Mammoth Spring (Longitude 36°29’44”N Latitude 091°32’27” W) Population (in 2010): 977
Incorporated: June 15, 1889 Area: 1.4 square miles. Mammoth Spring is home to the head of the Spring River, literally a “mammoth” spring itself, releasing nine million gallons of water La Pastorella Bisto Bed & Breakfast Hours: per hour. The railroad played a key role in the development of town Old World Bar-B-Que Wednesday bringing supplies and providing transportation before paved roads 870-625-3000 through Sunday came to the area. The river has supplied food, water, the makings for Open at 12 noon. a tourist industry, and in 1927 the first hydro-electric power for the region which further spurred growth in the area. Beautiful Mammoth Spring State Park preserves the history of the area, 355 Main Street, Mammoth Spring, AR 72554 great fishing opportunities and places for children to play and discover. Passenger railroad service stopped in 1968 and in the 1970s the railroad depot became a museum. Centered on the River, Mammoth Spring State Park has since been a destination for outof-town visitors and locals alike for Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery which fosters trout until they can grow to be big enough to be released into the rivers and streams, canoeing and fishing. It hosts many activities over the course of the year which are included in the Community Calendar in this magazine and can be found at http:// www.arkansasstateparks. com/mammothspring/. The Old Soldiers Reunion, originally held to honor Civil War veterans in the1890s has continued most Augusts for more than a century, marking its 120th year in 2013. During the 1800s, farmsteads, gristmills, and the town have sprung up around the spring. The Action at Spring River (Battle at Salem) reportedly occurred near where the town of Mammoth Spring is located today. Industries from textile milling to soda bottling sprung up between the 1880s to the 1920s though none remain. A Great Depression-era meat packing plant operated until 1956. Many from Memphis built large homes on the bluffs overlooking the river, preferring the area’s Spring River-generated coolness to the heat of the Delta. Mammoth Spring makes an active effort to this day to preserve its historic downtown with its shops and restaurants for visitors. Actress Tess Harper grew up in Mammoth Spring and graduated from the high school there.
Poughkeepsie
(Latitude: 36° 04’ 37.80” N, Longitude:091° 28’ 46.20”W) Old Fashioned Fun -Turtles Race in Salem at the Homecoming Festival. This year’s celebration is scheduled for May 24-25. Make plans to attend, have fun...and don’t forget to bring a turtle!
Poughkeepsie is an unincorporated community in Sharp County, Arkansas. The community is located in south central Sharp County near the Strawberry River where Arkansas Highways 58 and 56 meet. The National Register of Historic Places lists the Poughkeepsie School Building as being on Arkansas Highway 58 south of Country Road 37.
The Mammoth Spring School District provides education to 475 students currently. Mascot: Bears. Housing in 2009: Median House/Condo: $56,426, Rent $433. Median Income: $17,910. Median age: 47.6. Cost of Living Index: 81.1 (Low) with US average 100%. Median Property taxes: $405/year and non-mortgage properties $216 per/year. The Photos above are of (top right) Canoes stored and waiting to be used on the Mammoth Spring Lake, the Mammoth Spring Dam and Hydro-electric generating station at the end of the dam, (center): Paddle boaters and geese enjoying a day at the Mammoth Spring Lake, (bottom left): water overflowing from the 10-acre Mammoth Spring Lake where it becomes the Spring River, and (bottom right): People enjoying the Spring River at the source. Mammoth Spring Dam in the background. Photos courtesy of Arkansas State Dept. Parks and Tourism. 42
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