Community Guide

Crab apple trees bloom in Gravette.

Crab apple trees bloom in Gravette.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Welcome to northwest Arkansas -- one of the prettiest places on earth, in the Ozarks with its trees, streams and lakes -- and to Benton County, in the very northwest corner of the state -- a beautiful place to live and truly a land of opportunity -- home to business giants like Walmart, Tyson's, Simmons, McKee Foods, Daisy and more and also a place where thousands of small business owners thrive and prosper.

This is a place rich in history and culture but also forward-looking and preparing for a prosperous tomorrow.

SULPHUR SPRINGS

The city of Sulphur Springs is nestled in a valley along Butler Creek and close to the Missouri state line. It was once a major health spa and popular tourist resort. It has many historic buildings constructed of native limestone, reminding visitors of the city's rich history. City residents are working to restore and revitalize the town's unique features.

Sulphur Springs has its own post office and a mayor-council government. It operates its own water and sewer systems and has a volunteer fire department. Its public library is located in a former school house which is on the National Register and the city's museum boasts of items and documents dating back to the late 1800s when the town was founded. Children attend school in the Gravette consolidated system.

The town's main feature is its big, tree-shaded park and the meandering Butler Creek which feeds a small lake there. Springs, for which the town is named, still flow in the city-park area.

Residents and visitors enjoy a patriotic Independence Day celebration and a community-wide Christmas event each year which bind the 500-plus residents together.

Between Sulphur Springs and Gravette, along Arkansas Highway 59, is the Old Spanish Treasure Cave. They say the cave was used to hide treasure hundreds of years ago. The cave is open for tours and is just waiting for that treasure to be found somewhere in the miles of underground passageways.

GRAVETTE

On top of the hill, at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 59 and 72, is Gravette. A stone sign welcomes visitors. The north-south line of the Kansas City Southern Railroad also passes through the town.

Gravette is the fastest growing town in Benton County -- not in population, but in area. Hiwasse and adjacent areas recently voluntarily petitioned to annex and become a part of Gravette. The addition of nearly 6,000 acres nearly tripled Gravette's size.

The terrain in Gravette includes prime farm land, forest-covered hills and a commercial district to foster new development along a new highway which is under construction. This bypass is to become a part of Interstate 540 in the major north-south highway system.

Gravette, with almost 3,000 residents, is a unique and special community. It boasts a top-notch school system with state-of-the-art facilities, its own hospital with a 24/7 emergency room, a medical clinic, dental offices and many other thriving businesses. A senior activity center provides a meeting and activity place for senior citizens. It also provides a Meals-on-Wheels service for those who are home bound.

Gravette is also home to the Westside Eagle Observer, a combined newspaper which serves Gravette, Decatur, Gentry and the surrounding communities. The weekly publication hits the news racks and is delivered to mailboxes each Wednesday and provides a wealth of local news, sports and information which no visitor or resident will want to miss. And there's an online version, too, to help keep people informed. For more information on the newspaper, visit eagleobserver.com or stop by the office on Gravette's Main Street.

A special pride of Gravette is the AdvancEd accredited (K-12) school system which includes a new high school campus, a more than $25 million investment. It includes a performing arts center, football stadium, regulation track, field house and recently-completed baseball and softball fields. It utilizes the new Common Core curriculum, as well as honors courses, art, drama, speech, foreign languages, forensic and career tech classes, including a health science class that has taken top honors in the state for several years. The 149-square-mile school district provides modern classrooms and facilities at all its campus locations. Upper elementary, elementary, kindergarten and prekindergarten facilities round out the educational facilities for nearly 2,000 students. Its millage rate is among the lowest in the state and its teacher salaries rank in the top 10 state-wide. And new construction is in the works. Plans are currently being proposed for a new elementary school in the Bella Vista area and a classroom addition at the high school. A private religious school, affiliated with Gravette's Church of God (Holiness), is also located here.

The amenities are many in this people-friendly community where children can still ride their bikes along paved streets and play in the parks and playgrounds. The Gravette Civic Center houses a Boys and Girls Club, which is adjacent the municipal swimming pool. A modern, computer-equipped public library provides educational opportunities for children and adults alike.

