Today, the city of Elaine is a small, sleepy town on the Arkansas delta. In the fall of 1919, however, it was a nightmare. Looking at it now, you’d never guess that this Arkansas town has a dark and evil history. The 1919 Elaine Massacre of September 30 through October 2 set Elaine apart from all other small towns in Arkansas. The three day event was the deadliest racial conflict in the history of Arkansas: it may even be the single deadliest in the history of the United States. It’s impossible to confirm the true number of losses, because sources disagree on the scale of the massacre. The only thing known for certain is that the number of African American casualties numbered in the hundreds.

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On the night of September 30, 1919, around 100 African American sharecroppers met at a church three miles north of Elaine. Most of the sharecroppers worked on large plantations in the area. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of forming a union, in order to receive better prices for cotton crops.
Facebook/Harold Moore
In order to protect the meeting from disruption or spying from the white plantation owners, the sharecroppers placed armed guards around the church. To this day, there remains conflict over who was the first to fire shots that night. When the smoke cleared, a white security guard was dead and a white deputy sheriff was injured.

The next day, the Phillips County Sheriff sent out a posse to arrest those responsible. The posse saw minimal resistance.

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Somewhere between 500 and 1,000 armed white people arrived from neighboring counties to put down what was deemed an "insurrection." Accounts state that the African American population in Elaine and the surrounding area was "hunted." It was a slaughter.

Phillips County authorities asked for help from the governor, who then asked permission to send 500 U.S. troops from Camp Pike near Little Rock. The white mobs departed after the arrival of the troops, but anecdotal evidence says that the military continued the atrocities, shooting black people with "calm deliberation." Other accounts suggest that the troops also tortured members of the African American community to gain information about what they thought was a plan to murder all whites.
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It is difficult to say just how many African American lives were lost during this massacre. Sources can't come to a consensus. What is known is that five white lives were lost and the African American community suffered devastating losses of hundreds of lives. Over 100 African Americans were prosecuted for the events, with nearly half being tried for murder. A dozen African American men were sentenced to die, but they were ultimately released after years in prison.

The headlines from the time never called the events at Elaine a massacre. A very different narrative was put forth by the officials who were interviewed at the time. However, the facts are horrific and overwhelmingly sad. The Elaine massacre is a dark spot in the history of Arkansas, and it will not be forgotten. For more information about this tragic event, check out the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. You can view more horrifying stories from the history of Arkansas here.

 

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History of Arkansas

Lisa Sammons | June 15, 2021

What are some more dark tales from the history of Arkansas?

Like most areas, there are many black marks from within Arkansas's history. One horrible story you may not have learned too much about in school is that we were home to several Japanese-American internment camps. Japanese-Americans were forced to leave California and they were relocated to various camps throughout the United Sates, including the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County. Nearby, the area today houses the Japanese American Internment Museum that chronicles this dark part of American and Arkansas history.

What are some terrible crimes that have happened in Arkansas?

The worst mass murderer in Arkansas history is Ronald Gene Simmons. Just before Christmas, in 1987, Simmons killed all 14 of his family members that were in town for the holidays. Each were shot, strangled, or drowned, including a baby who was not even two years old. He then went into the town and shot at six perfect strangers, killing two.

We've got quite a few familiar names that have committed other crimes, as well. In the late 1800s, Fort Smith was known as the "gateway to the Wild West," and many outlaws frequented the area. Pretty Boy Floyd was a particularly well-known robber during the Great Depression. Bonnie and Clyde were also frequent visitors to the area. Hot Springs was a well-known haven of criminals in the 1930s, and Al Capone was a frequent visitor there.

Are there any haunted places in Arkansas?

The Natural State has plenty of haunted spots! The Fort Smith courthouse was the site of many a hanging and it is said that condemned criminals' ghosts still wander the area. Caraway Hall at Arkansas Tech University was supposedly built over an old Cherokee burial ground and it is said that many ghosts frequent that area.

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Elaine, Arkansas, AR, USA