Jock Davis will be our featured speaker! See you all there.

Foster C. “Jock” Davis will discuss his service in World War II and his life in Pope County. Davis was a combat engineer in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the combat ribbon with three battle stars for his service in the South Pacific. He was deployed to New Guinea, Australia, and the Philippines and earned an honorable discharge with the Meritorious Service Medal at the conclusion of the war. A graduate of Arkansas Tech in 1950, he has called Pope County his home ever since.
Jock celebrated his 100th birthday last October!
Dining starts at 6:00 p.m., the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin between 6:50 and 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Check H Grill & Buffet on East Main Street
Russellville, AR