Category Archives: Government

An early Christmas present in 1937, Robinson Auditorium groundbreaking on Christmas Eve

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On December 24, 1937, at 11:30 a.m., Little Rock Mayor R. E. Overman, Ewilda Gertrude Miller Robinson (the widow of Senator Joseph Taylor Robinson) and  Alexander Allaire of the PWA turned dirt to participate in the brief groundbreaking ceremony for Little Rock’s municipal auditorium.

That morning, the Arkansas Gazette ran a brief story on the upcoming groundbreaking.  The story mentioned that the building would be named in memory of the late beloved Arkansas politician.  This appears to be the first public pronouncement of the Robinson name for this civic structure.

Among others in attendance at the groundbreaking were Mrs. Charles Miller (sister-in-law of Mrs. Robinson), Mr. and Mrs. Grady Miller (brother and sister-in-law of Mrs. Robinson), the mayor’s wife, the three architects (George Wittenberg, Lawson Delony and Eugene John Stern), and D. H. Daugherty and Will Terry of the City’s Board of Public Affairs.

Construction had to start by January 1, 1938, in order to receive PWA funds.  By breaking ground on December 24, there was over a week to spare.  The site had been selected in late October 1937, and the purchase had not been finalized.  But the PWA did give permission for the City to let a contract for excavation, demolition and filling on the site.

The groundbreaking took place at the corner of Garland and Spring Streets which was on the northeast corner of the block set aside for the auditorium.  Today, Spring Street does not extend north of Markham; the street was closed to make way for the parking structure and what is now the Doubletree Hotel.  That section of Garland Street is basically an alley that runs parallel to Markham north of City Hall, Robinson Auditorium and the Doubletree Hotel.

Little Rock chosen as 2020 Hottest Foodie City!

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Little Rock has been named “America’s Next Hottest Foodie Destination 2020” by the Foodie Flashpacker blog. Little Rock won 39% of public votes, beating out 32 other cities from around the country including Walla Walla, WA, Albuquerque, NM, Dallas, TX and Minneapolis, MN.

No other city even came close to Little Rock!

Food and travel bloggers, and general public were invited to vote for Little Rock.  Voting started on December 16 and ran for a week.

Foodie Flashpacker Nathan Aguilera has spent the past six years traveling and eating dishes across 60+ countries on 5 continents. Nathan shares his experiences with people everywhere through the Foodie Flashpacker blog.

Birth of Little Rock’s 16th Mayor – Roswell Beebe

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On December 22, 1795, future Little Rock Mayor Roswell Beebe was born in Hinsdale, New York.  His family were wealthy English immigrants.  At seventeen, Beebe went to New Orleans and fought with Andrew Jackson in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.  He stayed in the Crescent City for the next two decades building successful lumber and brick businesses.

Due to health concerns, he moved north to a drier climate in 1834.  After first stopping in Fulton, Arkansas, he settled in Little Rock in 1835 at the age of forty.  He stayed at the home of Chester Ashley and married Ashley’s sister-in-law, Clarissa Elliott.  He and Clarissa had two children, Roswell and Cora.

For nearly 30 years, Little Rock had a complicated history of deeds, titles and land ownership.  In 1839, Beebe went to Washington DC and received the original patent from President Martin Van Buren.  He then set about clearing up the land and title issues, as well as drawing up a plan for the city and laying off blocks and streets.  Beebe deeded the streets and alleys to the City for a dollar.  He also donated the land on Markham Street for a new State Capitol building (now home of the Old State House Museum).  Along with his brother-in-law Chester Ashley, he donated the land for the establishment of Mount Holly Cemetery.

In 1848, Beebe was elected to the Little Rock City Council.  The following year, he was elected Mayor.  He served as Mayor of Little Rock from April 1849 to February 1850.

While his primary business focus in the 1840s had been real estate, in the 1850s he focused on railroads.  Beebe was named president of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Company in 1853.

While on a visit to New York, Beebe died on September 27, 1856.  His body was returned to Little Rock, and Roswell Beebe was buried at Mount Holly Cemetery.  The town of Beebe, Arkansas, is named in his honor.

