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Rackensack Folklore Society

Pulaski County Chapter, Little Rock, AR

What is "Rackensack"?

"Rackensack" has been used at least since the 1840's and is a humorous twist of the mispronunciation of "Arkansas".  Jimmy Driftwood chose the name Rackensack because of its association with Arkansas players of traditional mountain music.

Preservation Conversations with the
Rackensack Folklore Society

Listen to a delightfully informative lecture, given by Rackensack Archivist, Charlotte Copeland, on the history of Rackensack and its impact on Arkansas Cultural History. This presentation was created for the Series "Preservation Conversations" by the Quapaw Quarter Association of Greater Little Rock.  Link HERE

Rackensack Officers 2023

Eric Fraser, President

Steve Hurd, Secretary

Rita Thatcher, Treasurer, Co-Chair

Brode Morgan, Treasurer, Co-Chair

Janet Watkins, Events Coordinator

Denise Blessing Hurd, Media Coordinator

Charlotte Copeland, Archivist

Past and Present

In February 1963, Rackensack Folklore Society was formed in Mountain View, Stone County, Arkansas.  The original goal was to reach out to the people of the area and provide an opportunity for them to share their music with the public. Musician, teacher and songwriter Jimmy Driftwood (James Corbitt Morris) was one of the community leaders who helped to found the Rackensack Folklore Society. His influence emphasized the importance of nurturing and continuing traditional  mountain music using only acoustic instruments.

 

During the mid-1960s, a branch organization of the Rackensack Folklore Society was created by noted "Arkansas Gazette" cartoonist George Fisher. The Pulaski County Chapter assembled a large membership from Little Rock and much of Central Arkansas following the original guidelines of the Rackensack Society in sharing and perpetuating the Old-Time music of the Ozarks. Rackensack has met continually since 1963 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts until the building was closed for renovation in 2019.  Rackensack has continued to meet at various locations in the City, with the exception of several months during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

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Some of the instruments you will see at Rackensack are fiddles, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, bass fiddles, harmonicas and guitars. You may also see less common items such as the musical saw, and dancing dolls, which were used as rhythm instruments.  Story-telling and dancing are welcome too, in keeping with the old time heritage.

 

At this time, our acoustic only meetings are monthly, on the first Monday of every month at the Jess Odom Community Center, Maumelle at 6:30 pm. (See Membership details on the Home page menu)

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