Westside Community Guide

By Sarah Haney NWA Democrat-Gazette Decatur is a small city nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Its heart lies at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 59 and 102. In the 1850s two settlers, William Burrow and Henry Hastings, purchased several parcels of land in what would eventually be called Corner Springs. In 1880, Corner Springs applied for its rst post o ce. e Postal Service rejected the community request, citing the fact that there were too many cities in the area with springs as part of their title. Eventually, the Postal Service allowed the community to use the name Decatur, a er legendary naval commodore Stephen Decatur whose exploits during the War of 1812 earned him worldwide acclaim and helped de ne the modern Navy in the United States. In 1882, John Cotton became the rst Postmaster of Decatur. At rst glance, with a population of 1,699 residents, Decatur may look like a sleepy little town. A closer look will reveal city parks, locally owned businesses, churches, and schools buzzing with activity. Decatur's residential streets are places where children laugh and play. e town provides most needs of life; however, new businesses are always welcome to the community. ere is a convenience store, truck stop, a bank, a medical clinic, the public library, restaurants, and numerous churches. Families can enjoy outings to one of the parks where one can picnic, sh, walk, swim, play disc golf, tennis, basketball, so ball, or soccer, or just let the kiddos play on the playground equipment. City Hall, located a block east of Highway 59 at 310 Maple Ave., is a good place to stop for information on the city, its laws and city utilities. e City Hall building is a historic landmark, completed in 1939 as Decatur's rst permanent school building, replacing the original 1910 structure which was destroyed by a tornado in 1937. When a new high school opened in 1970, the old high school was sold to the city and later renovated to house the city o ces, water department, committee room and council chambers. When it opened, the rst city council meeting was held there on May 9, 1982. On the east side of the building is the original basketball court where the Decatur Bulldog championship boys' and girls' basketball Decatur: Where everybody is your neighbor Decatur D The historic 1910 Decatur Depot is only one of a few that sits along a mainline railroad. The Kansas City Southern Bell passenger train stopped here on a daily basic in the 1940s through 1960s. Photo courtesy of Mike Eckels NWA Democrat-Gazette Riding in the back of a classic Corvette, Bill (left) and Michal Montgomery lead the procession down Main Street as Grand Marshalls during the 2017 Decatur Barbecue parade. Photo courtesy of Mike Eckels NWA Democrat-Gazette Karrelys Cardona (right), Decatur sixth-grader, helps guide Daisy Alonso, fi fth-grader, through a blindfolded maze on the Decatur football fi eld. A group of Decatur eighth-graders organized the event, Revolution 2021, for Decatur Middle School students. Photo courtesy of Jason Ivester NWA Democrat-Gazette 2018 Westside Community Guide – 3

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