1836 Podcast

Long before Arkansas was settled, ancient cultures left behind powerful traces of their lives—painted and carved into stone across the Ozarks. This episode of the 1836 Podcast shares about prehistoric rock art, known as pictographs and petroglyphs, found in places like Petit Jean Mountain and beyond. From mysterious symbols and human figures to sunbursts and animal forms, these markings reveal a deep cultural and spiritual connection to the land. But what do they truly represent? Messages of daily life… spiritual beliefs… or something more mysterious—possibly even art inspired by the otherworldly? Many of these sites remain hidden or protected today, preserving a fragile and enduring link to Arkansas’s distant past. #Arkansas #History #Podcast #ArkansasHistory #ArkansasPodcast

In 1978, law student turned drug trafficker Larry Porter Chism, of Forest City, Arkansas, pulled off one of the boldest escapes in American history. From a supervised bowling alley outing in Tennessee, he shot a guard, hijacked a small Cessna plane, and forced it toward his Arkansas hometown. After an emergency crash landing near Marianna, a high-speed chase through the Ozarks ended with the FBI arresting him near Salem in Fulton County. But just months later — in December 1978, days after turning 30 — Chism escaped again from the Lonoke County Jail and vanished. He has remained free for nearly 50 years. As of this video, he would be 77 years old, and is one of the longest-running fugitives on the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list. Considered armed and dangerous, he faces decades in prison for armed robbery, narcotics trafficking, kidnapping, airplane hijacking, and escape. Featured on Unsolved Mysteries, Chism reportedly disappeared deeper underground. His whereabouts remain unknown. Was he helped by family? Did he start a new life under an alias? Or has he been dead for years?#arkansas #history #podcast #truecrime

This episode of the 1836 Podcast continues the Counties of Arkansas series by profiling Carrol County. From its early days as Osage hunting grounds to pioneer settlement in the 1830s, this frontier county faced isolation, Civil War guerrilla conflicts, and the loss of land to form Boone County. The county seat moved from Carrollton to Berryville, while the 1879 discovery of healing springs transformed Eureka Springs into a world-famous Victorian resort town, complete with the infamous Crescent Hotel and its dark history of medical fraud. Today, Carroll County proudly maintains its dual identity: Berryville as the agricultural and governmental heart, and Eureka Springs as a vibrant hub for arts, culture, and tourism. Explore iconic landmarks like Beaver Lake, the Great Passion Play, Christ of the Ozarks, Thorncrown Chapel, and the historic Beaver Bridge. Blending stunning natural scenery, deep-rooted traditions, and preserved Victorian charm, Carroll County, Arkansas, offers a perfect mix of history, mystery, and Ozark mountain soul.#arkansas #history #podcast #arkansashistory #arkansashistorypodcast #education #educational

On March 16, 1899, in the heart of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a deadly power struggle over illegal gambling and graft exploded into one of the bloodiest gunfights in American history. Police Chief Thomas Toler and his officers clashed with Sheriff Bob Williams and his deputies on Central Avenue. In a chaotic shootout that left five men dead—including the police chief himself—lawmen turned their guns on each other in front of shocked citizens. More deadly than the O.K. Corral, this forgotten Wild West-style massacre shocked the nation. No one ever went to prison. Today, brass markers on the sidewalks still show exactly where the bullets flew. The full insane story of corruption, betrayal, and revenge in America’s most famous spa town.#HotSprings #WildWest #TrueCrime #ArkansasHistory #Gunfight

This episode of the 1836 podcast, continues the Governors of Arkansas series, by profiling Richard C. Byrd (c.1805–1854), an early Arkansas political leader who briefly served as acting governor in 1849 during a key transitional moment in the state’s history. Born in the Mississippi Territory (present-day Alabama), he moved to Arkansas in 1826, where he built a life as a merchant and farmer before entering public service. Byrd held several important roles, including territorial auditor, member of the territorial legislature, state representative, and state senator. As President of the Arkansas Senate, he became acting governor on January 10, 1849, following the resignation of Thomas S. Drew. His time as governor lasted just over three months, ending on April 19, 1849, when leadership passed to John S. Roane. Byrd then returned to private life in Jefferson County, where he remained until his death on June 1, 1854. Though his tenure was short, Byrd played a meaningful role in Arkansas’s early government, helping shape the state during its formative years after statehood.