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Dan Boice, director of Library at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, recently began his third season narrating “Naming Arkansas,” a series of sixty-second radio stories on Little Rock Public Radio KUAR. Since early 2024, KUAR listeners have heard Boice share concise, engaging histories behind the names of towns, cities and natural features across Arkansas.

Broadcast multiple times each day, Boice’s segments trace how political figures, geographic landmarks, large businesses, military leaders, early settlers and religious traditions shaped the state’s diverse place names. His stories draw on research from his book, “Naming Arkansas: Curious Place Names from Greasy Corner to Sock City.”

The segments have featured tales of tragedy, ghost lore and unusual town names that resulted simply from penmanship errors. Boice also highlights disputed histories and names with unknown origins, often weaving in light humor. He welcomes the many emails from listeners offering appreciation, additional details or corrections.

“As an Arkansas transplant, I’m especially interested in getting set straight on the pronunciations of place names,” Boice said. “And I’ve really enjoyed learning the difference between an Arkansas toothpick and a Bowie knife.”

Boice travels to KUAR’s studio every few months to record batches of 10 to 15 stories, and nearly 90 segments are currently included in the station’s broadcast rotation. He continues to research Arkansas place names for future presentations and for the simple enjoyment of uncovering the state’s rich history. Each broadcast concludes with his trademark sign-off: “From the University of Arkansas at Monticello, this is Dan Boice.”

To listen to Boice’s “Naming Arkansas” radio segment on Little Rock Public Radio, visit KUAR’s website, here. “Naming Arkansas: Curious Place Names from Greasy Corner to Sock City” is available for purchase on the Arcadia Publishing website, here.