Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial

Plans for an Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial celebration will bring business to the region and raise interest in events that shaped the history of the state, said Mark Christ, community outreach coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
“ This is an excellent opportunity for us to use historical preservation as an economicdevelopment tool, ” he said.
Christ spoke at the first meeting of the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission — a group formed to coordinate recognition of the 150 th anniversary of the U. S. Civil War — at the John Q. Hammons Center on Thursday. The group of appointed historians from throughout the state, which met in conjunction with a reunion at Pea Ridge National Military Park, will plan preservation efforts, educational materials and events to commemorate the anniversary in 2011.

A study by Rutgers University proved that preservation tourists, drawn to such events, are “ older, richer and smarter” than other tourists, Christ said.
“ They stay longer, and they spend more, ” he said. The group hopes to use public-private sponsorships and corporate funding to bring a carefully drafted schedule of events to the 17 battlefield sites throughout the state. Northwest Arkansas will be a major player in these events because it is home to the Pea Ridge National Military Park, “ one of the most intact and best preserved national military parks, not just in Arkansas but in the country, ” Christ said.

John Scott, superintendent of the park, said the events would be an important tool to demonstrate the importance of historic events, an idea that doesn’t always resonate with younger and newer residents to the area.
“ We truly had neighbor against neighbor and brother against brother, ” he said. “ Part of the preparation is not just to talk about battle sites, but how do we make the American Civil War relevant for a population that might not have had a relative in the battle ? It’s a story that we have to tell. ”

The group will meet in Little Rock in September to discuss marketing efforts, educational curriculum and themes for events.

(Arkansas Democrat Gazette - June 8, 2007)