Ft. Chaffee Receives Grant For Work On Elvis' Barracks

The Ft. Chaffee Redevelopment Authority has secured an Arkansas Historic Preservation Program grant, after a third attempt.  The multiphase grant of $37,000 will be used for several different projects at Barracks #823, famous for being where Elvis Presley was temp- orarily stationed in March of 1958.  Included in the projects are electrical upgrades and han- dicap accessibility.  The authority is planning on moving the Museum of Chaffee History over into Barracks #823.

The National Register of Historic Places recently expanded the 20-acre, 42-building historic district to include former military headquarters, a dozen more buildings and structures, as well as a Vietnam Veterans' Museum.

Also, in July, there should be traffic on the part of Interstate 49 running thru Ft. Chaffee.  According to FCRA Executive Director Ivy Owen, there will be a ceremony held on July 14th on the I-49 overpass in Barling.  The stretch is 6.5 miles long.  Interstate 540 from Alma north to the Missouri border was designated as Interstate 49 a year ago.  There is approxi- mately 315 miles of the 1700 miles of I-49 that is in Arkansas.

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