Original bonds sold for construction of Robinson Auditorium on Dec. 20, 1937

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On December 20, 1937, the Little Rock City Council adopted Resolution 1,418 which authorized the sale of municipal bonds to fund the municipal auditorium.

Earlier that year, Little Rock voters had authorized the sale of $468,000 of Municipal Auditorium Bonds.  Since that January election, city leaders had been undertaking various steps to plan for the project.  Finally, they were ready to sell the bonds.  On December 20, a public sale was held.  The US federal government made a bid for the purchase of $418,000 of the bonds. It was the only bid received.

The sale was accompanied by an Emergency Clause so that it would go into effect immediately.  The clause noted: “It is ascertained and declared that by reason of the present economic conditions many citizens of the City are out of work, and the improvements herein provided would furnish work for a large number of persons and thereby add to the peace and happiness of the City; further, that the City has no Municipal Auditorium or facilities for large conventions or gatherings…”

The offer by the US Government to purchase the bonds was in addition to an outright grant of $342,000 to help fund the auditorium.

While there would be other issues in financing and funding the project, the sale of the bonds on December 20, 1937, set things in motion which led to the February 16, 1940, opening.

Pay What You Can Weekend as Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre on Tour presents two shows in Riverdale

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A Christmas CarolThe Children’s Theatre on Tour is stopping by the Arkansas Arts Center’s Riverdale location for a weekend of Pay What You Can performances December 20–22.

Children’s Theatre on Tour will hold four performances of A Christmas Carol throughout the weekend and one performance of Wynken, Blynken and Nod: A Play for the Very Young. While the Arts Center’s MacArthur Park building undergoes a transformational renovation, the Children’s Theatre has expanded its touring program, which will feature four shows throughout the 2019–2020 season.  

A Christmas Carol will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, and 2 p.m. on Sunday December 22. Clever, comedic, and kid-friendly, A Christmas Carol breathes new life into Dickens’ heart-warming classic. Schooled by a team of magical Christmas Eve visitors, Ebenezer Scrooge, the most miserable of all misers, rediscovers the true spirit of the season—one of love, generosity, and family. With these touchstones of happiness revived in him, he wakes Christmas morning to find himself “light as a feather, happy as an angel, and merry as a schoolboy!” There will be a pre-show holiday party at 5:30 p.m. on December 20 with art activities, a hot chocolate bar, cupcakes, shopping and more. The holiday party is free for Friday evening ticket holders.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod: A Play for the Very YoungWynken, Blynken and Nod: A Play for the Very Young will be performed at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, December 21. Toddlers and preschoolers will delight in the enchanting and whimsical journey of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod as they sail away one magical night and meet the mystical Moon! Inspired by Eugene Field’s poem, this interactive musical for early-childhood audiences explores the fantasy world of dreams. When the Moon asks, “where are you going, and what do you wish?” the night sky becomes the sea and stars become fish as audience members see, touch, and participate throughout the play.

Pay What You Can tickets can be purchased by phone at 501-372-4000 or in person at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Riverdale location (2510 Cantrell Road). Ticket desk hours are 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon – 5 p.m. Sunday.

A Christmas Carol
Friday, December 20, 7 p.m. | Saturday, December 21, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. | Sunday December 22, 2 p.m.
Clever, comedic, and kid-friendly, this holiday show breathes new life into Dickens’ heart-warming classic. Schooled by a team of magical Christmas Eve visitors, Ebenezer Scrooge, the most miserable of all misers, rediscovers the true spirit of the season—one of love, generosity, and family. With these touchstones of happiness revived in him, he wakes Christmas morning to find himself “light as a feather, happy as an angel, and merry as a schoolboy!”

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod: A Play for the Very Young
Saturday December 21, 10:15 a.m.
Toddlers and preschoolers will delight in the enchanting and whimsical journey of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod as they sail away one magical night and meet the mystical Moon! Inspired by Eugene Field’s poem, this interactive musical for early-childhood audiences explores the fantasy world of dreams. When the Moon asks, “where are you going, and what do you wish?” the night sky becomes the sea and stars become fish as audience members see, touch, and participate throughout the play. Join Wynken, Blynken, Nod, and the Moon on this 45-minute multi-sensory adventure for the very young.