Before the War Eagle Craft Fairs | The Blackburn Story
Every October, the roads to War Eagle Mill fill with visitors. They come...
Uh oh...
It appears that you're using a severely outdated version of Safari on Windows. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!
Read More about this safari issue.
Fall usually brings a familiar list of adventures at our house. We chase fall color on some of our favorite Arkansas drives, wander through Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, explore downtown Eureka Springs, travel the Pig Trail and make our way through the Boston Mountains. We visit a pumpkin patch, pick apples at the orchard and spend at least one afternoon patiently waiting, with plenty of commentary, for the elk to appear and bugle. Arkansas really does deliver some magical fall moments.
This year, however, my son added something unexpected to our fall conversations: ghosts. At school, he has been learning about narratives and using his imagination to write stories, including ghost stories and some silliness involving a crazy jack-o’-lantern. During a conversation about the many ways we use the word “ghost,” ghost towns came up.
That sent me down a rabbit hole – what exactly makes a town a ghost town? And does Arkansas have any?
It turns out Arkansas has its own collection of communities that boomed, disappeared, were abandoned or simply faded almost completely from the map. Their real stories might be more interesting than anything we could make up.
What is a Ghost Town?
There isn’t one definition that neatly covers every place described as a ghost town.
Some are completely abandoned, leaving only buildings, foundations or ruins. Others still have a handful of residents but have lost the businesses, schools, churches and other institutions that once made them thriving communities. Some towns have physically disappeared from the landscape.
Arkansas has examples of all three: towns that were simply left behind. Transportation routes shifted. Railroads bypassed communities. Industries collapsed. County seats moved. Resorts fell out of fashion. Dams permanently altered the landscape. But the stories did not disappear!
Ghost Towns in Arkansas
Rush | The Town That Zinc Built
Hidden within the landscape of Buffalo National River is perhaps Arkansas’ best example of a genuine ghost town. Rush began to change in the 1880s when zinc was discovered in the area. Mining operations followed, and the isolated community along Rush Creek eventually became the center of an Arkansas mining boom.
At its peak, the Rush Historic District was home to thousands of people. World War I created enormous demand for zinc, but when the war ended, much of that demand that had fueled Rush’s rapid growth disappeared. Mining declined, the Morning Star Mine closed in 1931, and the community slowly disappeared.
Today, the Rush Historic District is part of Buffalo National River, offering visitors a rare chance to walk among the remains of an Arkansas ghost town. Historic structures, ruins and mining remnants tell the story, and the short Morning Star Interpretive Loop offers a closer look at the community that once lived in this quiet valley. If your fall adventures already have you headed to the Buffalo National River, Rush is an intriguing addition to the trip.
Davidsonville | The Town the Road Left Behind
Davidsonville was once one of the most important places in Arkansas. Founded in 1815, it became home to Arkansas’ first post office, federal land office and courthouse. People came here to conduct business, buy land and participate in the development of the Arkansas frontier.
Then the routes people traveled began to change as stops like the Southwest Trail bypassed Davidsonville, river transportation shifted and the county seat moved in 1829. Within a few years, a community that had seemed poised to become one of Arkansas’ important towns was essentially gone.
Today, Davidsonville Historic State Park preserves the townsite. No streets lined with abandoned buildings remain to explore. Instead, archaeological remains, trails and open-frame, phantom structures help visitors visualize the community that once stood here.
Monte Ne | The Town Beneath the Lake
In 1900, William “Coin” Harvey began developing an elaborate resort community outside Rogers. Monte Ne eventually included hotels, a bank, a swimming pool, a golf course and even its own railroad. Visitors came from across the country, but the grand vision for Monte Ne did not endure. The resort declined, buildings stood empty and the community faded.
Construction of Beaver Lake in the 1960s permanently altered the landscape, covering much of what remained of Monte Ne. During periods of exceptionally low water, portions of the old community have occasionally reappeared, offering a fascinating glimpse into what lies beneath the lake.
The next time you look across Beaver Lake, remember that the landscape holds fragments of a resort community once bustling with visitors who believed they were experiencing the future of Arkansas tourism.
