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This chapter is a continuation of the preceeding
preceding one, following the alphabetical order of
incorporated towns having a population of 1,000 or more,
according to the United States census of 1920. The
reader should bear in mind that these places are classed
as "towns" by the census bureau, though some of them may
have been elevated to cities of the second class since
the census of 1920 was taken.
LAKE VILLAGE.
In 1856 John Sumner laid out a town on the west
shore of Lake Chicot, or Old River Lake, and gave it the
name of Lake Village. A few years later it was
made the county seat of Chicot County. A visitor
to Lake Village in 1896 said the town had the appearance
of not having a new building erected or an old one
painted during the forty years of its existence.
Probably that was an exaggeration, but the growth of the
town was slow until after the building of the railroads.
Lake Chicot has been called the ‘‘fisherman’s
paradise.’’ With improved transportation facilities, the
number of visitors to the lake increased and the town
began to grow. It was incorporated on Aug. 3,
1895, and in 1910 reported a population of 1,074.
Ten years later it had increased to 1,449.
Lake Village has two banks, municipal waterworks, an
electric light plant, paved streets in the business
district, good sidewalks, a weekly newspaper, cotton
gins, hoop and stave factories, three graded schools,
seven church organizations, several hotels and
restaurants for the accommodation of the numerous
visitors and tourists, ete. Over five thousand
pounds of iced fish are shipped daily to southern
cities, and some of them to markets as far distant as
Chicago.
LESLIE
In the southeastern part of
Searey County, on the Missouri & North Arkansas
Railroad, is the incorporated Town of Leslie. It
is a comparatively new town, having grown up after the
building of the railroad as a trading center and
shipping point for the farmers and fruit growers in the
vicinity. Leslie has a bank, a newspaper, a
telephone exchange, an electric light plant, a canning
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factory, a creamery, flour mills, sawmills and stave
factories, a modern public school building, several
churches, mercantile establishments, etc., and in 1920
reported a population of 1,472. Before the
railroad suspended operations in the summer of 1921,
large quantities of fruits and vegetables were shipped
from Leslie annually.
LEWISVILLE
This town is the county seat of Lafayette County.
It is situated at the junction of the main line and the
Shreveport branch of the St. Louis South- western
Railroad, in the midst of a rich farming country, and in
1920 reported population of 1,067, a gain of 192 in ten
years. It is a banking town, with a newspaper, a
flour mill, electric light plant, waterworks, a
telephone exchange, several sawmills, retail stores,
public schools, good streets and sidewalks, etc.
Lewisville was founded in 1882 and the first building
was the railroad station. M. D. Lester
erected the first store building. Old Lewisville
was established as early as 1841, but after the new town
was laid out it practically disappeared from the map,
the business all moving to the new town to be on the
railroad. New Lewisville was incorporated in
March, 1889, with D. W. Bright as the first
mayor.
LONOKE
When the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad was built a
station called “Hicks’ Station’’ was established about a
mile and half from the present Town of Lonoke.
Upon the creation of Lonoke County commissioners
appointed for the purpose located the seat of justice at
Lonoke and the railroad station was moved to the town.
(For origin of the name see Lonoke County.) The
town was founded in 1869 and on Jan. 22, 1872, it was
incorporated. T. C. Beard and
William Goodrum were the first merchants, followed a
year later by I. C. Hicks.
Lonoke is situated near the center of the county, on
the Rock Island Railroad, twenty-one miles east of
Little Rock. It has waterworks, electric
light, two newspapers, a rice mill, a flour mill, an ice
and cold storage plant, and is the banking and trading
point for a large part of the county. The
population in 1920 was 1,711.
LUXORA
Situated on the Mississippi River, on the eastern border
of Mississippi County, is the Town of Luxora, which was
incorporated on June 3, 1897. It is the terminus
of the Jonesboro, Lake City & Eastern Railroad and is on
one of the main lines of the St. Louis & San Francisco
system. These railroads, as well as water
transportation afforded by the Mississippi River, make
Luxora a prominent shipping point for a rich
agricultural district. It is also a banking town,
with waterworks, electric light, up-to-date
mercantile houses, a newspaper, a handle factory,
cooperage works and some other manufacturing
enterprises, and a population of 1,179 in 1920. In
1910 the population was only 677.
Pg. 901
MC
GEHEE
McGehee is situated in the southern part of Desha
County, at the junction of two divisions of the Missouri
Pacific railway system, in the heart of a rich farming
country. It dates its beginning from the building
of the railroads and from an insignificant village of
some fifteen or twenty inhabitants in 1905, it is now
one of the prosperous towns of Arkansas. It first
appears as an incorporated town in the census of 1910,
when the population was 1,157. Ten years later it
had grown to 2,368, or an increase of nearly 110 per
cent.
Among the industries and business concerns of McGehee
are the Missouri Pacific Railroad shops, a cotton
compress, an ice4 and cold storage plant, a weekly
newspaper, two banks, sawmills and cooperage works,
wholesale and retail stores, and some minor enterprises.
The town is provided with waterworks, electric light,
good public school buildings, well kept streets, etc.
MALVERN
In 1873 the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad
Company laid off the town of Malvern, which was destined
to become the county seat and principal town of Hot
Spring County. During the first two years of its
existence the growth of Malvern was slow, but the
completion of the "Diamond Joe" Railroad from Malvern to
Hot Springs brought the former place into greater
prominence. It was incorporated on July 5, 1876,
and is now the banking and commercial center of the
county. It has three large brick and tile
factories, two flour mills, sawmills, handle and spoke
factories, an ice and cold storage plant, three
newspapers, a basket and crate factory, wholesale and
retail stores, modern public school buildings, and in
1920 reported a population of 3, 864, an increase of
1,086 in ten years.
