Westside Community Guide

2021 Westside Community Guide – 19 Surrounding communities By Brittany Smith Westside Community Guide Cherokee City Cherokee City is a small town located just west of Gentry. e town was built up in the late 1800s and was originally known as Hog Eye because it was located on the south bank of Hog Eye Creek, and was also once known for its healing springs. Cherokee City is also home to the Coon Creek Bridge which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. e bridge was originally built in 1930 and was renovated in 1976. It rests over Coon Creek and is still utilized by frequent traffic today. Highfill From railroads to planes, Highfill has been an innovative part of the transportation system in Northwest Arkansas. e town was originally constructed as a result of early railroad construction and is now the home to the Northwest Arkansas National Airport. e city was named aer Hezekiah Highfill, a civil war veteran who was an early settler on the land and, along with two other families, planted apple orchards, which would later become a main town export on the newly constructed railroad system. e town experienced a booming commerce as a result of the orchards and railroads, but soon saw a decline aer the railroad went bankrupt. However, the establishment of the airport brought a significant increase in residents, as well as a children's shelter and renovated community center. Hiwasse Hiwassee, although considered part of the Gravette community, still maintains its own identity in Northwest Arkansas. Hiwasse was another early settlement in Arkansas and was known for its apple production, not unlike several other communities in the area. One of the highlighting features of the town is the five-acre Hiwasse Park that features a playground, large pavilion, and quarter-mile walking trail. e renovated Hiwasse Community Building is another fixture in the town that not only can be utilized by residents, but also has displays of memorabilia that educates and celebrates the town's history. Hiwasse also hosts the annual Hiwasse Fall Festival that includes food, games, live music, pumpkin painting, and a chili cook-off. Maysville Maysville is considered one of the oldest settlements in the area, as well as the westernmost, as it sits almost directly on the Arkansas- Oklahoma border. It was originally named Beatie's Prairie, but was later renamed Maysville aer John Martin May. e town is the site of the Civil War Battle of Maysville and was home to Camp Walker, where recruits from Western Arkansas and the Indian Nation were trained. Maysville also has two buildings, a schoolhouse and farmhouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Springtown Springtown is just that, a town with springs. It was named because of a natural spring that ran through the town and was also the source of Flint Creek. Springtown was once considered a prosperous town in the late 1800's when it had several stores, mills, churches, hotel, blacksmiths, shoemakers, and doctors. e town experienced a massive decline when the railroad bypassed the town and residents and businesses relocated. Today, the town still maintains a presence in the area and locals still frequent the headwaters of Flint Creek. Sulphur Springs Sulphur Springs is situated near the Arkansas-Missouri border and was named based on the numerous mineral springs in the area believed to have healing properties. e town has several places listed on the National Register of Historic Places including the Sulphur Springs Old School Complex Historic District and the Sulphur Springs Park Reserve, which is the site of some of the original springs. Visitors to the area can have a one-of-a-kind experience at the Old Spanish Treasure Cave, where you can take guided tours through the cavern that legend says Spanish Conquistadors once filled with hidden treasure. e attraction also offers an underground movie theater, gem stone panning, and a gi and rock shop located inside of a more than 150-year-old log cabin.

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