The Rogers Historical Museum is paying tribute to the Razorbacks and other swine with its exhibition “Hog Wild: Our Area’s Love Affair with the Pig.”

The exhibition includes all manner of Sus scrofa-related items, from sausage making tools to folk art and, of course, Razorback memorabilia, which is not in short supply. From the museum’s press release: 

Advertisement

Farm families in Northwest Arkansas have always raised a pig, not as a family pet but for fattening for the fall slaughter. A single pig could provide a family with fresh meat, bacon and lard for the winter when fresh meat at the local general store was hard to come by. Objects and a first hand account of the hog slaughtering process will be heard and seen on display. Early farming practices allowed for the free range of hogs causing towns like Rogers to past ordinances restricting the wandering of hogs on city streets and creating fines and other procedures for the holding of stray pigs.

Wild hogs have been a part of Arkansas for centuries, but our true love of them came into focus in 1910 when the student body at the University of Arkansas changed their mascot from the Cardinal to the Razorback. While based in large part on the words of the football coach who claimed his team played like a band of wild razorbacks; today, the University is proud to be the only major college sports team with a porcine name, and with a unique cheer, a live mascot, and the iconic hog hat. Arkansans are proud to be Razorbacks. No exhibition about our area’s love affair with the pig would be complete without a display of Razorback memorabilia. 

The show runs through Aug. 9, and the museum, 322 S. Second St., has scheduled lots of local programming around it. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and admission is free.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Blanche Lincoln: Casino lobbyist Next article Rep. Murdock: private option amendment limiting non-emergency transportation will have safeguards for neediest citizens