Altus, Arkansas
| Altus, Arkansas | |
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| City | |
Action from the 2013 Altus Grape Festival
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 Altus
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| Coordinates: 35°27′17″N 93°46′19″W / 35.45472°N 93.77194°WCoordinates: 35°27′17″N 93°46′19″W / 35.45472°N 93.77194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Franklin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 541 ft (165 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 758 |
| • Density | 418/sq mi (161.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 72821 |
| Area code(s) | 479 |
| FIPS code | 05-01210 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0045850 |
Altus is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States. Located within the Arkansas River Valley at the edge of the Ozark Mountains, the city is within the Fort Smith metropolitan area. The epicenter of the Altus American Viticultural Area (AVA) within Arkansas Wine Country, the city is home to four wineries. Although founded as a coal mining community, the wine industry has driven the Altus economy since the first vineyards were planted in 1872. The population was 758 at the 2010 census, down from 817 at the 2000 census.
Altus is the site of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (St. Mary's Catholic Church), which is on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Mary's Catholic Church was built in 1902 and is known for its beautiful paintings, ornate gold leaf walls, and Roman architecture.
When the Iron Mountain Railroad laid rails up the Arkansas River Valley in the 1870s from Little Rock to the Oklahoma border at Fort Smith, Altus was the highest point on the track. In recognition of this highest railroad elevation between Little Rock and Fort Smith, the station was originally known as "Summit". The town's initial development was due to railroad efforts encouraging German immigration to settle lands adjacent to the railroad. In 1903, the railroad mainline was shifted to a more favorable alignment along the Arkansas River. The track through Altus was removed in the 1930s, but the railroad station has been preserved as a commercial establishment.
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