Former President Bill Clinton was born in the city of Hope, Arkansas - located in Hempstead. The town boast not only being the birthplace of the President, but also of having two childhood homes of the former President with one of them being a National Park location. The town also remembers the day Clinton referred to Hope in his acceptance speech at the DNC when he stated, "I still believe in a place called hope."
Hempstead is also the home of Old Washington State Park. The park is located in the town of Washington, Arkansas. It served as the capital of Arkansas during the Civil War, is the birthplace of the famous Bowie knife, and has one of the few knife smith schools in the United States.
Old Washington State Park also houses two former county courthouses, one that served as capital of Arkansas during the Civil War. The older of the two also served as a Masonic Lodge for many years. The Grand Lodge of Arkansas has held historic days and events at the old lodge location. Items and history of the lodge can be found in the old statehouse located in the park.
