What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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8 WHAT'S UP! JULY 10-16, 2022 COVER STORY Not So Long Ago New RHM exhibits bring history to life BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette O ne is a celebration. One is a lamentation. One travels back in time to the 1860s, "a period of American history that continues to haunt our state and national persona." One marks a period in Rogers history so recent that it didn't end until 2001. Both were inspired by new information — one by new research "related to specific Benton County residents during the Civil War" and the other by "a large donation" of never- before-exhibited items from the Rogers Vinegar Company plant, proof of an industry that "could be compared to the impact of Walmart on Northwest Arkansas today." And both exhibits will be on show in July at the Rogers Historical Museum. "The Rogers Historical Museum's collection currently consists of over 65,000 objects spanning from the mid- 1800s to today," says the museum's director, Serena Barnett. "These objects include everything from clothing to furniture, newspaper articles to photographs, and household wares to farm implements. "As our collection continues to grow, we, as historians, often look for objects that provide us with either a rediscovered story from our local past that hasn't been told before, or objects that are able to add to or retell a known story, possibly even your own family's story, from a new perspective." 'Civil War in Benton County: Untold Stories' "There are many historians that focus primarily on the military aspects of the Civil War," says Rachel Smith, assistant director of the museum and curator of collections. "While these sources of information are critical for understanding the war, there is much to learn about the civilian side of the story. "It is harder to research the civilian perspective because sources are fewer and more difficult to find," Smith continues. "Our information came from original documents, census records, historic news articles, site visits and interviews. When viewed together, these sources create a picture of the diverse experiences of civilians during the Civil War in Benton County. "The vast amount of research was pared down to highlight five specific stories that cover a range of experiences from Confederate sympathizers to Unionists, enslaved and free, men, women and children," she adds. In the beginning, Smith says, "many white residents of Benton County initially supported the war effort by either enlisting in the Confederate army or by contributing supplies, labor and money. However, there was also strong Unionist sentiment in Northwest Arkansas." Later in the war, she adds, neither side was winning on the home front. "Benton County was extremely difficult and dangerous," Smith says. "Several significant battles occurred here, armies were encamped, food was scarce, and those families that could flee to other places did so. For the families that stayed, they faced threats of guerrilla warfare, many lost homes and property, and [others] had goods and livestock confiscated by both armies. "The war visited great suffering on the people of Arkansas and Benton County, and the battles of the Civil War played out even on their front doorstep." This picture of packing apples at W.E. Brown's farm in Rogers, c. 1920, is illustrative of the apple industry in Benton County at the turn of the 20th century, which "could be compared to the impact of Walmart on Northwest Arkansas today," says Rogers Historical Museum Assistant Director Rachel Smith. An exhibit titled "A Dash of Apple Vinegar" opens July 16. (Courtesy Photo)