All Arkansas State University Heritage Sites provide a variety of educational opportunities and activities for adults, students and educators. Visit the website for each Heritage Site to see the special events and activities that are uniquely tied to each of their missions. All sites offer group and student tours upon request, and professional development courses for teachers are offered periodically at each site. Student tours can be modified to meet curriculum standards. To view basic curriculum frameworks for each site, click here.

Partnership with Heritage Studies Ph.D. Program

The Arkansas State University Heritage Sites Office provides leadership for a number of natural and cultural heritage tourism and preservation projects in the region conducted by students in the Heritage Studies Ph.D. program at Arkansas State University. Students assist communities and heritage sites through classes, field schools, practicum experiences, independent studies and graduate assistantships. In addition, the A-State Heritage Sites director serves on dissertation committees for a number of Heritage Studies Ph.D. students.

Below are some of the major student projects conducted through A-State Heritage Sites, along with dissertations completed with Dissertation Committee participation by the A-State Heritage Sites director. Along with these listed projects, numerous Heritage Sites case studies and projects are incorporated into classes conducted by other Heritage Studies Ph.D. faculty.

Student Projects Through A-State Heritage Sites

FY 2015

• Staffing for ongoing development and operation of Southern Tenant Farmers Museum (Simon Hoskins, Sarah Waltermire, Lisa Perry, Jodi Morris, Cindy Grisham, Albert Jones, Anita Reddig, Bryan Pierce, Revis Edmonds, Graduate Assistantships, 2006-2015)
• Acquisition and Accessioning updates for artifacts at the Dyess Administration Building and Johnny Cash Boyhood Home (Renee Pinkston, Graduate Assistantship)
• Staffing for operation of Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home (Amy Ulmer, Graduate Assistantship)
• Updates to Arkansas Delta Byways database (Amy Ulmer, Graduate Assistantship)
• Organization and cataloging of Lakeport Plantation files (Aketa Guillory, Graduate Assistantship)
• Production of video for Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center (Bryan Pierce, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2014

• Assistance with development of Interpretive Plan for Historic Dyess Colony: Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash (Bryan Pierce, Field School)
• Oral history interviews with Sultana Disaster descendants and development of related exhibits and documentaries (Louis Intres, Graduate Assistantship, 2011-2014)
• Heritage Sites marketing and outreach programs for Central Arkansas (Rachel Miller and Anita Reddig, Graduate Assistantships, 2013-2014)
• Arkansas Delta Byways database updates (Revis Edmonds, Graduate Assistantship)
• Oral histories for Dyess, Rohwer, and Jerome (Emmett Power, Graduate Assistantship)
• Acquisition and Accessioning of household items for Johnny Cash Boyhood Home (Anna Westman and Brenda Murray, Graduate Assistantships)
• Research, completion of on-site work, and preparations for Grand Opening of Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home (Anna Westman and Brenda Murray, Graduate Assistantships)
• Development of social media program for Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home (Anna Westman, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2013

• Research for Dyess Colony and Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and development of household inventory (Elista Istre and Moriah Istre, Graduate Assistantships, 2010-2013)
• Oral histories with Cash family and Dyess colonists (Elista Istre and Moriah Istre, Graduate Assistantships, 2010-2013)
• National and regional presentations on Historic Dyess Colony: Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash (Elista Istre and Moriah Istre, Graduate Assistantships, 2010-2013)
• Support for Johnny Cash Music Festival and special events (Elista Istre and Moriah Istre, Graduate Assistantships, 2012-2013)

FY 2012

• Heritage Sites educational programs development for students and teachers (Rachel Miller, Graduate Assistantship, 2011-2012)
• Development of draft Interpretive Plan for Historic Dyess Colony: Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash (Elista Istre and Moriah Istre, Graduate Assistantships)
• Review of tourism curriculum at university’s around the country (Ammar Alobiedat, Graduate Assistantship)
• Development assistance for Arkansas DeltaMade program (Tod Underhill, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2011

• Grant Proposals for heritage projects (Grantsmanship Class)
• Development of Jerome Japanese American Relocation Center Interpretive Plan (Richard Hartness, Independent Study)
• Assistance in development of Interpretive Plan for Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center (Emmett Powers, Graduate Assistantship)
• Development of A-State Heritage Sites website (Rachel Miller, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2010

• Mississippi River Oral Histories (Louis Intres, Graduate Assistantship)
• Arkansas Delta Byways database updates (Cindy Grisham, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2009

• Preservation and Development of George Berry Washington Memorial Monument near Earle and African-American Cemetery in Marianna (Albert Jones, Independent Study)
• Arkansas Museums Association Survey of Interpretive Methods (Lenore Shoults, Independent Study)
• Oral Histories, African Americans in the Delta (Nicole Smith-Neal, Graduate Assistantship, 2003-2009)
• African American Cemetery Preservation Project at Lakeport Plantation, three sites; Oral Histories, Lakeport African American Community (Aketa Guillory, Graduate Assistantship, 2004-2009)
• African American Heritage Research, Northern Ohio School, Parkin (Nicole Smith-Neal, Graduate Assistantship, 2006-2009)
• Leadership in creation of Sunken Lands Chamber of Commerce and Tyronza Historic District (Cindy Grisham, Graduate Assistantship, 2007-2009)
• Lakeport Archeological Field School (Aketa Guillory, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2008

