Grand Prairie Historical Society Program Featured Stuttgart Army Airfield

The Grand Prairie Historical Society held their winter quarterly meeting at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie on Thursday, January 19. After a social hour with light refreshments, a presentation on the World War II Army Airfields around Arkansas was presented by Ron Lanoue of Little Rock. Mr. Lanoue was director of Arkansas Legal Services Partnership until his 2010 retirement. His father was stationed at Walnut Ridge Army Airfield during WWII. Some fifty attendees were on hand for the interesting program and business meeting. The Society’s 2022 youth essay contest winner, Chandler Merritt of Humphrey, a DeWitt High School student, was introduced and given an award certificate and check for her article “Secret Depths of the Delta: A Naturalistic Take on Its Geography and Ecosystems.” The article will appear in the April Grand Prairie Historical Bulletin. Members of Grand Prairie Chapter, D.A.R. presented Glenn Mosenthin with a Community Service Award for his contributions to historical preservation and outreach. David Hillman presented the Society a donation which will be used for county record book preservation in honor of his father Webster Hillman and aunt Ellen West, both longtime GPHS officers and historical preservationists. Society President Raeann Braithwaite gave a “State of the Society” address which outlined the many goals and efforts the group has been able to accomplish despite the pandemic’s challenges. GPHS will make a separate donation to the restoration of county record books in honor of Director Emeritus John W. Cover’s thirty years of service to the organization as an officer and director. The next meeting of Grand Prairie Historical Society will be held April 20 at 7:00 p.m in the Gillett area. Details will be published beforehand. Interested citizens are encouraged to join the Society’s efforts by sending $25 annual dues to Treasurer Carol Roberson, P.O. Box 3621, Little Rock, AR 72203.