Marker Text: On October 7, 1906, a white mob lynched a black restaurant owner named Homer G. Blackwell in Argenta, which is today North Little Rock. About three weeks earlier on September 12 and 13, two black men were shot and killed after fighting with white men. Failure to hold the white men accountable led to growing hostility in the community. Then, on October 6, a white man was shot to death on East Washington Avenue, where several black businesses were located. This event sparked what would be known as the Argenta Race Riot, wherein white mobs terrorized the black community, burning black homes and businesses. Law enforcement failed to stop the violence, and at least 500 people fled the city. Mr. Blackwell, who was also known locally as Mr. Blackman, had been out of town and arrived back in Argenta late on October 6 by train. His home and restaurant were also on East Washington Avenue and upon his return a white neighbor accused him of participating in the shooting. Mr. Blackwell was arrested and taken to the city jail, but the next night a white mob broke in, abducted him and hanged him to a light pole at the corner of 6th and Main Street. After the lynching, the Daily Arkansas Gazette, a white newspaper with a history of amplifying suspicions against black people, insisted that Mr. Blackwell had been innocent of the charges against him. In the end, no one was held accountable for lynching Homer G. Blackwell.