There are certain parts of Arkansas that have more history than even some of the local residents may realize. These locations across the Natural State have been left without a population, whether tourist or residential, and now are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Take a look at these 10 abandoned places in Arkansas.
10. Sneed
A ghost town in Jackson County, Arkansas, Sneed was abandoned in 1929 following an F5 tornado. On April 10, 1929, an F5 tornado struck northern Jackson County. The death toll was listed at 23, and many others were seriously injured. All that remains today of this abandoned town in Arkansas is a clearing where the school and church once stood.
9. Rush
A zinc mining region of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, Rush was an important part of what became known as the North Arkansas Lead and Zinc District. Rush is one of the most well-known ghost towns in Arkansas, and worthy of a visit. The buildings, structures, and ruins at Rush are the last visible remains of historic zinc mining activity in Arkansas. Of the other mining districts which once stretched across northern Arkansas, only limited debris now marks those sites.
8. Napoleon
At one point in time Napoleon was the county seat of Desha County, Arkansas. The town was flooded in 1874 when the banks of the Mississippi River burst through and tore apart the once-lively river port location. The town was the subject of a chapter in Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, in which $10,000 had been hidden behind a brick in a building. The author claims he found out about the hidden fortune but, when he tried to claim it, discovered the entire town had been washed away. Today, it's one of the many abandoned places in Arkansas slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
7. Monte Ne
This area can be found in the Ozark hills of the White River valley, located east of Rogers on the edge of Beaver Lake. From 1901 until the mid-1930s the area was a health resort, but the resort was not a financial success. The property was sold after the owner's death and after Beaver Lake was created in 1964 the town and resort were submerged. The only remaining structures there today are foundations.
6. Lewisburg
Lewisburg was an Arkansas town from 1831 until 1883, when it ceased being the county seat of Conway County, Arkansas. Lewisburg was also the site of a significant occupation force of Union troops during the Civil War.
5. Kimberly
A little-populated location on the south side of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, the incorporated town of Kimberly began in late 1908 as an ill-fated land-development project spanning almost 240 acres of land. By 1911 the venture was abandoned. The former Kimberly addition currently consists of about a dozen modern homes along State Highway 301 - also known as the "Diamond Mine Road" - which passes through Crater of Diamonds State Park.Learn more about this abandoned place in Arkansas in this YouTube video from Genuine Diamonds in AR:
4. Graysonia
This once booming town in Clark County, Arkansas is located on a dirt road in what is now known locally as "the middle of nowhere", halfway between Arkadelphia and Alpine. There are no populated communities in its vicinity and only a few scattered residences within a few miles of the former town's location. In the early 20th century, Graysonia was a main hub for the local timber industry. Now, it's another part of abandoned Arkansas that's being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
3. Albert Pike Campgrounds
Overnight camping has been prohibited at this south Arkansas campground since 2010 when a fatal flash flood ran through the area after the Little Missouri River rose more than 20 feet in less than four hours. The site is now open during daylight hours but the campgrounds once well-populated, are now deserted overnight.
2. Anderson Flat
The first name of this now-abandoned town was Verona, Arkansas in the early 1900s. Anderson Flat was destroyed twice by dust bowl conditions in the early 1900s and 1930s. Anderson Flat is located 30 miles south of Harrison, Arkansas, approximately 15 miles from the Buffalo River.
1. Dogpatch USA Fun Park
Located along State Highway 7 between the cities of Harrison and Jasper, Arkansas, an area now known as Marble Falls, Dogpatch is an abandoned theme park that opened in 1968. Dogpatch USA was a commercial success in its early years. Investors tried to turn that success into a sister park, "Marble Falls," planned with a ski resort and convention center. The venture failed and led to the park's closure in 1993. Now this abandoned amusement park is one of the creepiest places in Arkansas.
Numerous abandoned places in Arkansas have been taken back by nature's elements, but the deterioration of a single building or house is nowhere near the scale of these places in the Natural State that have been left behind by everyone and everything except history. For more abandoned Arkansas adventures, pack up the car and take this road trip to Arkansas' most eerie ghost towns.
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