WASHINGTON, Ark.-The 13th Annual Red River Heritage Symposium will take place Saturday, July 27, at Historic Washington State Park.
Conference topics will focus on the bicentennial of the Arkansas Territory formation in 1819 and its impact on the Great Bend Region of the Red River. The event will take place at Historic Washington State Park's 1914 Schoolhouse Auditorium.
Specific topics and speakers include: "Trammel's Trace" by Gary Pinkerton of Houston, Texas; "The Red River Raft" by Robin Cole-Jett of Denison, Texas; "Old Miller County" by Skipper Steely of Paris, Texas; "Gulf Coastal Plain Landscape" by Dr. Don Bragg of the U.S. Forest Service; and "Plotting and Surveying the New Territory" by Dr. John Dennis of the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Symposium time is 1 p.m. to 8 pm and the cost is $30 with an evening meal included.
An all-day Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, morning workshop for teachers about resources related to the Red River Region theme will also take place. Lunch is included both days. The workshop cost is $40.
Workshop presenters will include Historic Washington State Park staff and staff members from the Arkansas State Archives and Arkansas Historic Preservation.
On Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m., a tour to early territorial sites in Miller County will be provided. For others interested in the tour, the cost is $15 per person, which includes lunch. Seating is limited, so call the Park Visitor Center to reserve a spot on the tour.
A discount price of $60 will be offered to teachers who wish to attend both the workshop and symposium. Teachers attending both the workshop and symposium will be eligible for 12 credit hours. Check in will begin in the morning at 8 a.m. at the 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse Visitor Center. Registration must be made by July 24. Contact 870-983-2684 to register.
Historic Washington State Park, a restoration village preserving one of Arkansas' most prominent 19th-century towns, is located on U.S. 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30. For more information, visit www.HistoricWashingtonStatePark.com or call 870-983-2684.