Lakeport Plantation Museum to Host Free Mississippi River Symposium

LAKE VILLAGE — The Lakeport Plantation Museum, located in Lake Village, will host a free, all-day symposium titled “The Mississippi in American Memory” on Friday, October 9. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will feature a slate of guest speakers addressing various aspects of the Mississippi River’s historical and cultural significance.

Organized as an outreach of Arkansas State University, the museum’s site director, Ruth O’Loughlin, detailed the program. “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 O’Loughlin.

The symposium will include distinct sessions in the morning and afternoon, with speakers presenting from 9 a.m. to noon and again from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Between sessions, a local food truck, River Bend BBQ, Seafood and Steaks, will be on-site from noon to 1:30 p.m. offering a limited menu.

One of the day’s highlights will be a storytelling session by Lee Hendrix, a retired Mississippi River boat captain and author, who will share stories from his decades of life and work on the river. Hendrix, who began working on the river in 1972 and retired in 2018 after serving as a captain with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will also be selling his upcoming book, *Peep Light: Stories of a Mississippi River Boat Captain*, slated for release in 2024.

Admission to the Mississippi River Symposium is free, but organizers strongly encourage attendees to register online to reserve their seats. Registration details and further information are available at bit.ly/MSRiverSym. Questions can also be directed to O’Loughlin via email at roloughlin@AState.edu or by phone at 870-265-6031.

The Lakeport Plantation, built in 1859, is a well-preserved example of antebellum architecture and an important site for understanding plantation life in the Mississippi River Delta. Since opening to the public in 2007, the museum has focused on the history of the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods and remains a cherished historical resource in southeast Arkansas. The museum is located at 601 Highway 142 in Lake Village, and more information can be found at Lakeport.AState.edu.