Nearby, the Gravette Historical Museum is housed in a restored home constructed with bricks that were fired at the site. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is filled with early-period furnishings. A new exhibit hall was recently completed adjacent the historic home. The rustic pre-modern facade facility houses a growing number of exhibits reflective of early-day Gravette.

Gravette parks include playgrounds, a tennis court and walking trails. Pop Allum Park boasts five lighted ball fields and serves more than 350 area children each summer. A skate park was finished last summer. At the edge of the park complex, the head of a recently-built walking trail leads to an enjoyable experience for nature lovers and birders.

Kindley Memorial Park honors Gravette's own World War I air ace, Captain Field Kindley. Its shady area is a favorite picnic spot, complemented by a playground, a 1950s-era Air Force jet fighter and a historic bandstand. Old Town Park, so named because an old community, Nebo, was once located there in the mid to late 1800s, is just east of downtown Gravette and is host to annual Gravette Day events and the seasonal farmers' markets, complete with musicians and native music, which is enjoyed by all.

The city hosts several special events, the most important being the annual Gravette Days celebration during the second weekend of August. It commemorates the town's founding in 1893; and several thousand people, including many school alumni, enjoy all types of festivities and one of the best parades in the area. On the Fourth of July, a fireworks display in Pop Allum Park attracts a huge crowd. A traditional parade also ushers in the Christmas holiday season.

Gravette is a planned and zoned community governed by a mayor and city council. The city supports a certified full-time police force and well-equipped all-volunteer fire department. A full-time paramedic-staffed ambulance service also serves the city and surrounding communities. The city has its own water and sewer systems and also provides water for families in surrounding rural areas through a 50-plus mile system. Byron Warren is Gravette's mayor. More information on the city can be obtained by calling the city hall, 479-787-5757, or visiting the city's new website at www.cityofgravette-ar.gov.

The Gravette Chamber of Commerce works to advance the business, professional and industrial interests of the community and the surrounding area. And Gravette has an abundance of businesses, including restaurants, small shops and larger chain stores like Marvin's Foods, a Dollar General, a Walmart Express, Sonic and a new Subway located in a new strip mall. A hardware store supplies needs for a growing population and a state/county satellite office offers service involving those entities.

Churches, too, are an integral part of Gravette, with a wide variety to choose from and even more in neighboring towns and communities.

Gravette, like the other towns and cities on the west side of Benton County, is close enough to the metropolitan areas of Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville for residents to take advantage of colleges and universities, museums and attractions, but is far enough away to enjoy a slower pace and a more hometown atmosphere.

Whether coming to visit or stay, you will find a ready welcome in Gravette. The city lives up to the message on its million-gallon water tower, which stands over downtown and identifies Gravette as "The Heart of Hometown America."

HIWASSE

East along Arkansas Highway 72 is the community of Hiwasse, now a part of Gravette. The community still retains its own identity and has its own post office, bank branch, restaurant and strip mall with room for new businesses.

Hiwasse is largely an agricultural community, but it is home to a growing business community as well. Two nearby interchanges on the highway 540 bypass are nearing completion.

The community is served by the Gravette Police Department and has its own Gravette satellite fire station. The area is also served by Gravette Schools.

MAYSVILLE

The unincorporated community of Maysville lies west of Gravette, at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 43 and 72, and is located right on the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line. It had its beginnings shortly after Arkansas first became a state in 1836 and is reputedly the oldest town in Benton County.

The community is also rich in Civil War history, with the site of Camp Walker and old Fort Wayne nearby and the Battle of Maysville occurring there. It lies along the old western military road which ran south from Fort Leavenworth in Kansas to Fort Gibson, Indian Territory.

The community was platted in the 1800s but was never incorporated. Its growth and development were cut short when the railroad bypassed the town before the turn of the last century. Some of the county's top agricultural land adds a special prosperity to its citizens.

In spite of its smallness, the town has well served area residents on both sides of the state line with businesses and churches. Its small post office, though its hours are now reduced, still serves many in the area. And children in the community and surrounding area also attend school in Gravette.

DECATUR

South of Gravette, located at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 59 and 102, lies the city of Decatur, once named All-American City and still a great place to visit, start a business or call home.

