Birth of Little Rock’s 35th Mayor – H. L. Fletcher

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Little Rock has had several familial combinations serve as mayor, but only one set of brothers have both been mayor.  One half of that duo was born on this date in 1833.

On September 15, 1833, future Little Rock Mayor Henry Lewis Fletcher was born in Saline County.  His parents were Henry Lewis and Mary Lindsey Fletcher.  One of his siblings was future Little Rock Mayor John Gould Fletcher.

Though the life of John Gould Fletcher is fairly well documented, not much information is out there on his brother Henry Lewis (and some of what is out there is incorrect).  He married Susan Bricelin August 30, 1855, in Pulaski County.  During the Civil War, he served as a sergeant in the cavalry for the Confederate Army in Captain Ed Nowland’s Company.

As a civic leader, Fletcher oversaw Arkansas’ contribution to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Fletcher served as Mayor of Little Rock from 1891 to 1893.  When Fletcher became Mayor he appointed a new Police Chief (as most Mayors did) and the entire police force was dismissed (which was not always the case).  A new police force was hired by E. H. Sanders, who served as chief for 18 months.

Mayor Fletcher died on June 30, 1896 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery next to his wife (who died in 1911).

Ike and Orval meet face to face on September 14, 1957

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On September 14, 1957, in an attempt to end the stalemate in Arkansas, President Dwight D. Eisenhower met with Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus.  The meeting was brokered by Rep. Brooks Hays, whose district included Little Rock.

The meeting took place in Newport, Rhode Island, where the President was vacationing.  After exchanging pleasantries, the President and Governor adjourned to the Presidents office where they met privately for about twenty minutes.  During that conversation, Faubus proclaimed to the President that he was a law abiding citizen and discussed his own World War II service.

President Eisenhower suggested to Faubus that as a law abiding citizen, he should change the National Guard’s orders so that they protected the Little Rock Nine, not kept them from the building.  He reminded Faubus that the Justice Department was prepared to issue a injunction against him and that the governor would undoubtedly lose in court.

Following their conversation, Congressman Hays and U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr.  joined the two in a larger office and continued conversations for approximately another 100 minutes.

When the meeting was over, the President felt like Faubus had agreed to refocus the mission of the National Guard and allow the Little Rock Nine to enter.  The President’s statement to the press thanked Faubus for his cooperation.  Upon returning to Little Rock, Faubus issued his own statement which did not address the President’s statement directly.  He did not even mention the National Guard or the students.

Apparently, President Eisenhower felt betrayed by the Governor’s actions.

The stage was set for these two to continue their face off.

Tinkerfest today at the Museum of Discovery

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Tinkering, a popular activity that is a key component of the nationwide “Maker Movement,” takes place every day in the Museum of Discovery’s Tinkering Studio.

Once a year at Tinkerfest, tinkering takes over the entire museum and neighboring streets for a day-long event with more than 40 hands-on, interactive activities. Each activity engages children and adults, teaches visitors how everyday objects such as cars and computers work, and provides opportunities to explore the engineering and science behind building objects.

Check out the planned list of Tinkerfest activities:
(Activities subject to change; * Denotes an activity excellent for toddlers)

  • Meet 501st Legion (Star Wars Characters)
  • String Petting Zoo with Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
  • Circuit Blocks with Southwest Power Pool
  • Robotics with Museum of Discovery’s Girls in STEM Robotics Team
  • Tech Take-Apart with Best Buy
  • *Sensory Station with The Discovery Network
  • Chain Reactions with Garver
  • Soap Sculptures with Mid America Science Museum
  • Phenakistoscopes with Science Museum Oklahoma
  • *Tinkering with Food with Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
  • Rope Making with Kenneth Matoka
  • Robot Demos with Harding Robotics Team
  • Airplane Design and Testing with Dassault Falcon Jet
  • *Wind Tunnels
  • Balloon Maze
  • Plastic Panel Polygons
  • Custom Stamp Making
  • LEGO Shape Matching
  • LEGO Linkages
  • LEGO Rovers
  • Stop Motion Animation with Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources
  • Artificial Intelligence with Central High Computer Science Club
  • *Sand Pendulums
  • Tapestry Table Weaving and Vine Making
  • Chromatography Flowers
  • Water Rockets
  • *Wind Twirlers
  • *Simple Machines Busy Board
  • Acrylic Sculptures with Mr. Plastic
  • Tinkering with Wax with Galley Support Innovations
  • Drones with Central AR FPV Experience
  • Vacuum Play with Welspun
  • Making with Arkansas Innovation Hub
  • *Wrenches, Nuts and Bolts Exploration with Baldwin & Shell
  • Giant Linker Logs
  • *Sanding and Rasping
  • Car Take Apart
  • Solar Powered Scribble Bots
  • Solar Panels with Entegrity
  • *Percussion Playground
  • Flappy Arm Inflatable Machine
  • Engraving Dog Tags and Wood Slices
  • Pyrography (Wood Burning Art)
  • Marble Art Nail Polish
  • *Sensory Sand with Arkansas Autism Foundation
  • *Pegboard Pixel Art
  • *Mega Murals of Materials
  • *Water Play with Cascading Water
  • *Water Play with Troughs
  • *Water Play with Water Tower and PVC Pipes
  • *Water Play with Water Walls

