WW2 effects: Arkansas

Hello everyone, today I have another interesting state to bring to you all, Arkansas. Once again, as is usually the case for me, I knew little about Arkansas before creating and researching for this thread, and it's been a rewarding and awesome experience to learn more about a fellow state as always. I hope you all learn something new, and also, enjoy!

Arkansas Pre-WW2
Like many Southern States during the Civil War era, Arkansas was heavily dependent on the slave trade and plantation's. When Arkansas seceded from the Union in 1861, and ultimately took part in the Civil War, it ushered in a 70 year period of poverty and social unrest among all classes. After the Civil War, Arkansas' economy was utterly destroyed, along with it's social structure that had been in place since the beginning's of the state in the 1830's. Racial tensions prohibited the state from growing and seeing success that other Northern and Western states were experiencing after the Civil War, economically, and socially. Segregation ruled the state, and set up all black families and citizens for failure, as few were able to obtain work and an education. This hindered Arkansas ability to diversify and grow economically, and of course, caused rifts between races that continued well into the 20th century. Despite stunting economic and social growth significantly, Arkansas did experience some positive change with the beginning of the 1900's, with increased factories, and improvement of railroads and trade routs to surrounding states. Arkansas also saw a growth in non-agricultural exports, such as oil and natural gas (Though in limited supply), along with crushed stone, bromine, and vanadium. In the state's capitol, Little Rock, industry took hold, and became the main employment center for the cities inhabitants, including blacks. After the First World War, Arkansas experienced a period of economic and population growth never before seen in the state, but this would not last long. When the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression began, Arkansas' people and economy were devastated as a result. Unemployment was bad before the Great Depression, but once it began, it only got worse. Arkansas records say 23% of the population was unemployed in 1935, but historians believe it to be around 40% (600,000 people), due to the survey not counting black families (Arkansas History &Culture). With FDR's new deal however, unemployment decreased slightly, as it provided construction projects and other means of work to those who did not have jobs (Most employed were White). In 1940, Arkansas received orders from the Federal Government to remodel and expand Camp Pike (Renamed to Camp Joseph T. Robinson in 1937), along with building 2 Ordnance plants outside of the capitol Little Rock. These projects provided more job opportunities, while also subtly hinting that war was coming to the U.S very soon.

Arkansas WW2
When war Finally did begin, 4 more ordnance plants, and another training camp, Camp Chaffee were created in 1941 and 42'. The influx of factories across the state in smaller towns such as Fort Smith, and Fayetteville, decreased unemployment further, and for the first time, allowed Blacks and women to play a crucial role in the war effort. About 200,000 Arkansas Men joined the military by War's end, leaving 1.8 million people at home to work in the Ordnance plants, factories, and government facilities across the state. 70,000 people total were employed by one of the 6 Ordnance plants; Camden, El Dorado, Hope, Jacksonville, Marche, and Pine Bluff in 1945. Along with further factories and war material centers being built, 5 USAAF bases were built in Arkansas as well, including Stuttgart AAF, ironically named after the German City. Despite the massive amount of Job opportunities popping up everywhere in the state, this caused many problems that the state of Arkansas could not have seen coming. Because of the sheer amount of factories and ordnance plants, the typical wage of a factory worker in Arkansas was less than in surrounding states, prompting Tens of Thousands to move elsewhere for more money, and most that left, did not return. Another issue faced, oddly came from education. Teachers wages were considerably less than what factory workers made, so as a result, thousands of Teachers quit their jobs and went to work in the more lucrative factory business rather than stay in education. This caused a massive shortage of teachers, and ultimately sent Arkansas down the path of poor education, it is still on today. Even though there were some setbacks due to the growth of factories in the state, they mostly played a positive and helpful role to the state and it's people, particularly blacks and women. Arkansas also played part in the unfortunate detainment of Japanese-Americans at Camp Rohwer and Jerome. About 8,000 Americans were held at these two camps. Arkansas also housed thousands of POW's, at Camp's Chaffee, Dermott, and Robinson. These POW's helped take part in harvests and general Agricultural duties across the state, such as picking cotton, and harvesting Chicken eggs. There was another camp that didn't house Japanese-Americans, or POW's, but housed American men who were not in the military by choice. These were Conscientious Objectors to the War, or CO's as they were known to Military members and civilians alike, these men were hated and despised as much as POW's, being labled as unpatriotic cowards. By war's end, 3,814 of Arkansas finest were killed in the conflict.

