Johnson County Historical Society

Newsflash

Nancy Dane will be signing her latest book, A Long Way to Go, at the JCHS's Heritage Center on the 19th of June starting at 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Come on by the Center after the Peach Festival Parade.

Main Menu

Home

History

Membership Application

Officers

Publications

Useful research links

Family History Contest

Home

Dedication and Open House

Mark your calendars!! The Johnson County Historical Society Heritage Center and Museum will be opened on June 12th, 2010.

The activities will begin at 10 a.m. that Saturday morning on the north steps of the County Courthouse. Dedicatory speaker will be State Rep. George Overbey. The National Anthem will be preformed by Brittney Flinn, Miss Dogwood 2010. After this ceremony, a ribbon cutting will be held by the Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce at the Heritage Center at 131 W. Main, just a block from the courthouse. The Center will then be open for tours. Reenactors will be depicting various events and people of the County's past. Light refreshments will be served.

Be sure and check out the Research Area. An extensive clipping file is being developed to cover all areas of the county as well as files with information for most families with connections in the County. We have attempted to collect every published resource available about Johnson County. Resources will also be available to aid in researching your family both before they arrived in Johnson County and after they moved on.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre Collection, donated by the Mountain Meadows Massacre Foundation, will be a featured exhibit. This event is known as the country's "First 9-11". The details of the 1857 Massacre of an Arkansas wagon train has too long been kept secret. Many Johnson County families were touched by this tragedy.

In the Museum area, several events from the County's past will be featured. Display cases will be filled with artifacts from all time periods and areas of the County. Plan to come back often because the exhibits will be rotated on a regular basis.

The Johnson County Historical Society has worked for over 30 years to establish a place to honor the Heritage of Johnson County. We hope you will join us in celebrating this great accomplishment!

Booksigning

WE HAVE A HOME!!!

JOHNSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

TO OPEN DOWNTOWN HERITAGE CENTER

Fulfilling the dream that has existed since the organization was organized in 1975, the Johnson County Historical Society, at their quarterly meeting last Thursday night (5 November 2009) enthusiastically voted to open a museum, research center, and office at 131 West Main in downtown Clarksville.

Plans for the building have already begun, with a grand opening celebration in the near future. The office will be manned by volunteers. From the beginning of the Society, Johnson County records, such as marriages, probate, wills, etc. have been collected. Many have been included in the organization's Journal which has been published each spring and fall, beginning in 1975. Copies of all previous journals and other publications are available for sale. Files are being established covering the history of Johnson County, schools, churches, mining, railroads, wars and veterans, etc. Files contain cemetery records and obituaries, family records, and histories of towns and communities, some of which no longer exist except in fond memories. The Society has many artifacts of historical value that have been accumulated over the years and now can be properly displayed.

The Society will be soliciting the donation of items of Johnson County historical importance. The County's heritage will be preserved in a manner of vital importance for future generations. Membership in the Society is not necessary in order to make contributions. All persons are invited to help make this effort something that will be a real boost for Johnson County and downtown Clarksville. All contributions are tax-deductible.

The JCHS Board of Directors consists of Robert Ed Farris, Lance Spanke, Patricia Rowbotham, Erma Brooks, and Guice Howell. Current officers include Mark Hodge, President, Clayton Caldwell, Vice-President, Patricia Rowbotham, Recording Secretary, Rubye Moore, Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary and Donna Schillinger, Journal editor.

For further information, to join the Society, make a contribution, or to volunteer, please contact any of the above officers or the Society at P. O. Box 505, Clarksville, AR 72830.