Tinkerfest is included in regular museum admission ($10 for adults and $8 for children) or free for members.

Even MORE Shakin’ going on as Arkansas Rep extends MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET!

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Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of Million Dollar Quartet will extend its run now through Oct. 13. Tickets are available online at TheRep.org or by calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405.

Million Dollar Quartet, a Tony Award-winning smash hit Broadway musical, is the current production in The Rep’s 2019 Season.

Based on the book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet chronicles the epic 1956 recording session of young rock ‘n roll stars Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

“It’s more than just a jukebox musical,” said Director Hunter Foster. “It’s a dramatic play. But, the music is still the star and by the end people are usually dancing in the aisles.”

Showcased hit songs include “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Walk the Line,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” and more.

“All the music that audiences will hear is actually being played by the actors,” Foster said. “Most audiences can’t believe they are playing because they are so good! We’re bringing some of the best actor/musicians in the country to Arkansas.”

The Arkansas Rep cast includes Trent Rowland (Elvis Presley), Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash), Skye Scott (Carl Perkins), Brandyn Day (Jerry Lee Lewis), Karack Osborn (Sam Phillips), Alyssa Gardner (Dyanne), Brian Wolverton (Jay Perkins) and David W. Lincoln (W.S. “Fluke” Holland).

The design and creative team includes Lauren T. Roark, costume designer; Erin Reed, associate costume designer; Adam Koch, set designer; Steven Royal, associate set designer; James Barry, music supervisor; Kirk Bookman, original lighting designer; Steve O’Shea, lighting designer; and Luke Mitchell, sound designer. The stage manager is Colin JB and Merit Glover is the assistant stage manager.

Tickets start at $20. Discounts are available for full-time students, season subscribers, seniors and military personnel. For complete information, visit TheRep.org.

Tickets
May be purchased online at TheRep.org, by phone at (501) 378-0405 or by visiting the Box Office at 601 Main Street in Little Rock. Performances run now through Oct. 13.

Performance Dates, Times for Million Dollar Quartet

Regular Performances

  • Wednesdays-Thursdays at 7 p.m., Sept. 18-19, 25-26, Oct. 2-3, and Oct. 10
  • Fridays at 8 p.m., Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, and 11
  • Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sept. 28, Oct. 5, and 12
  • Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, and 12
  • Sundays at 2 p.m., Sept. 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, and 13

Special Performances
Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., is an American Sign Language-interpreted performance.

Tonight on CALS Ron Robinson Theater stage: Hot Club of Cowtown

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CALS Arkansas Sounds presents Hot Club of Cowtown

Since 1998, the Western swing-gypsy-jazz trio Hot Club of Cowtown has traveled the world bringing their magical musical chemistry to audiences. Violinist Elana James, guitarist Whit Smith, and bassist Jake Erwin are equal partners in this original marriage of gypsy and jazz inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt—which accounts for the “Hot Club” portion of their name—with the hoedowns, traditional tunes, and Western swing–inspired music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, represented in the “Cowtown” part of their name. This performance features a special musical tribute celebrating 50 years since the release of The Band‘s self-titled album, featuring Arkansas music legend Levon Helm!

Tickets are $25 for general admission seating. The doors open at 7:00 pm and the concert starts at 8:00 pm.

Presented by CALS Arkansas Sounds and the Acansa Arts Festival.

Sponsored by Friends of the Central Arkansas Library System (FOCAL), Acansa Arts Festival, FM 89.1 KUAR, Dr. Elizabeth Fletcher Dishongh Charitable Trust and David Austin at The Charlotte John Company.

September 2FAN at Old State House Museum – Runaway Planet

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This month’s musical guest for 2nd Friday Art Night at the Old State House Museum will be Runaway Planet, the 2019 Bluegrass Artist of the Year winner at the Arkansas Country Music Awards! You’ll love the sound of the band’s unique “mix of hard-driving bluegrass, three-part harmonies, complex arrangements and original songs.”