Arkansas Post WW2
"Throughout this period, Arkansas had undergone a dramatic change. In 1940, just over half the people in Arkansas lived on farms. By 1950, only forty-two percent of the population lived on farms as Arkansas became increasingly urban. Agriculture had also changed as farms became more mechanized. In 1940, there were 12,564 tractors in the state; by 1945, there were 26,537 tractors in use. Arkansas entered the post–World War II era facing many social and economic challenges, as one generation of Arkansans gave way to another." (Arkansas History & Culture). As the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture points out, WW2 changed the state forever, and brought in a new era of economic growth and stability, along with racial equality. In the 1960's the Civil rights movements allowed for both colored families and women to achieve greater status and position in the state, while abolishing discriminatory and segregating laws. Arkansas became home to a Future President (Bill Clinton) and Fortune 500 company (Walmart), both would change the state, and the U.S dramatically. While it has not been entirely smooth sailing, with the 3rd highest poverty mark, and 5th worst school system in the nation, Arkansas is leaps and bounds better than it was before WW2.
Arkansas - Wikipedia
World War II - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Artist rendering of Down town Little Rock in the 40's

A struggling farmer sells Ice to bring in Extra income during the Great Depression, Fort Smith

Camp Chaffee and it's Japanese American residents, 1942

What remains of the Camden Ordnance plant, the largest of the 6.

CO's working at Camp Magnolia in 1943

Little Rock today

Whitaker Point, in Northeastern Arkansas

A closed down school in Franklin Arkansas

Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the U.S.........and the husband of Monica...dammit! Hillary Clinton........

Arkansas is where it all began........

 

Whats the deal with the spelling of the place VS the pronunciation?

 

I'm afraid I don't know what you are asking CAC?

 

Arkansaw VS Arkansas...

 

Ahhh.........sorry CAC, my mind is a little slow sometimes! I don't know the story behind it actually, but my guess is they wanted to differentiate Kansas from Arkansas, so as to not get them confused.

 

Good guess...but why not spell it differently too? Whats the origins of the name?

 

I believe the name Arkansas came from local Indians, as did Kansas. I don't know why they didn't spell it differently though.......thanks for the like by the way too

 

The (French) S at the end is silent. Named after one of the Indian tribes that were living there at the time.

 

........There you go! Thanks KMZ

 

The WW2 movie "Biloxi Blues" with Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken was filmed at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas. When my dad watched it, he recognized the place right off. He took basic and AIT there before getting shipped out to Korea during the war. "A Soldier's Story" was filmed there too although it was supposed to be at Camp Polk, Louisiana.

 

Dad, age 23 in 1937 or 38, dressed to work for CCC's, some where in Arkansas. He said he saw a car for the first time in 1933. He was born and raised in rural Arkansas, and so was I. Lovely place.

 

Is there anything you'd like to add to the thread about the state in that time KMZ? I love hearing what natives have to say.....

 

"You bet your ass ho-ho".

 

Dad was born in 1914 and I came along late in 1966. What amazes me, is many of these young men were on rural farms and hadn't even driven a car or rarely even seen one, and suddenly they were exposed to ships, tanks, planes, etc. Dad was born (at home) with a hair lip. I think the politically correct term is cleft palate? Anyway, it wasn't fixed until he went in the army. I'm pretty sure he had his first dental care there too. So, many benefitted from medical and dental, something they wouldn't normally of had. He graduated high school in 1934. He did have a teaching degree. College was 30 minutes away. I wish I had thought to ask how he got there? How he paid for it? I know he rode to town in a horse and wagon to sell loads of produce. What was a 30 minute drive by car now, was then an all day round trip, Paved roads weren't a thing then. His father was a blacksmith, shoeing horses and repairing wagon wheels. His fiancé was married to someone else when he returned. Quite common, yet didn't make it any easier. I wouldn't be here typing this if he had married her instead of my mom. Thanks for letting me "reminisce" some of dad's stories.

 

That's incredible in the 1930's U.S he hadn't seen a car until then! Thank you for sharing his story, and continuing his legacy, we all appreciate it, and so does your father

 

The Ouachita River, where I grew up.

 

Beautiful place.........