"Surely you haven't drank that whiskey already?" inquired the astonished merchant.

"It ain't so much," replied the backwoodsman. "There are six of us, counting the kids, and we have no cow."

This exhibit by noted Arkansas historian Ben Johnson focuses on the three-century struggle between the forces of prohibition and their opponents within the Natural State. The long-running saga of this attempt at social reform in Arkansas demonstrates that efforts to legislate morality are seldom as straightforward as they initially seem.

The site is divided into chronological narratives, but each section contains some surprises.

Throughout the site, click on any image to enlarge