Lakeport Plantation Museum to Host Free Mississippi River Symposium This Fall
JONESBORO – In an effort to provide historical information and acknowledge the stories
of the past, a symposium will be held this fall at Lakeport Plantation Museum (LPM)
in Lake Village.
The museum will host its first symposium, “The Mississippi in American Memory,” from
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. The museum is an Arkansas State University Heritage Site. Events such as this one
can provide a glimpse into the past so that one may better understand the present.
“Guest speakers will present on a wide range of topics related to the Mississippi
River, from Indigenous peoples to plantation agriculture to archival resources to
folklore in recognition of America 250,” said Ruth O’Loughlin, site director at LPM.
Speakers will share a variety of topics throughout the day. Attendees can hear from
speakers from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 until 5:30 p.m. A local food truck, River
Bend BBQ, Seafood and Steaks, will be on-site from noon to 1:30 p.m. with a limited
menu.
“Retired Mississippi River boat captain and author Lee Hendrix will close the day
with stories from his time on the Mississippi,” O’Loughlin added. “Hendrix started
working on the mighty Mississippi in 1972 and received his first license in 1975.
He has worked on towboats, casino boats, and retired from the U.S. Army Corps as
captain in 2018.”
His 2024 book “Peep Light: Stories of a Mississippi River Boat Captain” will be available
for sale.
The Mississippi River Symposium is free to the public, but registration is highly
encouraged to reserve a seat. To learn more information and reserve your spot at
the symposium, one may follow this link: bit.ly/MSRiverSym.
For additional information, one may email O’Loughlin at roloughlin@AState.edu or call
870-265-6031.
Constructed in 1859, Lakeport is one of Arkansas's premier historic structures and
still retains many of its original finishes and architectural details. Open to the
public since 2007, LPM researches and interprets the people and cultures that shaped
plantation life in the Mississippi River Delta, focusing on the Antebellum, Civil
War and Reconstruction Periods.
LPM is located at 601 Highway 142 in Lake Village. More details can be found here:
Lakeport.AState.edu.
