AR Between the Wars
By: Philip Reeves
Oil Discovery and Boom Towns
The booming economy in the twenties caused a group of people called the "wildcatters" to search across the US for oil. The first big discovery was near the small town of El Dorado. It was discovered by speculator Samuel T. Busey. Once word of his discovery got out, people from all around came in hopes that they would make it off with money. It was because of this large influx of people that created boom towns in the surrounding area.
The KKK after WWI
Even though KKK activity started to decline after reconstruction, support grew from people in the south as they were paranoid and suspicious of minorities and other religious groups. As support started to grow the number of members went up to around 50,000. In secret they promoted violence and hate towards other racial and religious groups like blacks and Catholics, and as they grew so did their number of violent acts. They attacked many types of people ranging from moonshiners to Jews and immigrants.
The Flood of 1927
The flood of 1927 was the result of the Mississippi river's banks overflowing and flooding the surrounding area with water. It was a catastrophic event that devastated people and their families along with their animals and property. The overflow was a result of levees bursting because of melting snow and lots of heavy rainfall. As a result some counties were 30 feet under water. In order to provide aid the Red Cross opened over 50 camps to help.
Bonnie and Clyde
In 1932 through 1934 Bonnie and Clyde's gang frequented Arkansas. They both grew up in poverty in the state of Texas. When they met in their early 20s Clyde had already robbed several stores and banks. Clyde was arrested and then released in 1932. After his release Bonnie and Clyde started to terrorize TX, OK, KS, MO, AR, and LO. They eventually joined up with the Barrow gang and robbed stores across Arkansas. They shot a marshal in Alma and kidnapped a man close to Berryville.