From baths to slots

The peak of bathing in Hot Springs was 1946. More than a million baths were taken by visitors from across the country that year. In 1947, a steady...

03.11.2025 3

Rex Nelson

The heyday of the Spa City’s godfathers

Mayor Leo McLaughlin was firmly in control of Hot Springs by the time gangster Owney Madden arrived in the 1930s."McLaughlin

02.11.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Arkansas bike trails and cycling events with Michael Spivey

On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with the president and CEO of the Ozark Foundation, Michael Spivey, to talk about the non-profit’s...

01.11.2025 8

Rex Nelson

Leo and the Killer

The meeting room at the Arlington Hotel is packed as Robert Raines, founder of the Gangster Museum of America, and I begin a talk about the history of...

30.10.2025 5

Rex Nelson

Kevin Costner and Spa City

Five years ago, actor Kevin Costner told a satellite radio interviewer that he had chosen Hot Springs as the site for a museum showcasing his movie...

27.10.2025 2

Rex Nelson

The place for players

Some of the best 14-year-old baseball players in the world visited Hot Springs in August for the Babe Ruth World Series. It seemed appropriate that...

27.10.2025 2

Rex Nelson

A bathhouse reborn

There's a lot happening in downtown Hot Springs these days.

26.10.2025 3

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Hot Springs’ Little Poison

Of all the great athletes who have come from Arkansas, Paul Runyan is one of the most accomplished, yet least known.

23.10.2025 3

Rex Nelson

A baseball city

I go to Hot Springs each August to interview some of the greatest players in baseball history.

20.10.2025 40

Rex Nelson

Hot Springs and golf

Earlier this month, more than 100 amateur golfers from around the world gathered at Hot Springs Country Club for the 18th annual U.S.

19.10.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Keeping Little Rock beautiful with Capi Peck and Norm Berner

In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Little Rock City Director Capi Peck and Friends of Fourche Creek board member Norm Berner about Little...

18.10.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Hope for Army-Navy

I began a column last year on the former Army-Navy Hospital this way: "It looms over historic downtown Hot Springs like a ghost.

16.10.2025 30

Rex Nelson

The four lakes

Hot Springs became a health resort because of its mineral water. That was long before what I call the "lake era." These days, people more often think...

13.10.2025 50

Rex Nelson

70 years at the lake

It's hard to concentrate when visiting with Bill Barnes inside his office at Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa on Lake Ouachita.

12.10.2025 10

Rex Nelson

The Spa City’s evolution

I often refer to Steve Arrison as the P.T.

09.10.2025 7

Rex Nelson

Holiday Inn to Hot Springs

In the summer of 1998, Steve Arrison left his job as head of the Pine Bluff Convention Center and Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau to move to...

06.10.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Napa Valley of sake

Arkansas is the U.S. rice capital, growing almost 50 percent of the nation's rice.

05.10.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Science and STEM with Bentonville Amazeum CEO Sam Dean

In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Sam Dean, Executive Director and CEO of the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, about the hands-on approach...

04.10.2025 10

Rex Nelson

The Mountain Valley story

Lockett's Spring Water was once sold from a spring near Hot Springs.

02.10.2025 3

Rex Nelson

A new Mr. Hot Springs

For many years, Bob Wheeler was known as Mr. Hot Springs. Wheeler, who died in April 2009 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease, served...

29.09.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Water, water Everywhere

Water brought people to Hot Springs thousands of years ago. Native Americans agreed to make what became known as the Valley of the Vapors a spot for...

29.09.2025 9

Rex Nelson

The road to respectability

Kevin Smith and I became friends in the 1980s.

28.09.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Rise and fall of KIPP

During the years I worked in the governor's office and then as a presidential appointee to the Delta Regional Authority (1996-2009), I often took...

25.09.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Uniting a divided state

A friend in northwest Arkansas sent me a message after going to the fitness center on Walmart's new corporate campus in Bentonville.

22.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Jewish decline in the Delta

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jews were an accepted part of life in the Mississippi River port city of Helena, which was thriving at the...

21.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Architecture history, innovations and technology in Arkansas with Dean Peter MacKeith

In this week's episode, Rex talks with Peter MacKeith, Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas' Fayetteville...

20.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Helena’s Jewish heritage

The high spot along the Mississippi River where Crowley's Ridge ends was attractive to settlers as early as 1820.

18.09.2025 5

Rex Nelson

Marianna’s barbecue kings

James Beard Awards are to the food industry what Pulitzer Prizes are to journalism, Academy Awards are to movies, Tony Awards are to theater, Grammy...

15.09.2025 20

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: It has to be pork

With all due respect to my friends in Texas, I believe the best barbecue in the world can be found in an area around Memphis that includes parts of...

14.09.2025 7

Rex Nelson

Off the Marianna square

I make sure to leave Little Rock no later than 8 a.m.

11.09.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Helena’s historic cemeteries

To truly get a feel for the rich history of the Helena area, visit the old port city's cemeteries.

