Jacksonville Reopens Historical Museum with a Nod to Notable Natives

Jacksonville may not come off as “bright and shiny” as do other communities that help make up the greater Little Rock metro.

The working-class city that brought Arkansas the Little Rock Air Force Base and the forerunner of Arkansas Children’s, however, is as real as it gets. There is no pretension and nothing “cookie cutter” about Jacksonville.

As diverse an Arkansas city as one will find, Jacksonville could be considered the central Arkansas civic family’s no-nonsense kid who worked his way through college, joined the military when his country called and came back home to launch a successful business.

When school district concerns led Little Rock expatriates to other metro communities just beyond the Pulaski County line beginning in the late 20th century, Jacksonville kept on keepin’ on.

The reborn Jacksonville Historical Museum, rechristened in March at a new location after having been closed for several years, aims to tell the city’s working-class, all-American story.

The museum features displays highlighting the city’s founding and more. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

On a Saturday afternoon in March, city officials and the local volunteers who worked for months to relaunch the museum held an open house inside the new location at 201 W. Main St. inside the Chopsticks International Center. The museum hours, which could expand in the future, are 2 to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Mayor Jeff Elmore called the new museum a fantastic space that volunteers “brought to life,” filled with exhibits, photos and knickknacks that represent the city’s colorful history.

“Volunteers really rallied together to get this done,” he said. “That’s one of the strong points of this city — people rallying together. Jacksonville is like a big family — you can talk about the family inside the family, but not outside of it.”

The museum chronicles the careers of many of the notable people the city has produced, and Jacksonville has produced its share of notable people. They include AY Media Group Publisher and President Heather Baker, a 1994 Jacksonville High School graduate, who is featured prominently in the museum.

One of the state’s premier females in publishing, Baker launched the popular publications Arkansas Wild and Arkansas AutoBuyer from scratch at a young age and has grown AY Media Group into an Arkansas media powerhouse with award-winning publications such as AY About You, a monthly lifestyle magazine; Arkansas Money & Politics, a monthly business magazine; and Arkansas Mental Health Guide Magazine, an annual advocate of and voice for mental health awareness.

Baker is also a part of 103.7 The Buzz’s Morning Mayhem radio show each Friday and is a regular on the Little Rock emcee circuit.

Six feet tall and then some — without heels — Baker was a multisport athlete at JHS, where she participated in basketball, volleyball and track. She was coached in all by the iconic Tanya Ganey, who spent almost four decades in Jacksonville schools, molding young athletes.

Heather Baker and Coach Tanya Ganey. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

Baker credited her strong work ethic to growing up in Jacksonville and the guidance she received in city schools.

“I’m truly honored to have an exhibit in the reborn Jacksonville Historical Museum. Growing up in this tight-knit, working-class community shaped who I am today,” Baker said. “The incredible coaches and educators in the Jacksonville school system, especially Coach Tanya Ganey, were like family to us. We spent more time with them than almost anyone else, and they taught us not just sports but the discipline, work ethic and life lessons that have carried me through my career. I owe so much to Coach Ganey and all the dedicated leaders in our school system.”

Ganey said Baker stands right along with other notable hometown heroes.

“A lot of legends came out of Jacksonville High School as far as ball players, band members, cheerleaders, and that includes Heather,” she said. “I mean, there was a young lady that went and was a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys, and what Heather has done is so impressive; it’s right there with them.”

Ganey quipped that Baker was a model athlete who she “never had to whip.”

Heather Baker and John Hardwick. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

The museum currently features an exhibit honoring another notable figure from Jacksonville — Kris Allen. In 2009, Allen was a praise band member for New Life Church when he was selected to compete on American Idol. He would go on to win the competition and launch his singing and songwriting career.

Now based in Nashville, Allen just released his seventh album, Pole Vaulter. His parents attended the grand opening filled with pride and gratitude.

“This is really special because this is his hometown,” his mother, Kim Allen, said. “To be a part of this museum is awesome.”

