AR Between Wars
A detailed infographic of life in AR between WWI and WWII
The Oil and Boom Towns
Oil Gusts
Because early speculators didn't know how to capture or properly store the oil they found, much of it was lost or wasted.
Oil Discoveries in Southern Ar
The first big oil discovery in Ar happened near the small southern town of El Dorado in Union County.
Boom Towns
Once word got out about the oil strike in El Dorado, people rushed into the area. About 12 miles northwest of El Dorado, Smackover was the next to discover undrground pools of "black gold"
The Flood of 1927
Empty Promises
Despite the promises about the "sturdy" levees that were to prevent any future flooding from the Mississippi, the area soon experienced one of the worst floods in our nation's history.
Devestated areas
THe flood devastated people's lives, animals, and property in the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, mississippi, and Louisiana.
Water Damage in Arkansas
Of all the states hit, arkansas recieved the most water damage. Flooded land stretchedinland formt he mississippi for more than 50 miles. Many counties were buried in water up to 30 feet deep
The Great Depression in AR
What Led us to the Great Depression?
Many scholars today still disagree what led us to the Great Depression. Some say it was the large difference between the rich and the poor. Some say that the amount of goods produced was too big for the amount actually being bought. Some say it was the banks loaning money they didn't have.
What the People Did
Many people withdrew their life savings from the banks, scared of losing all their money. Thousands of companies and businesses closed, because they couldn't pay their workers. That led to thousands of people without jobs, and unable to buy food or clothes and pay rent.
From Bad to Worse
Right after the market crash of 1929, which launched the Great Depression, a drought hit Arkansas and much of the central U.S. People began leaving their farms because their crops dried up, and fields turned into a dust bowl. With no help from the government, hundreds of thousands of people packed up and headed west to find work.