08.09.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Let’s do it again

The long-awaited football game between the University of Arkansas Razorbacks and Arkansas State University Red Wolves occurs today at Little Rock's...

07.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Hearing loss dangers, treatments and innovations with Dr. Susan Emmett

In this week's episode, Rex talks with otolaryngologist Dr. Susan Emmett from UAMS about the dangers of hearing loss and the need for specialized care...

07.09.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Henderson’s big comeback

Given our love of Arkansas history, it's natural that Trey Berry and I are visiting inside Henderson House, the Arkadelphia mansion that once served...

04.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The higher ed superstars

I'm on the campus of Arkansas State University at Jonesboro in advance of a speaking engagement.

01.09.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Rise and fall

In "Holly Street," a memoir about growing up in Helena during the 1940s and 1950s, Steve Petkoff vividly describes life in a historic Delta town."As

01.09.2025 5

Rex Nelson

The loss of a hero

My heroes are all gone now.

31.08.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Russell Jones’ journey

Russell Jones, the president of Arkansas Tech University at Russellville, grew up in Lee County at a time when cotton was still king in the Delta.

28.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Arkansas Tech’s new era

Tom DeBlack and I pulled into the Arkansas Tech University campus at Russellville on a hot morning last month.

25.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Quakers in Arkansas

The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, began in England during the 1600s through the ministry of George Fox."Quakers

24.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Civil War day in Helena

For a Civil War history aficionado--someone like me who reads every word of every interpretive sign--it's wise to get an early start in Helena.

21.08.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Johnny Morris’ golden touch

In 2005, Bass Pro Shops owner Johnny Morris was fishing on the Mississippi River with legendary angler Bill Dance and Bass Pro fishing manager Jack...

18.08.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Conway's creative scene and Art Walk with Jessica Crum and Katie Wilson

In this week's episode, Rex sits down with Create Conway's founder, Jessica Crum, and its Executive Director, Katie Wilson, to discuss the growing...

18.08.2025 5

Rex Nelson

The Battle of Helena

Several times each year I donate to charities what I call the Delta Food Tour.

17.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Robert Jr. and Sonny Boy

It has always frustrated me that national media outlets place so much focus on Clarksdale, Miss.,

14.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

The Biscuit is back

Rumors swirled for months that the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena was dead. There were plenty of reasons to believe such rumors. The Trump...

11.08.2025 30

Rex Nelson

‘King Biscuit Time’

In November 1941, Helena's first radio station began broadcasting.

10.08.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Population trends and updates on the state census with Skip Rutherford

This week, Rex is once again joined by old friend and frequent guest Skip Rutherford, the initial president of the Clinton Foundation and former Dean...

09.08.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Preserving Delta culture

In 1990, the state opened the Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena to preserve and interpret the heritage of a 27-county region of east Arkansas.

07.08.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Slavery to freedom

Having written about the bad things that happened at Helena in recent years, I feel compelled to mention some of the good things. These include the...

04.08.2025 4

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From baths to slots

Rex Nelson

The heyday of the Spa City’s godfathers

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Arkansas bike trails and cycling events with Michael Spivey

Rex Nelson

Leo and the Killer

Rex Nelson

Kevin Costner and Spa City

Rex Nelson

The place for players

Rex Nelson

A bathhouse reborn

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Hot Springs’ Little Poison

Rex Nelson

A baseball city

Rex Nelson

Hot Springs and golf

Rex Nelson

Keeping Little Rock beautiful with Capi Peck and Norm Berner

Rex Nelson

Hope for Army-Navy

Rex Nelson

The four lakes

Rex Nelson

70 years at the lake

Rex Nelson

The Spa City’s evolution

Rex Nelson

Holiday Inn to Hot Springs

Rex Nelson

Napa Valley of sake

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Science and STEM with Bentonville Amazeum CEO Sam Dean

Rex Nelson

The Mountain Valley story

Rex Nelson

A new Mr. Hot Springs

Rex Nelson

Water, water Everywhere

Rex Nelson

The road to respectability

Rex Nelson

Rise and fall of KIPP

Rex Nelson

Uniting a divided state

Rex Nelson

Jewish decline in the Delta

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Architecture history, innovations and technology in Arkansas with Dean Peter MacKeith

Rex Nelson

Helena’s Jewish heritage

Rex Nelson

Marianna’s barbecue kings

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: It has to be pork

Rex Nelson

Off the Marianna square

Rex Nelson

Helena’s historic cemeteries

Rex Nelson

Let’s do it again

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Hearing loss dangers, treatments and innovations with Dr. Susan Emmett

Rex Nelson

Henderson’s big comeback

Rex Nelson

The higher ed superstars

Rex Nelson

Rise and fall

Rex Nelson

The loss of a hero

Rex Nelson

Russell Jones’ journey

Rex Nelson

Arkansas Tech’s new era