UA Libraries Special Collections Graduate Student Speaker: Rachel Whitaker

365 North McIlroy Avenue,Fayetteville AR 72701

14 April, 2022

Description

J.H. Phipps: Arkansas Timber Baron? Photo credit: : J.H. Phipps Lumber Co., Fayetteville, Arkansas, Grabill (photographer). Courtesy Shiloh Museum of Ozark History/Robert Saunders Collection (S-96-2-452) About the Series: In collaboration with the Graduate School and International Education, the University Libraries hosts a Graduate Student Speaker Series during the academic year. This series provides graduate students the opportunity to present research or creative works they have done using materials from Special Collections, and get feedback from our community as they continue their professional development. All graduate students are welcome to apply, and we encourage applications from across disciplines. About this Presentation: This presentation will focus on the role of  J.H.  Phipps on the timber industry in northwest  Arkansas., based on research the speaker conducted in the University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections.  J.H. Phipps  Lumber company operated along the  Frisco  Railroad during the height of the  Arkansas  Ozark timber boom.  Born in  Missouri,  James  Henry  Phipps  (1869‐1944)  moved into  Madison  County,  Arkansas,  by  1900.   He opened a  lumber company in  St.  Paul,  and then shortly after expanded his business throughout several counties in  Arkansas.  In the process of building his timber empire,  he connected with several other influential businessmen in  Fayetteville,  Arkansas, who also had an interest in the expansion of the railroads and timber industry in the region.   The materials at  Special Collections included land records,  lease agreements, and company ledgers that provided some insight into just how far his reach expanded and how his fortunes played out.  About the Speaker: Rachel Whitaker is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of Arkansas. She is also the research specialist at Shiloh Museum of Ozark History and an adjunct history instructor at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma. Her current research focuses on the timber and railroad industry in Pettigrew, Arkansas, the self-proclaimed "hardwood capital of the world."