Исторические события 15 августа в Арканзасе: казни, сражения и судьбы знаменитостей

Important Arkansas historical events and significant anniversaries for August 15, with notable births and deaths of people with Arkansas connections for this date. Information is drawn from state archives, historical societies, contemporary newspapers and other media archives, and legal records. Much of this information comes from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, an online publication. ChatGPH has collected this data. This Day in Arkansas History: August 15 1863 — Unionist William “Wild Bill” Heffington was killed. Confederate guerrillas captured Heffington, a noted Union sympathizer and scout, as he crossed the Arkansas River at Mulberry in Crawford County. They hanged him on August 15, 1863; his burial place is unknown. 1873 — Cherokee prisoner John Childers was executed at Fort Smith. Childers was hanged on August 15, 1873, following his conviction in federal court for the 1870 murder of Reyburn Wedding in Indian Territory. Because the crime occurred in Indian Territory and involved defendants subject to federal jurisdiction, the execution took place at Fort Smith rather than under Arkansas state authority. 1879 — Clinton was reincorporated. After records of an earlier 1851 incorporation apparently disappeared, the Van Buren County seat was incorporated again on August 15, 1879. Clinton later observed its 1979 centennial using the second incorporation date. 1906 — Charles Beene was executed for a Union County murder. Historical execution compilations record that Beene was hanged on August 15, 1906, after being convicted of murdering his wife, Susie Beene, in Union County. 1945 — Japan’s surrender began the closing of the Southwestern Proving Ground near Hope. The surrender announcement on August 15 effectively ended the wartime mission of the massive Hempstead County weapons-testing installation. The War Department declared it surplus, and shutdown orders followed five days later. Portions of the grounds eventually became Hope Municipal Airport and industrial property; several surviving military structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1958 — USS Lafayette County was decommissioned. The tank landing ship named partly in honor of Lafayette County, Arkansas, was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on August 15, 1958, and transferred to the Republic of China’s navy. The vessel had earned one World War II battle star and six Korean War battle stars. NOTABLE BIRTHS Honey Bruce Friedman, born in Manila in 1927, was an entertainer, singer and dancer also known as Honey Harlow. She became widely known through her marriage to comedian Lenny Bruce and later worked to preserve his legacy. NOTABLE DEATHS Jim Dickinson, died in 2009, was an Arkansas-born musician, pianist and influential record producer associated with artists including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Big Star and the Replacements. He died of heart failure in Memphis. Bill Vining, died in 2025, was a longtime Ouachita Baptist University basketball coach and athletic director and a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.