North Little Rock History Commission

09/04/2026

Ready for some beach fun? Well, this week's Flashback Friday post has you covered.

The Willow Beach swimming resort opened in May 1921 along the Arkansas River, east of North Little Rock. An advertisement, shown here, announced the formal opening in the Arkansas Gazette.

Thomas Jefferson Jackson, a Little Rock furniture dealer, owned the popular resort, which families could reach by automobile, bus, or boat.

“Court health and comfort – get back to nature – come and frolic on the sandy beach,” the ad urged readers.

Another enticement was a dance pavilion, where the music was “excellent” and the floor “delightful.”

Today, Willow Beach is a lakeside community of homes.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the grand opening weekend of our new museum on September 17-19. We want all of you to come see it!

And if you'd like to sign up to be a volunteer, please send us a message here, call the office at (501) 371-0755, or email us at [email protected].

Have a great weekend, everybody!

08/28/2026

It's Friday again, and you know what that means! Another Flashback Friday post. Hope you're in a "cheerful" mood!

The Northeast High School Charger Pep Squad cheered for the Blue and Gold during its first football season in the AAAA conference in 1970. The photograph was published in Volume 1 of the Charger yearbook for the 1970-71 school year.

Northeast and adjacent Lakewood Junior High opened in Fall 1969 for grades 7-10. With transfers from North Little Rock High School and S.A. Jones, Northeast filled out grades 10-12 when classes started in Fall 1970.

Charger Pep Squad officers that year were Brenda Graves, Kathy Nowell, Cathy Clark, Beverly Wiles, Donna Rhodes, Marilyn McClain, and Edith Ginocchio.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

North Little Rock Tourism

08/21/2026

Going to the movies? Well, we are. It's time once again for another Flashback Friday post.

In this North Little Rock Times photograph, W.A. “Tony” Rand checked on customers outside the Other Center Cinema during the summer of 1977.

Playing that night was Outlaw Blues and Orca.

Rand, who was convicted in 1991 on 26 counts of fraud and money laundering, built a 115-screen chain of theaters in Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.

The Other Cinema opened in December 1975 and closed in 1990.

Rand’s theater empire began to crumble in 1989 under the weight of the federal fraud case and numerous lawsuits.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

North Little Rock Tourism

08/14/2026

Who likes ice cream? Well, today is your lucky day because we have a Flashback Friday post full of creamy goodness.

If Loblolly Creamery relocates to the former Central Fire Station building at 723 Maple, its ice cream manufacturing plant won’t be the first in North Little Rock. Clark Ice Cream Products at 310 Main was making ice cream in the 1920s, followed by Mayflower Dairy at 120 Maple in the 1930s.

A 1927 article in the North Little Rock Times noted that J.S. Clark was adding equipment to his pasteurizing plant and freezing system. Clark’s company was making all flavors of ice cream and dairy products, the newspaper reported.

In a 1933 article, the Times said improvements were underway at Mayflower Dairy, “where an ice manufacturing plant is being built and new machinery installed in the ice cream plant.”

Fred G. Breitzke, Mayflower president, said an increase in business justified the expansion.

Mayflower Dairy advertised extensively and sponsored a popular KGHI radio show on Saturday nights that featured Uncle Al’s Mayflower Melody Boys, photographed in this 1935 Times article.

Also included is a 1927 advertisement in the Times for Clark Dairy Company and one for Mayflower Dairy in 1939.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Just remember to stay cool & hydrated. You know, ice cream just might help that!

Also note that there is a burn ban on for Pulaski County because of the dry spell we're experiencing. Stay safe!

North Little Rock Tourism

08/07/2026

Happy Flashback Friday, folks! We have a fun one for you today. See how many of these kids you can identify.

The North Little Rock High School yearbook in 1969 published a photograph of this crowded hallway near the principal’s office. Enrollment in the 1968-69 school year for grades 10-12 at North Little Rock High was 2,253.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

North Little Rock Tourism

08/01/2026

It's Friday again and you know what that means - Flashback Friday!!

North Little Rock and the Republic of Korea’s Uiwang City became sister cities in 1999. A six-member delegation from Uiwang, including Mayor Sang Sup Kang, visited the city and signed an agreement, approved by the City Council on July 26, 1999.

In this North Little Rock Times photograph by David Scolli, published on July 29, 1999, representatives of the two cities strolled along Riverfront Park’s promenade. The South Koreans also toured the Old Mill, McCain Mall, and other sites during a four-day stay.

North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays, who had previously visited Uiwang City, said the sister cities relationship would foster economic, educational, and cultural opportunities through youth exchange programs.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

North Little Rock Tourism

07/29/2026

07/24/2026

Yay!!! It's Flashback Friday time again!

The heat wave and drought in the summer of 1980 is etched in the memories of those who struggled through it. This “Think Snow” sign on JFK, photographed by the North Little Rock Times in July 1980, gave hope that relief would come. From early June to September, the thermometer hit 100 degrees or more on 47 days. The temperature soared to 111 on July 13. Many communities around the state suffered water shortages and imposed limits on use.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Stay as cool & hydrated as you can and we'll see you next week.

North Little Rock Tourism

07/17/2026

Guess what day it is. If you guessed Friday, the day everyone looks forward to, especially because of our weekly Flashback Friday posts, then you are correct! And here's our post for this week.

An unidentified umpire swept the plate just before the first pitch of the 1965 season at Vestal Park in Baring Cross. This photograph, published on June 3, 1965, in the North Little Rock Times, highlighted the Optimist Club’s baseball program. According to the caption, the club hosted 10 Little League teams, six Babe Ruth teams, and four American Legion teams.

At the plate was Joe Worthsmith, a pitcher and lead-off batter for the Little League team of the Elks Lodge. Vestal Park, an 18-acre tract at 13th and Vestal streets developed in the late 1950s, drew large crowds to youth baseball in North Little Rock. The park had three diamonds, one each for Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Stay cool out there.

North Little Rock Tourism

07/15/2026

From our chairman, Suzanne Jackson:

The North Little Rock History Commission is opening a new museum in the old fire station on Main Street. It will focus on North Little Rock’s history from the early days to the present. A special section will focus on the city’s various neighborhoods. We are reaching out to individuals asking them to share their photos with us and write their “stories” of what it was like to grow up in their neighborhoods. From Levy to Rose City, from Lakewood to Baring Cross, from Dark Hollow to Argenta and everywhere in between- everyone is welcome.

The Commission is also seeking volunteers to staff the museum. If interested in submitting your “story” or volunteering, please reach out to us at [email protected].