Page 8 - 2018 TR Explore White County

8SS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2018
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • EXPLORE WHITE COUNTY
PANGBURN
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of the lake provide an excellent trout habitat, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stocks trout below the dam, making Pangburn a prime spot for trout fishing.
➤ FAST FIGURES
• Population: 585
• Incorporation: 1911
• Area: Less than 1 square mile
SEARCY
e site of an 1820s health spa, Searcy was originally called White Sulphur Springs because of the alleged healing springs there. When the city was chosen as the seat of White County, its name changed to Searcy in honor of Richard Searcy, a politician who had died five years earlier at age 36.
e Civil War brought conflict to White County, and Searcy was the site of the Skirmish at Searcy Landing — the county’s largest military engagement — as well as the Searcy Expedition. Although reconstruction was difficult, the construction of the White County Courthouse in 1871 served as a tangible sign of recovery for the town.
Sensing that their economy was threat- ened when the Cairo and Fulton Railroad bypassed Searcy in 1872, citizens created the Searcy Branch Railroad Co. and constructed a line to Kensett, where the line connected with the larger railroad.
Searcy also re-emerged as a health resort in the late 19th century, but the springs ran dry in the 1920s. e timber and agriculture industries helped sustain the city’s economy, and Yarnell’s Ice Cream Co. started in 1933, amid the Great Depression. Manufacturers arrived after World War II.
Today, the city offers a mixed economy with manufacturers, small businesses, state- of-the-art medical facilities and institutes of higher learning.
A cultural leader in White County, Searcy offers a number of attractions that preserve local history, such as the Black House and Pioneer Village. e city has hosted the White County Fair since 1930, and Searcy lights up at Christmastime during the Holiday of Lights.
➤ FAST FIGURES
• Population: 23,916
• Incorporation: 1851
• Area: About 18 square miles
— Information courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau, White County, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, the Bald Knob Railroad Museum, the Beebe Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the city of Searcy