Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaking with attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2023 Annual Leadership Summit at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (photo by Gage Skidmore) This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Governor Sanders names Texarkana Arkansas’ Capital for a Day on July 15

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has named Texarkana Arkansas’ “Capital for a Day” on Wednesday, July 15, bringing senior state government officials to the city for meetings with local leaders.

Sanders signed the proclamation Monday. Texarkana will be the 19th city to receive the designation under her administration and will “momentarily serve as Arkansas’ seat of government,” according to the proclamation.

The Capital for a Day program takes the governor, cabinet members and senior staff to communities around the state to meet with their local counterparts. Recent stops have included public meet-and-greets, business tours and roundtable discussions with residents.

The visit carries a personal connection for Sanders, who called Texarkana home during part of her childhood, according to the proclamation.

The proclamation leans into the city’s history and its unique position on the state line. It recounts how railroad surveyor Colonel Gus Knobel wrote “TEX-ARK-ANA” on a board and declared it the site of a future town, and notes the city has served as a crossroads for commerce and culture for nearly 150 years.

It also highlights the United States Post Office and Courthouse on State Line Avenue, the only federal building and post office in the country located in two states, where visitors can stand with one foot in Arkansas and the other in Texas.

The document cites Texarkana’s military and aviation heritage, including Tuskegee Airman Woodrow “Woody” Crockett, who flew 149 combat missions during World War II. It also mentions the Four States Fair and Rodeo, the Tex-Arkansas Antique Auto Museum and the filming of “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Siloam Springs served as the 18th Capital for a Day on June 30. That visit included a coffee shop stop, a tour of the city’s largest employer, a whitewater park visit and a standing-room-only meet-and-greet with about 150 residents.

Details on the schedule of events for the Texarkana visit have not yet been announced. TXKtoday will update this story as more information becomes available.