Ashdown, Arkansas
| Ashdown, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Little River County Courthouse
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 Ashdown, Arkansas
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| Coordinates: 33°40′24″N 94°7′38″W / 33.67333°N 94.12722°WCoordinates: 33°40′24″N 94°7′38″W / 33.67333°N 94.12722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Little River |
| Incorporated | June 11, 1892 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.1 sq mi (18.5 km2) |
| • Land | 7.1 sq mi (18.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 322 ft (98 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,723 |
| • Density | 665.2/sq mi (255.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 71822 |
| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-02380 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0076204 |
| Website | ashdownarkansas.org |
Ashdown (formerly Turkey Flats and Keller) is a city in Little River County, Arkansas. The community was incorporated in 1892 and has been the county seat since 1906. Located within the Arkansas Timberlands between the Little River and the Red River, Ashdown's economy and development have historically been tied to the timber industry, a trend that continues to this day. Ashdown's population at the 2010 census was 4,723, a slight decrease from the 2000 census. The city's well-preserved history and proximity to outdoor recreation such as Millwood State Park draws tourists to the area. Although not within the Texarkana metropolitan area, the city's proximity to Texarkana impacts many areas of life in Ashdown.
Founded as a small farming community, Ashdown was initially known as Turkey Flats and later Keller before being renamed by Judge Lawrence Alexander Byrne. Following his Keller mill being "burned down to ashes", Byrne vowed to rebuild and found a town named Ashdown. It was incorporated on June 11, 1892 as Ashdown, and rapid growth began in 1895 following the railroad reaching town. The Arkansas and Choctaw Railroad connected Ashdown to Arkinda, and the growth of the Kansas City Southern Railway, the Frisco and the Memphis, Dallas and Gulf Railroad continued to grow the city and her timber industry, which had been utilizing steamboats and flatboats to ship lumber.
Following World War II, Ashdown's economy began to diversify. Its location near two rivers attracted manufacturing plants, such as Coca-Cola bottling plant, box factory, clothing plant, ice plant and a pallet plant. The United States Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Little River and Saline River at their confluence in 1966, forming Millwood Lake. The lake's recreational value attracted a Nekoosa Paper Company paper mill two years later, still in operation today after being purchased by Domtar. The Little River Memorial Hospital was also built during this period of rapid building and development.
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Wikipedia