On the north is an airport and Crystal Lake. The beautiful lake is nestled between the hills and local residents and visitors use the cool lake for fishing and for swimming during the summer months. And there, next to the lake, is a private airport, soon to be developed into an aviation mecca, with homes and hangars for aviators.

At first glance, Decatur may seem to be a small community along the railroad and built around the Simmons plant there -- its population is only about 1,700 residents -- but a closer look reveals churches, schools, city parks and lots of activity.

Decatur's residential streets are places where children laugh and play. And with an area of only about five-square miles, everyone is counted a neighbor.

The town has two convenience stores and a truck stop, a bank, public library, medical clinic, restaurants and numerous churches. Families can enjoy picnicking or fishing at nearby Crystal Lake or in one of the town's parks. Swimming is available at the municipal pool, and there are plenty of ball fields available for a game of baseball, softball or soccer.

A 60-year tradition continues each summer on the first weekend in August, with the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Decatur Barbecue held in Veterans Park. The annual festival causes the town's population to swell to an estimated 10,000 with its famous barbecued chicken and other food, fun, games, contests, pageants, car show, motorcycle ride and first-class entertainment -- with both local talent and a well-known country artist performing on the stage each year.

For those interested in railroad history, the Southern Belle engine -- a landmark in the area -- attracts attention from across the country as one of the last of its kind. Nearby stands a mid 1800s log cabin which was moved from just outside of town and re-assembled in its present location one log at a time. The cabin preserves some of the history of the area during Civil War days.

City Hall, located a block east of Highway 59, is a good place to stop for information on the city, its laws and city utilities. The city is served by a full-time police department and a volunteer fire department. It has its own water and new wastewater treatment facilities which are state-of-the-art. Charles Linam is the mayor and he would be happy to provide other information on Decatur and its government. More information can also be found at Decatur's new website: www.decaturarkansas.com. City hall can be contacted at 479-752-3912.

Decatur Schools -- with more than 500 students in grades kindergarten through grade 12 -- offer a low student-teacher ratio and dedicated teachers who know each child by name. A new elementary school facility was recently added on the west side of town.

The chief industrial employers in Decatur are Simmons Foods and FNA Group and there are plenty of rumors of a new big business coming to town.

Simmons Foods, which purchased much of the business established by the late Lloyd Peterson and Peterson Farms, operates a processing plant, hatcheries and a pet-food plant in the Decatur area.

GENTRY

Gentry -- with a population of a little more than 3,200 -- lies further south along Arkansas Highway 59 and the KCS Railroad line. The town, once called Orchard City because of the apple orchards there in years gone by, is known for its small-town friendliness and its big-town offerings.

The city boasts more than 160 businesses, including restaurants, bed and breakfast establishments, small industry and manufacturing plants, retail stores and service-oriented businesses. Some are along Highway 59 and a good number more are on Gentry's Main Street.

McKee Foods Corporation, known worldwide for its Little Debbie snacks and healthy bakery products, has a bakery in Gentry and is a major employer for the area. And there's a Little Debbie Store in Gentry, at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 59.

Gentry's historic Main Street still has the charm of a small town, with flea markets, small businesses and Old Glory flying from every lamp post. Visitors can shop or dine. The town has a lumber yard and a major hardware store for all those building and household needs.

The Gentry Chamber of Commerce is located on the north side of Main Street in a renovated building which once housed one of Gentry's banks -- the old bank vault is still there. The Chamber office is a good place to stop to learn about Gentry's businesses and the special festivals and activities in town each year.

The Chamber sponsors the town's annual July 4th Freedom Festival -- complete with games, car show, pageants, musicians and bands, and a fireworks display which draws people from all over the region. It hosts a Fall Festival -- with rides, Safari animals, music and more. It also sponsors a Christmas parade and an Easter Egg hunt.

Also on Main Street is the Gentry Public Library, housed in a two-story renovated brick building which once was the Carl Hardware Store, where even horse-drawn carriages were once sold. An old carriage elevator is on display in the modernized building which now houses books, computers, displays, antique artifacts and a modern meeting room.

Next door to the library is the Gentry Senior Activity Center, a place which is almost always busy with activities and meals for Gentry area senior citizens. Across the street from the library you'll find the police station to the north and city hall to the west. City hall is a good place to stop for information on the city, its laws and city utilities. The city's phone number there is 479-736-2555. Its website is gentryarkansas.us.

