Arkansas City in Desha County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

John H. Johnson Cultural & Educational Museum

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, May 13, 2026

1. John H. Johnson Cultural & Educational Museum Marker

Inscription. Johnny Johnson was born January 19, 1918 to Leroy and Gertrude Johnson in Arkansas City, Arkansas. This house is his boyhood home. Johnny Johnson and his mother relocated to Chicago, Illinois in 1933. He was a renowned entrepreneur , humanitarian, philanthropist, owner and founder of Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. and resided in Chicago, Illinois until his passing on August 8, 2005. Johnson Publishing Company encompassed Ebony and Jet magazines, a literary publishing division, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, and the Ebony Fashion Show. John H. Johnson is recognized as an entrepreneurial trailblazer of global stature, and respected as a great humanitarian. He was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1993.

Erected by UAPB, Desha County and Arkansas City Partnership.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Communications. A significant historical date for this entry is January 19, 1918.

Location. 33° 36.627′ N, 91° 12.103′ W. Marker is in Arkansas City, Arkansas, in Desha County. It is on Morning Star Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 506 Morning Star Avenue, Mc Gehee AR 71654, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta,

in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain,

and in the Quapaw Homeland.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

in the Piney Woods,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

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markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Desha County (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Flood of 1927 (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Desha County (approx. ¼ mile away); The X. O. Pindall Law Office (approx. ¼ mile away); Arkansas City River Port (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mississippi River Blues: The 1927 Flood (approx. 7.3 miles away in Mississippi); William Fisher Johnson (approx. 8.2 miles away in Mississippi); The Crepe Myrtles on Seamans Drive (approx. 11.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arkansas City.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Great Flood of 1927 (was approx. 7.6 miles away in Mississippi but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . John H. Johnson (Wikipedia). Overview:

John Harold Johnson (January 19, 1918 – August 8, 2005) was an American business executive and publisher. He was the founder in 1942 of the Johnson Publishing Company, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Johnson's company, with its creation of Ebony (1945) and Jet (1951) magazines, was among the most influential African-American business in media in the second half of the twentieth century, peaking at 9 million subscribers.

(Submitted on May 17, 2026.)

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, May 13, 2026

2. John H. Johnson Cultural & Educational Museum Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 17, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.