The mission of the North Little Rock History Commission is to collect, keep, and care for materials bearing on the history of the city.
The mission of the North Little Rock History Commission is to collect, keep, and care for materials bearing on the history of the city from the earliest times, and maintaining those materials in the archives of the City of North Little Rock. The Commission provides educational programs and services, and encourages and assists in scholarly research on the history of North Little Rock.
The North Little Rock History Commission was established by city ordinance in 1975. Seven volunteer members, appointed by Mayor Eddie Powell, began collecting historical photographs, documents, objects and oral interviews for the city archives. Active for more than a decade, the commission resigned en masse in 1987, stating it had accomplished what it set out to do, after publishing “North Little Rock: The Unique City,” a history book authored by Commissioner Walter Adams with assistance from other Commission members Evelyn Eubank, Gene Hull, Grayson Dickson, Pat Davis, Earlene Butterworth, and Alfred Schultz.
Mayor Patrick Hays revived the Commission in 1989, and two years later, Sandra Taylor Smith was hired as Director. With archives stored at the William F. Laman Library at 2801 Orange Street, the Commission opened an office in 1993 in the historic Barth-Hempfling House at 507 Main Street. In 1999, the Commission’s offices and archives were moved to the historic Park Hill Water Company building at 3427 Magnolia Street. The offices and archives moved again in 2003 to the second floor of the historic fire station and city hall building at 506 Main Street. After Laman Libray moved its Argent Branch location to the old post office building, the Commission took over both floors of the building allowing for more archival space and public space for exhibitions.
In 2004, during the city’s centennial, the commission published a history book, titled “On the Opposite Shore: The Making of North Little Rock,” written by award winning journalist Cary Bradburn, who joined the staff of the History Commission in 2002.