Gentry, too, is governed by a mayor-council system. Gentry's mayor, Kevin Johnston, has an open-door policy at his office in city hall and is always glad to welcome visitors and introduce them to his hometown.

Gentry, too, has numerous ball fields and a city park, complete with a new skate park for those who enjoy half pipes and grinds on skates and boards with wheels. The park, always a busy place, is where the Fall and Freedom Festivals are held.

In the development stages on the south side of the city, just to the west of Highway 59, is a new nature area along Flint Creek, in the Sleepy Hollow area. It has a spring-fed fishing pond and is a good place to observe firsthand the beauty of the Ozark region.

Gentry has modern schools, with district-wide accreditation by AdvancEd. A new multipurpose athletic facility was recently completed, and plans are under way for the construction of a new high school facility.

The city has a new fire station and a well-trained fire and emergency medical department with both volunteers and some full- and part-time staff.

Churches in Gentry include Assembly of God, Baptist, Christian, Church of Christ, Mennonite, Seventh-day Adventist, United Methodist and others. Most denominations offer programs for youth and families, as well as regular religious services. Several also have schools and next-door to the Gentry Seventh-day Adventist Church and School in the Dawn Hill area is Ozark Adventist Academy. Also in the Dawn Hill area is Community Christian School and to the west of Gentry is Gentry Mennonite School.

SWEPCO Lake, just to the west of Gentry, is one of the top bass fishing lakes in the region. It has a public boat ramp and also a nice handicapped-accessible fishing dock on the north side. The clear water of the lake is warm year-round because it's used for cooling Southwestern Electric Power Company's Flint Creek coal-fired power plant.

And the Eagle Watch Nature Area, just north of the power plant and along Arkansas Highway 12, has a nature trail which leads back along native grasses and trees to a pavilion on SWEPCO Lake. As the name implies, it is an excellent spot to observe the numerous bald eagles which winter around the lake each year. It's a great place to visit with binoculars and camera.

One of Gentry's best-known and most popular attractions, located just north of the city, is the Wild Wilderness Drive-through Safari, owned and operated by the Wilmoth Family of Gentry. The wildlife park features many indigenous and exotic animals and birds, plus a petting zoo complete with lion and tiger cubs and other exotic animals. A drive-through tour offers a close-up look at emus, camel, deer, buffalo and other creatures living at the refuge. It's another great place to bring a camera.

On the third full weekend in April and on the first weekend after Labor Day in September, visitors come to Gentry to take in the antique engine and tractor show held at the show grounds of Tired Iron of the Ozarks, just southwest of Gentry. There visitors can see old tractors and farm equipment, working saw mills and a blacksmith's shop complete with smithies at work. And the shows and parking are always free.

During the late spring and summer months, many come to Taylor's Orchard for peaches and berries. There's nothing quite like picking your own juicy-ripe peaches straight from the trees.

Gentry is continuing to grow. In addition to its existing restaurants, McDonald's recently opened on the corner of Arkansas Highways 12 and 59 and the well-known Wooden Spoon Restaurant moved from its old location to a new facility with a rebuilt 1800s barn as its center. A new Walmart Express Store also recently opened in Gentry and gives residents a local place to buy groceries and find other needs.

Whether it's for an afternoon visit or a place to live or build a business, Gentry's welcome mat is out to you.

Springtown

From Gentry, east along Arkansas Highway 12, are two more communities, Springtown and Highfill. Springtown is a small city, with a population of less than 100 and with history predating Gentry. The town holds a barbecue each summer, with games, good food and a band. Many like to come just to spend time along the headwaters of Flint Creek or to drive through the water on the low-water bridge there.

Highfill

Highfill, a little farther east, is home to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The small town of just over 600 people takes in a lot of agricultural territory and is home to a new children's shelter, riding stables and more. The town has its own water and sewer systems. The growing community holds an annual Hay Daze celebration in its park, with a parade, car show, children's games and live music.

Cherokee City

To the west of Gentry, along Arkansas Highway 43 at the Oklahoma border, is Cherokee City, once known for its healing springs. The small community is home to a number of residents and some area churches.

Community on 03/26/2014