History of North Little Rock History Commission

The North Little Rock History Commission was established by city ordinance on March 24, 1975, during the administration of Mayor Eddie Powell. He initially appointed seven volunteer members, who began meeting in June of that year. A major task was to collect historical photographs, documents, objects and oral interviews for the city archives. The commission also sponsored North Little Rock’s Bicentennial events in 1976. Active for more than a decade, the commission resigned en masse in June 1987, stating that it had accomplished what it set out to do, after publishing a history of the city, titled “North Little Rock: The Unique City.” Walter M. Adams, a commissioner, authored the work, with assistance from other members, Evelyn Eubank, Gene Hull, Grayson Dickson, Pat Davis, Earlene Butterworth and Alfred Schultz. Mayor Patrick Hays revived the commission in 1989. Two years later, Sandra Taylor Smith was hired as director of the commission. With the 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 April 1999, the commission’s office and archives were moved to the historic Park Hill Water Company building at 3427 Magnolia Street. The office and archives moved again in July 2003 to the second floor of the historic fire station and city hall building at 506 Main Street. In November 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 staff member Cary Bradburn.