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 Little Rock, Arkansas InfoWe are proud to be based in our hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Many who moved to Little Rock from other states and often larger cities marveled at the river city and its surrounding natural beauty and all the recreational opportunities found within its 115 square miles and population of 182,000.
"One of the best-kept secrets," they'd often say. "A hidden gem," others agreed.
But in recent years, the word has spread.
While still retaining a small-town southern charm where it's hard to go anywhere and not run in to someone you know, Little Rock packs quite a punch when it comes to cultural and entertainment offerings.
The history of the city is rich, spanning from pioneer days to presidential elections at the close of the 20th century; from the Civil War to the civil rights movement.
Little Rock was
discovered and named by French explorer Bernard de La Harpe in 1722. While
traveling up the Arkansas River, La Harpe met some Quapaw Indians who told
him about a huge, solid emerald boulder near the river. But he only found
the large cliff on the north shore, the “Big Rock,” and “La Petite
Roche” – the little rock that was the first outcropping of stone about
the mouth of the river. About a hundred years later, in 1821, Little Rock
became the capital of the newly-created Arkansas Territory. Some of Little
Rock’s original buildings are just a short walk from the downtown area,
at the Arkansas Territorial Restoration at Third and Scott streets.
The population of
Little Rock is 182,274; the Greater Little Rock Metropolitan area,
encompassing Pulaski
County, boasts a population of 513,117.
Little Rock typically
enjoys mild winters and very warm summers, with an average summer
temperature of 81.4 degrees and an average winter temperature of 39.5
degrees. Little Rock’s average annual rainfall is 48.52 inches, and
average snowfall is 5.2 inches.
Little Rock has a
busy arts calendar, with outstanding symphony and pops orchestras
performing from September through May. Ballet Arkansas and the opera
theater at the Wildwood
Performing Arts Center offer performances throughout the year, while
performance from the excellent Arkansas
Rep theater are available 280 days a year. The Arkansas
Arts Center owns an internationally-renowned collection of drawings
dating from the Renaissance period to the present. Dances, plays, films
and educational experiences for both children and adults are also provided
year-round, at various locations throughout the city as well as at several
venues on the University of Arkansas, Little Rock
campus.
We also have one professional sports team. The Arkansas Travelers baseball team,
the AA affiliate of the Anaheim Angels, recently
celebrated their 100th anniversary. The Travs play at historic Ray Winder
Field, located off Interstate 630 and only minutes from the UALR campus.
Historic Arkansas Museum where one can tour the museum's historic grounds and visit a pre-civil war neighborhood, including the oldest home still standing in Little Rock and the site where William Woodruff once printed the Arkansas Gazette newspaper. Interact with a living history character and see first-hand how early residents lived. For knife lovers (like us) the museum represents the work of contemporary master custom knifemakers. Learn about the 175-year history of Arkansas's most famous weapon, the bowie knife or Arkansas Toothpick. The story of Jim Bowie, as well as the history and art of bladesmithing are told in the Arkansas Historic Museum - Knife Gallery.
Attractions in Little
Rock also include the Old
State House Museum, which was built in 1836 and used as the state’s
first capitol and is the oldest standing state capitol building west of
the Mississippi River; the current Arkansas State Capital, which features
neo-classical design and was built from 1899 to 1915; the Clinton Presidential Center a museum showcasing the legacy of the Clinton Administration and ultimately housing the world's most comprehensive digital collection of archival materials on U.S. domestic issues, foreign relations and political events from the past decade;River
Market District featuring a market offering fresh produce and flowers,
gifts, groceries and a twice-weekly farmers market from May through
September; and the Central
High Museum, a civil rights landmark with an interactive exhibit
depicting the 1957 desegregation of the schools.
To learn more about
Little Rock, visit the city's official Web
site.
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