Observations of Arkansas: The 1824-1863 Letters of Hiram Abiff Whittington

In 1913, as workmen dismantled a pioneer home in Montgomery County, they discovered in the attic a neatly-bound volume of letters that would prove to be of great historical value. The intriguing volume primarily contained letters written between 1827 and 1834 between Granville Whittington of Boston and his adventurous older brother Hiram Whittington of the Arkansas Territory. These letters bring to life this time period in the territory as observed by Hiram, one of Hot Springs’ pioneers. Dr. John L. Ferguson, former state historian and long-time director of the Arkansas History Commission, says they are not only highly informative but delightful to read. This softcover book, the only complete volume of the letters, was compiled by Bobbie Jones McLane, Wendy Bradley Richter, and Charles W. Cunning.