Pinnacle Springs | Arkansas’ Lost Resort Town
Long before wellness retreats became a travel trend, people traveled to Arkansas in search of the supposed healing powers of mineral water. Hot Springs became Arkansas’ most famous destination built around that idea, but it wasn’t the only one.
North of Greenbrier, Pinnacle Springs developed in the 1880s around mineral springs that promoters believed offered health benefits. Visitors came for the water and the peaceful setting while developers sought to build a thriving resort community around the springs.
For a time, it worked, but interest faded. The population declined sharply after 1890. Fires destroyed buildings, and some remaining structures were dismantled and moved elsewhere. By the middle of the 20th century, little of the community remained.
Pinnacle Springs isn’t the kind of ghost town where visitors should wander through abandoned buildings. Much of the historic area consists of private property with limited access. Instead, its story offers another glimpse into an Arkansas that could have been.
Next time you head to see the Natural Bridge in Clinton, flea market shopping along Hwy. 65 or tiptoeing into Pickles Gap, pause and think about this area carrying visitors like the Highway 7 route to Hot Springs.
Wittsburg | The Town the Railroad Passed By
Wittsburg tells another familiar story in the history of American towns: transportation can determine which communities grow and which disappear. Just ask any Southwest Arkansas town leader, and their story likely starts like this one.
Located along the St. Francis River in Cross County, Wittsburg once became an important center for trade and cotton. For a time, it even served as the Cross County seat. Then the railroad came to the region, but it didn’t pass through Wittsburg.
Two railroad lines bypassed the community. Commerce shifted toward nearby Wynne, and the county seat eventually moved. Wittsburg began its long decline with the post office closing by 1900.
Wittsburg isn’t completely abandoned. A small population remains scattered throughout the area, distinguishing it from a true ghost town like Rush. But that’s part of what makes its story interesting. Not every ghost town disappears overnight. Some simply fade as the world moves in a different direction.
Image used with permission by Media Commons public domain. Higgins, Frances M. Morrison, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Paraclifta | The Town That Packed Up and Moved
When Sevier County was created in 1828, Paraclifta became the county seat. Roads linked the community to other settlements in the region, and people came here to conduct business and participate in the work of the growing county.
Then, in 1867, the creation of Little River County altered Sevier County’s boundaries, leaving Paraclifta near the southeastern edge of the newly formed county. Officials wanted a more centrally located county seat, and in 1869, county government moved to the newly established community of Lockesburg.
As Paraclifta declined, residents relocated to Lockesburg, and some buildings were reportedly dismantled and transported to the new town. A community that once served as the center of Sevier County government became nearly abandoned.
Paraclifta offers another reminder that Arkansas’ ghost towns didn’t all disappear for the same reason. Sometimes a mine, a railroad or a natural disaster didn’t determine a town’s future. Sometimes all it took was drawing a new line on the map.
If you’re traveling through southwest Arkansas, consider Paraclifta part of the region’s larger story rather than a destination on its own. Its history connects naturally with nearby Lockesburg and the broader stories preserved at Historic Washington State Park.
Not every ghost town disappears overnight. Some simply fade as the world moves in a different direction.
Take a Fall Drive and Get Curious
Places like these make me pause a little longer and dig in with curiosity.
Who lived here? What brought them? What did they believe their community would become? What did an ordinary Tuesday look like when dust covered the ground, the mercantile stores on the main street were open, children were headed to school, and people were building lives here?
And when did they realize the future they imagined wouldn’t happen?
If this is a topic you enjoy, you might consider investigating a few other towns as well.
- Snowball
- Arkansas Post
- Cadron Settlement
- Rohwer
- Sneed
- Peppersauce Alley (near Calico Rock)
Unless otherwise noted, images in the article are used with permission from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
We do the work.
You check your email.
Sign up for our weekly e-news.
Get stories sent straight to your inbox!
Like this story? Read more from Keisha Pittman McKinney
Every October, the roads to War Eagle Mill fill with visitors. They come...
There are places in Arkansas that still fascinate me when I learn their...
There is something special about hearing live music outdoors on an...
Join the Conversation
Leave a Comment