Whitaker to Speak on J.H. Phipps and the Timber Industry in Northwest Arkansas

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Rachel Whitaker

Rachel Whitaker, a doctoral candidate in the U of A's history program, will discuss her research into J.H. Phipps and the Northwest Arkansas timber industry at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14, as part of the Graduate Student Speaker Series, a collaborative initiative between the University Libraries Special Collections Division and the Graduate School and International Education.

The talk will be held in the Special Collections reading room, located in room 130 of Mullins Library, and a recording of the event will be sent to all who register. 

The 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) had moved to Madison County, Arkansas, by 1900. He opened a lumber company in St. Paul and, shortly after, expanded his business throughout several counties in Arkansas. In the process of building his timber empire, he connected with influential businessmen in Fayetteville who also had an interest in the expansion of the railroads and timber industry in the region.

Special Collections materials related to his endeavors include land records, lease agreements and company ledgers that provide insight into just how far his reach expanded and how his fortunes played out. 

Whitaker is currently 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."

The Graduate Student Speaker Series affords graduate students the opportunity to present research or creative work they have done using materials from Special Collections and get feedback from the community as they continue their professional development. Graduate students from all disciplines are welcome to apply.