The city has produced a respectable list of noteworthy athletes, as well.

They include former Razorback all-American defensive lineman Dan Hampton, who would go on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career and win a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears; Clinton McDonald, another defensive linemen who played college ball at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and went on to earn a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks; Demetrius Harris, a standout football and basketball player at JHS in the 2000s who played college hoops at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee but signed as a free agent deal as a tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs and enjoyed a nine-season NFL career; and Robert Thomas, a star linebacker for Henderson State University in Arkadelphia in the mid-’90s who went on to play fullback with the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons.

Other notable athletes with Jacksonville ties include hometown boy Grady Adkins, the “Butcher Boy,” who pitched for the Chicago White Sox in the 1920s; Michigan basketball star and 2000 NBA champion Glen Rice; and San Francisco Giants pitcher Jakob Junis. Rice and Junis were born in Jacksonville.

Plus, the late actress Lisa Blount, known for her role in An Officer and a Gentleman and for winning an Academy Award for the 2001 short live-action film The Accountant, was a Jacksonville native.

Jerry Sanders, a volunteer who also serves as museum director, said the museum will feature a wide variety of exhibits that are rotated out and, ultimately, a custom-designed model train layout inspired by the city as it looked in the 1950s.

That decade was a good one for the city. The old Arkansas Ordnance Plant in town served as the primary facility for the development of fuses and detonators for World War II and was responsible for many new residents.

Linda Towe, from left, Jessica Everson, Heather Baker and Becky Hardwick. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

Then, during the mid-1950s, city officials led by Kenneth Pat Wilson, founder of Jacksonville State Bank, now First Arkansas Bank & Trust, were at the forefront of a movement to get the air base to town.

During the decade of the ‘50s, Jacksonville’s population increased by 486 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city grew from 2,474 residents in 1950 to 14,448 in 1960.

The city finally settled at a population of just less than 30,000, where it remains today. Sanders said many of the 30,000 helped with the museum, no matter how small the task, including help with the custom-made frames and cases on display in the museum. Many of those frames went to hold the art of Marvin Lemley, a former JHS coach and noted artist.

“We put out a call for wood for the frames and display cases, and people came through,” Sanders said. “The town really takes care of its own.”

Volunteer Lida Feller said her vision is to preserve any and all historical items related to Jacksonville and to help create a historical district in the city, which would run from Mulberry Street to South First Street and from First to Second Street, the area considered Jacksonville’s original downtown. She said she also wants to create a replica of the city’s old train depot where people “can sit and enjoy beverages and watch trains go by.” Inside the depot would be a visitor’s center.

“This effort has become deeply important to us, and we are dedicated to restoring the museum as a place our community can once again enjoy and be proud of,” she said. “Like everything worthwhile, we continue to grow, improve and make changes along the way.”

AY Media Group staff showed up to support their leader (fourth from right). Staff members include Dwain Hebda, from left, Darlene Hebda, Mike Bedgood, Lee Smith, Everson, Kellie McAnulty, Mark Carter and Ryan Parker. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

Baker said it has been a privilege to watch her hometown continue to “grow and thrive under the strong, steady leadership of Mayor Jeff Elmore.”

“I’m also deeply grateful to the Wilson family. I’ve been a customer of their bank since I was about 5 years old, and their investment in this city has meant a great deal to so many of us,” she said. “Being asked to share a piece of my journey in this museum is a full-circle moment I’ll always cherish.”

Feature photo above: Cynthia Skinner, Paige Creed, Jessica Everson, Tina Delong, Clayton Delong, Chris Erkel, Micheal LaBron, Lida Feller, Jerry Sanders, Heather Baker, MayorJeff Elmore and Laura Burns all turned out for the grand reopening of the Jacksonville Historical Museum. Photo by DeWaine Duncan

SEE THIS STORY IN OUR APRIL ISSUE OF ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS