Town of the Week

Bald Knob, Arkansas
November 27, 1999

You'll find this week's town in Central Arkansas where the Ozarks meets the Delta. Bald Knob's beginning dates back to the construction of the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1872. Before that there were only a couple of log huts built for temporary use by cattle raisers who brought their herds to graze.

Bald Knob gets its name from a large rock mound, covering nearly an acre of ground, that stood up considerably higher than the surrounding lands. It's said that Hernando De Soto himself named this rock mound in 1541.

The local economy relies on retail business, tourism, industry and agriculture. Arkansas General Industries employs 500 people as the largest employer in town. While Bald Knob has three rivers, the White, the Little Red and the Cache, with some of the best trout fishing in Arkansas nearby, most tourists come to use the Greers Ferry Lake recreational area, about 50 miles north of this White County town. Bald Knob Home Fest is an annual June event, featuring such things as bald-headed men and beard growing contests, musicals, antique cars and parades. Bald Knob is the home of an annual Strawberry Festival, and the home of the Bald Knob Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs athletic teams.

That's a glimpse of our Town of the Week, Bald Knob, Arkansas.

Take a trip to Bald Knob, Arkansas; just listen in.

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