MARKED TREE
The Town of Marked Tree is situated in the eastern part
of Poinset County, at the point where the St. Louis &
San Francisco Railroad crosses the St. Francis River.
It is said to have taken its name from a mark on a tree,
indicating that the river. It is said to have
taken its name from a mark on a tree, indicating that
the river was fordable at that place. The town was
incorporated on July 8, 1897, and in 1900 reported a
population of 352. In 1920 the population was
1,318. Marked Tree has several sawmills, cooperage
plants, a shingle factory, a newspaper, electric light,
public school, etc., and is the commercial and banking
center for a large district of farming country.
MENA
Soon after the Kansas City Southern Railroad was built
through Polk County, the Town of Mena was established
and became the county seat. It was incorporated on
Sept. 12, 1896, and four years later the census showed a
population of 3,423. It seems to have attained its
growth about that time, as in 1910 the population was
3,953 and in 1920 it was 3,441. Notwithstanding
the fact that the population has remained almost
stationary, the wealth and
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industries of the town have continued to multiply.
It has a flour mill, electric light and waterworks,
paved streets, two newspapers, an ice and cold storage
plant, mercantile concerns, some of which do a jobbing
business, modern public schools, and a number of cozy
homes. (See Polk County.)
MONETTE
Monette, a comparatively new town, is situated in the
northeastern part of Craighead County, on the Jonesboro,
Lake City & Eastern Railroad. It first appears in
the census reports as an incorporated town in 1910, when
the population was 559. Ten years later it had
grown to a town of 1,066 inhabitants. It has two
banks, a newspaper, three cotton gins, a flour mill,
sawmills and woodworking establishments, electric light
and waterworks, an ice factory, public schools, churches
of several denominations, and ships over 25,000 bales of
cotton annually.
MONTICELLO
In the latter part of July, 1849, the commissioners
appointed to locate a permanent seat of justice for Drew
County platted the Town of Monticello, which is said to
have been named for Presidenet Jefferson's
resident in Virginia. Soon after the town was laid
out a license was granted to William J. Barksdale
to keep a tavern, which was one of the early business
enterprises.
Monticello is situated at the junction of the Missouri
Pacific and the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri railways,
a little northwest of the center of the county. It
is the banking and commercial center of a large
agricultural district, has large lumber interests, a
cotton compress, a cotton seed oil mill, a brick
factory, two newspapers, a number of well stocked stores
handling all liens of merchandise, modern public
schools, churches of all the leading denominations, and
boasts the largest cotton mills in Arkansas. The
town was incorporated on Dec. 20, 1852, and in 1920
reported a population of 2,378.
MULBERRY
NASHVILLE
About 1836 a Baptist Church was built where the Town of
Nashville now stands. A small village grew up
about the church and a few years later the town was
regularly platted. Some of the most influential of
the early settlers
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were from Tennessee and the name Nashville was adopted.
Hawks & Sandiford were the first
merchants, soon followed by the firm of Smith &
Coulter. A post-office was established in
1840 with Amasiah Lews as postmaster.
During the Civil war all business was practically
suspended. In the latter ’60s the town began to
grow again and on Oct. 18, 1883, it was incorporated.
Dr. D. A. Hutchinson was the first mayor.
In the spring of 1884 the railroad between Nashville and
Hope was completed and the growth of the town was more
rapid. In 1920 the population was 2,144.
Nashville is a banking town, with electric light,
waterworks, an ice and cold storage plant, a canning
factory, foundries, machine shops, a flour mill, two
newspapers, a brick factory, fruit box and crate
factory, mercantile concerns, some of which do a
wholesale business, well kept streets, modern public
schools, ete. Large quantities of fruit are
shipped from Nashville every year.
NEWPORT
OSCEOLA
OZARK
Pg. 904 -
PARIS
PARKIN
PIGGOTT
Pg. 905 -
nursery, two cotton gins and several department stores.
The population in 1920 was 2,016. In 1900 the
population was only 597. These figures show
Piggott to be a growing town.
POCAHONTAS
There is a tradition that long before Arkansas Territory
was created, French traders would ascend the Black River
in their birch bark canoes and trade with the Indians
where Pocahontas now stands. That tradition no
doubt accounts for its Indian name. The town was
laid off in the early part of the year 1836 by R. S.
Bettis and Thomas S. Drew, afterward
governor, and the same year was made the county seat of
Randolph County. It was incorporated in
1854.
Pocahontas has two banks, two newspapers, a telephone
exchange, a flour mill, sawmills, hub, spoke and handle
factories, a brick factory, department stores, electric
light and waterworks, modern public school buildings and
in 1920 reported a population of 1,806.
PRESCOTT
ROGERS
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SEARCY
SILOAM SPRINGS
SPRINGDALE
STAMPS
The incorporated Town of Stamps is situated in the
northeastern part of Lafayette County, at the junction
of the Louisiana & Arkansas and St. Louis
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THORNTON
TRUMAN
WALNUT RIDGE
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WARREN
WEST HELENA
WILMAR
OTHER
TOWNS.
The division of towns on the basis of 1,000 inhabitants
is somewhat arbitrary and was made merely as a matter of
convenience. Scattered over Arkansas are and was
made merely as a matter of convenience. Scattered
over Arkansas are many incorporated towns with a
population of less than 1,000. Some of these towns
are of as much historic and industrial importance as or
more than several of those described in this and the
preceding chapter. A description of those towns
will be found in connection with the county in which
they are located.
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- END OF CHAPTER LII -
NEXT CHAPTER: LIII. - BENCH AND BAR OF ARKANSAS. |