• Architectural Surveys for 66 residential properties in Wynne, Arkansas, for nomination of East Hamilton Avenue to the National Register of Historic Places as a Residential Historic District (Preservation Field School)
• Kress Building Renovation Planning and Development (Leslie Hester, Independent Study)
• Oral History interview for Mississippi County (Cameron Klein, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2007

• Book publication for Southern Tenant Farmers Museum, Plowing New Ground: The Southern Tenant Farmers Union and its Place in Delta History (Van Hawkins, Practicum)
• Documentary, Lakeport Plantation: The Land, the Lives, the Labor (Nicole Smith-Neal, Graduate Assistantship)
• “Wearing What Cannot Be Spoken,” Kanga Cloth Research (Rose Ong’oa-Morara, Graduate Assistantship)
• “Keepers” Oral History Project in Communities throughout the Delta (Jodi Morris, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2006

• Research and Development for Arkansas Delta Music Heritage Trail; Biking Route Mapping for the Mississippi River Trail (Heritage Tourism Class)
• Grantsmanship for African-American Heritage Projects (Aketa Guillory, Independent Study)
• Participation in Arkansas Archeological Training Program and Development of African American Cemetery Preservation Workshop and related activities (Aketa Guillory, Practicum)
• Visitor Surveys along Crowley’s Ridge Parkway (Suzanne Simpson, Graduate Assistantship)
• Update of Arkansas Delta Byways web site ( Fatme Myuhtar, Graduate Assistantship)
• Research and Development for Great River Road Crops Brochure (Haley Wimpy Fitzgerald, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2005

• Historic Structure Reports for The Forum in Jonesboro, Greyhound Bus Station in Blytheville, African-American churches in Mississippi County, Bolivar Cemetery in St. Francis County, Fargo Agricultural School in Monroe County (Preservation Issues for Heritage Sites Class)
• Development of the Hemp Industry in Kentucky and its Relationship to the Johnsons of Lakeport (Rose Ong’oa-Morara, Independent Study)
• Grant resources and writing for Lakeport Plantation special projects (Kathy Dillon, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2004

• Heritage Tourism Assessments for Parkin Sawdust Community, Sultana Disaster site near Marion, historic Jonesboro cemeteries, Wittsburg natural area, Kress Building in Blytheville, Native American foodways, other potential Delta tourism attractions (Heritage Tourism Class)
• Research and exhibit development for Southern Tenant Farmers Museum (Van Hawkins, Practicum)
• Research on Antebellum Clothing at Lakeport; Floorcloth at Lakeport (Rose Ong’oa-Morara, Graduate Assistantship)

FY 2003

• Historic Structure Reports for Rosenwald School in Sunset, Debbye Turner Home in Jonesboro, Old Post Office in Jonesboro, Old Marion Hotel in Marion, Dyess Colony Administration Building (Preservation Issues for Heritage Sites Class)
• Master Plan development and Restoration Assessments for Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, Southern Tenant Farmers Museum and Lakeport Plantation (Preservation Issues for Heritage Sites Class)
• Marketing Plan for Arkansas Delta Byways (Francesca Muccini, Independent Study)
• Research and development of Barn Tour along Crowley’s Ridge; Research on Building Murals along Crowley’s Ridge (Sherry Laymon, Practicum)
• Video Presentation: Lakeport Oral History Excerpts (Nicole Smith-Neal, Graduate Assistantship)

Dissertations Completed with A-State Heritage Sites Participation

• “The Impacts of Heritage Tourism on Gadara, Northern Jordan.” Ammar Alobiedat, 2014
• “Exploring Architecture, Ornament, Social and Cultural Heritage Through Interior Decoration,” Antoinette Johnson, 2014
• “Honey, We’s All Creoles’: Exploring South Louisiana’s Creole Identity, Culture, and Heritage,” Elista Istre, 2013
• “Music is the Voice of a Culture’: Cajun and Creole Musicians Speak about the Power of Music to Preserve, Represent, and Celebrate South Louisiana’s French Heritage,” Moriah Istre, 2013
• “When Hope Grows Weary: An Arkansas Delta Town in Place and Time,” Cindy Grisham, 2012
• “Preserved in Alcohol: Case Studies of Adaptive Reuse Projects by McNenamins Inc.,” James “Kimo” Tichgelaar, 2012
• “Mother-of-Pearls: The Entwined History of Shell and Pearl in Arkansas,” Lenore Shoults, 2010
• “In the Eye of the Beholder: The Little Rock Central Crisis as a Television Event,” Mike Bowman, 2008
• “Pfeiffer Country: The Tenant Farms and Business Activities of Paul Pfeiffer in Clay County, Arkansas 1902-1954,” Sherry Layman, 2005. Book publication in 2009