Thomas Jefferson Terral
Thomas Jefferson Terral (21 December 1882–9 March 1946) was the Democratic Governor of Arkansas from 1925 to 1927.
Thomas Jefferson Terral was born in Union Parish, Louisiana. The attended the University of Kentucky and in 1910 graduated from the University of Arkansas law school. After graduation, he started a private law practice and worked as a school teacher. From 1911 to 1915 Terral worked as an assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate where he learned the ins and outs of Arkansas politics. He served as a deputy state superintendent of public instruction from 1912 to 1916.
Terral was elected as Secretary of State and served from 1917 to 1921 and was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1924. During his term the first state park was opened at Petit Jean Mountain. Construction of the state hospital was commenced during his tenure and the post of Commissioner of Insurance and Revenue was created. He was not reelected in 1926 and returned to private law practice in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he died in 1946. Tom Terral is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Little Rock.
Movies
Pictures
The Fine Arts Complex was designed by Fayetteville native Edward Durell Stone, who also designed Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The buildings are indicative of Stone's idiosyncratic modern style which included patterns of ornament. The recently demolished campus apartment complex Carlson Terrace was also designed by Stone.
All computers with internet access on the University's campus have IP addresses beginning with 130.184. Also, all non-residence hall telephone numbers begin with 479-575 and most postal addresses include the zip code 72701.
A day was given to exploring the Seven Hollows region, all of which was owned by the company. At one point, the difficulties of logging the region were discussed. The consensus of the group was that it could only be done at a loss, and that the trees might as well be left to live out their life span as unmolested by axe or saw. One of the parties suggested that the area be offered to he government as a national park.
In 1921, the Fort Smith Lumber Company was ready to make a deed to the area whenever the government would accept it. Dr. T.W. Hardison (for whom Hardison Hall was named), the company physician and a naturalist in his own right, headed the campaign. He persuaded our representative in Congress to give it his enthusiastic approval, who introduced a bill in the House of Representatives providing for the acceptance of the area as Petit Jean National Park. The bill was then referred to the Committee on Public Lands.
Dr. Hardison arranged a meeting with Stephen Mather (for whom Mather Lodge was named), Director of the National Park Service. In a two-hour conference Dr. Hardison described the area, showed photographs and answered questions. Mr. Mather explained to Dr. Hardison he could not recommend the area be accepted by Congress as a National Park because it was too small to justify the cost of development, administration and, as beautiful as it was, it was probably not unique in the nation. He did suggest, however, that Dr. Hardison undertake to bring about its acceptance by the Arkansas Legislature as a state park.
When the State Legislature of 1923 was in session Dr. Hardison asked the Road Improvement District Attorney to write a bill for introduction in the Legislature providing for the acceptance of Petit Jean State Park. When the secretary of the Fort Smith Lumber Company was told of the developments, he explained that the Board of Directors had voted to give the Seven Hollows region to the government as a national park, he had no authority to offer it to the Legislature as a state park. That would have to wait for the next board meeting.
In the meantime, six men in Morrilton and two at Pine Bluff offered to donate 80 acres of land to be included in the State Park. A bill, in 1923, was written to set up only this 80-acre tract as a park, which included the land surrounding Cedar Falls and a portion of the canyon.
Dr. Hardison finally met with the governor and explained what he was trying to do. Three weeks later the Governor signed the bill after it had passed both houses of the legislature without a single dissenting vote. Therefore, the area around Cedar Falls was the first land acquired by the state for state park purposes.
Source: Arkansas State Parks
Find treasures at
