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.
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 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.
Kratz, Edgar
Lide, Bessie
Lide, Jack
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.
Mary Evelyn Lawrence, president HSC Historical Society (in 2011); Dana Smith, of McClure Title Company and Paul Adcox, treasurer HSC Historical Society (in 2011).
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.
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.