Prairie County Historical Museum

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

FLASHBACK---
By 1918, the first visible pump was introduced. The customer was able to see just how much fuel he was purchased by the inclusion of a large glass cylinder that was hooked up to the pump. When first introduced, the glass cylinders were retrofitted to curbside pumps that already existed.

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

Miss Arkansas Suzanne Scudder; circa 1957.

Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville-

05/26/2026

Weekend plans just got better! Come tour The Myrtles✨

05/06/2026

In the early morning hours of April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded into a fiery blaze on the Mississippi River, eventually drifting and sinking near the Arkansas banks.

Today, on the 161st anniversary of the Sultana Disaster, we remember the nearly 1,200 of more than 2,200 passengers and crew who were killed in the explosion and fire.

This tragic story was ignored and forgotten by the nation for far too long. Our mission at the Sultana Disaster Museum is to ensure that this story is told well and to as many people as possible. Join us today in remembering the Sultana and the hundreds of people who lost their lives in the disaster, most of whom were soldiers who had for four years fought to preserve our American Union.

We remember and honor the history of the Sultana and also look forward to what's ahead for the Sultana Disaster Museum.

This fall, we will open the 21,000 square foot new museum that will entertain and educate visitors of all ages.

Thank you for remembering with us, and thank you for supporting the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Ark.

For more information on the disaster story and our museum, visit https://www.sultanadisastermuseum.com/.

05/06/2026