Each May, Arkansas Heritage celebrates Heritage Month. In the past, we marked the month with statewide themes, proclamations declaring May as Heritage Month from elected officials from across the state and a complimentary poster. In that spirit, Arkansas Heritage is proud to announce their 2022 May is Heritage Month poster commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River.
In 1972, the Buffalo River was named a National River, the first of its kind in the National Park system. The legislation creating the Buffalo National River protects nearly 100,000 acres along a 135-mile stretch of the river.1 It is also one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the United States.
According to the National Park Service, the purpose of the Buffalo National River is, “To preserve a free-flowing river and to conserve and interpret the combination of natural, scenic, cultural, and scientific features characterized by deep valleys, towering bluffs, wilderness, and landscapes of the Ozark Mountains.”
The creation of the Buffalo National River began when Army Corps of Engineers looking at the hydroelectric potential of the Buffalo River with a system of dams. This caught the attention of conservationists who wanted to preserve the river’s natural beauty including then-governor Orval Faubus and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 92-237 that put the Buffalo River under the guard of the National Park Service.2
But the Buffalo National River is more than just a waterway, is an outdoor adventure. You can paddle miles of the river as it winds through northwest Arkansas, enjoy hiking the trails or camping out for a weekend.
The Ozark Region is rich in Arkansas heritage, from when Native Americans first lived in the Ozarks to the first European settlers. Including the community of Boxley and the historic Boxley Grist Mill built around 1869 that you can still visit today.3
Where can you pick up your free commemorative poster while supplies last?
52 State Parks
Arkansas Welcome Centers
You can also find the poster at any of the following locations:
- Jacob Wolf House
13775 Highway 5, Norfork, AR 72658 - Old State House Museum
300 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72201 - Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
501 W. 9th Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 - Historic Arkansas Museum
200 E. 2nd Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 - Delta Culture Center
141 Cherry St., Helena, AR 72342 - Arkansas State Archives
1 Capitol Mall #215, Little Rock, AR 72201 - Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives
10 7th Street, Powhatan, AR 72458 - South Arkansas Regional Archives
201 AR195, Washington, AR 71862 - Arkansas Heritage
1100 North Street, Little Rock, AR 72201
Footnotes
(1) Boxley (Newton County) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
(2) Buffalo National River - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
(3) History & Culture - Buffalo National River (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)