With a population of nearly 3,400 — Gentry lies along Arkansas Highway 59 and the KCS Railroad line midway between Decatur and Siloam Springs. 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 has numerous 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 there. The town has a lumber yard and a major hardware store for building and household needs. And for those who love shopping flea markets and second-hand stores, Gentry has enough for shoppers to easily make a full day of it, and all within a few blocks.
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 first 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, 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, in addition to other events and activities.
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. Membership and available activities at the center continue to multiply each year.
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 has numerous ball fields and a city park, complete walking trails, disk golf and a skate park for those who enjoy half pipes and grinds. 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. Not only is it a good place to relax and throw in a fishing line, it’s a place where children and adults can learn about the local ecosystem and its plants and animals.
Gentry has modern schools, with district-wide accreditation by AdvancEd. A new multipurpose athletic facility was recently completed, and plans are being considered for a charter school within the district to help prepare graduates to enter the workforce.
The city has a new fire station, two substations 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 — a plant currently undergoing major renovations so that it can continue to provide clean energy to the region.
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 any time of the year for birders, wildlife photographers and nature enthusiast.
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, whether a serious wildlife photographer or an amateur, and it is an excellent place for families to visit to create unforgettable memories.
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. It’s a show and an educational experience you won’t want to miss.
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.
And Gentry is continuing to grow. In addition to the well-known Wooden Spoon Restaurant now located in a new facility with a rebuilt 1800s barn as its center, there are other restaurants offering burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, Mexican and Asian foods and good old-fashioned home-cooked-style meals. A Walmart Neighborhood Market and a Dollar General give residents a local place to buy groceries and other household goods.
Whether it’s for an afternoon visit or a place to live or build a business, Gentry’s welcome mat is out. And, yes, it’s a great place to call home. Gentry received a ranking of fifth on the SafeWise 30 Safest Cities in Arkansas list.
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 more than 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 a number of annual events and celebrations for its residents.
Cherokee City
To the west of Gentry, along Arkansas Highway 43 at the Oklahoma border, is Cherokee City, once known for its healing springs.
Community on 04/02/2015