Hot Spring County, Arkansas Historical Society

Established January 12, 1968

HSCHS Logo scaled
HSCHS Logo
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OUR HISTORY


Since the late 1960s the Hot Spring County Historical Society has worked to preserve the county's history and culture through writing, publishing, and teaching.  The organization meeting of the Society was held on December 7, 1967.  It was incorporated January 12, 1968 with seventy six charter members and two corporate members.

Vol 20 page 3 cropped
Vol 20 page 3 cropped
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Organizational meeting of Hot Spring County, Arkansas Historical Society, December 7, 1967.  Front row, left to right: Nancy Rutherford, Eudora N. Fields, Ella Mae Cullins, Inez Cline and Bobbie McLane.  Back row, L-R: Mac S. Gates, Judge Neil Phelan, Joe W. McCoy, Judge William C. Gilliam, Jack McCoy, Grady Cullins, Dr. John L. Ferguson (Arkansas State History Commission) and David B. Whittington.  Not available for photographs were Mrs. C. J. Baker and Jack G. Harrison, Editor of the Meteor Journal newspaper, who took the photograph.  (Cline, McLane, and Whittington were from Hot Springs, Arkansas)

Judge Gilliam
Judge Gilliam
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"Judge William C. Gilliam (left) looks at historical volumes with Dr. John L. Ferguson, of the Arkansas State History Commission, at the organizational meeting of the Hot Spring County Historical Society." (Photo and text: The Meteor Journal, December 7, 1967)

Charter Officers & Directors


Judge William C. Gilliam - President

Nancy T. Rutherford - Vice President

Joe W. McCoy - Treasurer

Bonnie Jean Stanley - Recording Secretary

Joan Vic - Corresponding Secretary

Elizabeth M. Brooks - Historian

Ella Mae Cullins - Director

Eudora N. Fields - Director

Jack Warren Terry - Director


Charter Members


Adkins, Mrs. Homer

Allen, Mrs. Shirley F.

Bailey, C. L.

Bailey, Mrs. C. L.

Baker, Sarah M.

Baker, William M.

Brewer, Mrs. Callie

Brooks, Elizabeth

Boyle, Ray E.

Burns, Filmore

Caldwell, Mrs. S. S.

Canfield, Mrs. M. George

Cline, Mrs. Inez

Coats, Mrs. Odis

Coleman, Mrs. L. Q.

Coleman, L. Q.

Cullins, Grady

Cullins, Mrs. Grady

Davidson, Ester

Davidson, Jim

Davis, Wanda

Demand, Mrs. O. R.

Dixon, Mrs. C. W.

Fields, Eudora N.

Dixon, C. W.

Foreman, Bruce

Foreman, Vera

Fincher, W. T.

Gates, Mary B.

Gates, Mac S.

Gatliff, Cathy

Gatliff, Marty

Gilliam, William C.

Gilliam, Mrs. William C.

Green, Ester C.

Hankins, Mrs. A. W.

Hardin, Clarence

Hardy, Mrs. Dee F.

Harrison, Jack

Hedges, Sam

Hodges, Mrs. Thomas L.

Holmes, Mrs. Jim Lee

Jones, Mrs. Hilliard

Jones, James W.

Knickerbocker, Mrs. W. R.

Lide, Jack

Kratz, Edgar

Lide, Bessie

Lent, Mrs. Ora

Lindvall, Una M.

Lowery, Mrs. J. B.

McCoy, Jack H.

McCoy, Joe W.

McCoy, Kay

McDonald, Louis

McLane, Bobbie J.

Moore, Larry

Newman, Dewitt D.

Norton, Mrs. R. S.

Parker, Floyd L.

Paul, L. D., Sr.

Paul, Mrs. L. D., Sr.

Peterson, Paul D.

Prince, Ronald L.

Rhodes, Glenville

Rhodes, Major John M.

Rutherford, Nancy T.

Shuffield, Mrs. Hattie

Shuffield, Paul

Stanley, Mrs. Fenton

Tarlton, Mrs. T. E.

Terry, Jack Warren

Tidwell, Jimmie

Traywick, Roy

Vick, Joan

Young, John E.


Charter Corporate Members


Bank of Malvern

Malvern National Bank


The first Editors of The Heritage are given in The Heritage, Vol. 1-1970, page 1.


L. Quinton & Jenwyl C. Coleman - Co-Editors


When the organization established its articles of incorporation in January 1968, it did not have a physical home. Its main office was listed in care of the first President, William C. Gilliam. Since its inception, the organization has stored some items in a portable storage building and has held its monthly meetings at various locations throughout Hot Spring County. In 2011, the Hot Spring County Historical Society purchased office space at 118 West 2nd Street, giving the organization a physical location to match its initial contact address. 

Building purchase website 1
Building purchase website 1
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Mary Evelyn Lawrence, president HSC Historical Society (in 2011); Dana Smith, of McClure Title Company and Paul Adcox, treasurer HSC Historical Society (in 2011).

Building purchase website 2
Building purchase website 2
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Receiving the keys to our building at 118 W 2nd Street, Malvern, Arkansas.  Left to right: Robert Ireton, Carolyn Ireton, Mary Evelyn Lawrence, Dale Horn, Don Tackett and Paul Adcox.  Dale Horn and Don Tackett sold the building; the others are Historical Society members.

Heritage House 2018
Heritage House 2018
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By 1970 the group had collected enough information to publish the first issue of The Heritage. A copy of the first publication was donated to the Hot Spring County Library by organization President Bruce Foreman on June 15, 1970. The organization welcomes submissions of photos and articles for publication in The Heritage.


The Hot Spring County Historical Society meets at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. When a regular meeting falls on or near a holiday, the meeting is generally held on the second Monday. New members and visitors are welcome. Also submissions of photos and articles are welcome for publication in The Heritage