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Roy Stovall will trace how Arkansas got its power, from bear fat lamps to artificial intelligence data centers, at the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society’s next meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Donald W. Reynolds Library.
His program, “When Electricity Came to Arkansas,” covers Mountain Home’s homegrown electric company and the construction of Norfork and Bull Shoals dams along the way. Admission is free and the public is invited.
Stovall is a life member of the Arkansas Archeological Society and has spent years working with state and local archeologists and researching Arkansas history. He is an Arkansas master naturalist, a board member of the Ozark Keystone Trail Endowment and a life member of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, and he leads volunteer crews that build and maintain local hiking trails.
The society also announced the historic Randolph Casey House will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 17 through 19, during the Baxter County Fair. The house sits next to the fairgrounds.
Built in 1858, the Casey House is one of the few pre-Civil War structures left in Arkansas and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Baxter County owns the property, and the historical society helps maintain it.
The society is encouraging the public, and especially donors, to come see the recently finished first phase of restoration. That work focused on the exterior: a new roof, siding upgrades, the front porch, the back porch and the back steps.
Phase two will turn to the interior. The society plans to apply for funding in the 2027 grant cycle through the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
The society credited public grants, the Baxter County judge, the quorum court and private donations from its “All A-Board” fundraiser for getting the first phase done.
For more information, contact Kevin Bodenhamer at 870-404-1182 or Sonny Sharp at 870-404-8516.
