Red River Symposium set
WASHINGTON – Historic Washington State Park is holding its 13th Annual Red River Heritage Symposium on July 27, 2019.
This year the symposium will focus on the 200th anniversary of the formation of Arkansas Territory, and the region around the Red River from 1803-1836. The theme will be “Arkansas Territory: A New Frontier”.
We are offering an all day Teachers Workshop on Friday, July 26 and a morning program on Saturday, July 27. Lunch will be provided for both workshops. Sessions will cover resources for the classroom on how counties are formed and the impact Hempstead County played on southwest Arkansas. Teachers will attend and experience programs that are designed for school groups. Presenters at both the workshop and symposium will present on topics around the theme stated. The cost is $25 per person if you would like to attend the workshop on Friday and $15 for Saturday morning. We also encourage you to attend the symposium. The cost is $30 which includes supper. If you attend all programs, we are offering a discount price of $60. A total of 12 credit hours can be earned by teachers attending the entire event. If you would like to come, please register with the park before July 18 by calling 870-983-2684.
Friday Teacher Workshop (6 credit hours) $25
Saturday Morning Program (3 credit hours) $15
Symposium (3 credit hours) $30
All Events (12 credit hours) $60
In regards to lodging, listed below are some Hotels in the vicinity of the park. Historic Washington State Park is ten miles from Hope, Arkansas located on Interstate 30. Overnight bunk lodging is provided in the park at a price of $17 per bunk. For more information on park lodging contact Sheila Little at 870-983-2660 or by email at sheila.little@arkansas.gov.
Holiday Inn Express 2600 North Hervey, Hope, AR 71801 870-722-6262
Best Western of Hope 1800 Holiday Drive, Hope, AR 71801 870-777-9222
Super 8 Motel 2000 Holiday Drive, Hope, AR 71801 870-777-8601
Teacher’s Workshop, Friday, July 2
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Registration check – in (6 hour credit provided)
9:00 – 9:15 a.m.: Introduction to Historic Washington State Park –
“We can design programs to meet classroom standards.” 1914 Schoolhouse
Leita Spears, Park Interpreter.
9:15 – 9:45 a.m.: Gardening a New Home – Teachers will learn about the basic of gardening with the HWSP Interpretive staff and learned about some of the basic items early settlers in Arkansas Territory needed for their garden.
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.: Providing Light — Candles were a major necessity for providing light in the homes of the new settlers coming to Arkansas Territory. Teachers will learn how candles are made at the park Candle Shop and make a candle themselves to take home.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.: Mapping the Graves of Arkansas Governors
Learn about some of the newest resources available for the classroom from Arkansas Historic Preservation. One resource will include a new online database documenting the graves of every Arkansas Governor from 1819—to the Present.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.: Lunch Break – Burger Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.: Techniques of Printing – Teachers will have hands-on experience on how an early printing press works. They will be able to put type together and produce a piece themselves just like when the “Arkansas Gazette” was formed in 1819 when Arkansas became a territory.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m..: Taverns: A Community Center in Arkansas Territory
Learn about the role of taverns in the Arkansas territorial years of 1819-1836. Here about the different events and functions that happened at them. You many look at a tavern in a completely different way afterwards.
2:45 – 3:00 p.m..: Break
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.: Territorial Artifacts
Learn about and see some of the different artifacts from Arkansas’ Territorial years. Staff members of Historic Washington State Park and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives will present different artifacts and their history for you to view.
Saturday, July 27
9am – Noon (3 hour credit provided)
1914 Schoolhouse
Field Trip to sites of Miller County, Arkansas
1pm – 5pm 13th Annual Red River Heritage Symposium
“Arkansas Territory: A New Frontier” (3 hour credit provided)
Speaker Presentations w/ Question and Answer
1914 Schoolhouse
Robin Cole-Jett, Local Historian
“The Red River Raft and How it impacted the Red River
Valley”
Skipper Steely, Local Historian
“Old Miller County”
Dr. Don Bragg, US Forest Service–Arkansas
“The Natural Terrain of the Gulf Coastal Plain in the Territorial Years”
Gary Pinkerton, Local Historian
“Trammel’s Trace and the Man it’s Named After”
5pm – 6pm Special Program by Historic Washington State Park staff
6:00pm Buffet Dinner (1940 WPA Gym)
6:30pm – 7pm Dr. John Dennis, University of Arkansas at Monticello
“Plotting the new Territory of Arkansas: How the land was surveyed and how that impacts us today”
**Schedule may be subject to change. Inquire at the Historic Washington State Park Visitor Center for any updates**