arrison

Harrison is a great place to live! Located in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas about 140 miles from Little Rock and 235 miles from Kansas City, Harrison folks enjoy magnificent scenery, clear air, a stable economy, affordable housing, and friendly neighbors. Harrison is regularly evaluated in the top percentage of the best retirement areas in the country. Tourists and sportsmen find the area to be an important part of their travels.

Spanish and later French explorers found a mountainous area sparsely inhabited by Quapaw and Caddo indians. The first American settlers came to the area from the South beginning a few months after the Louisiana Purchase. Hostilities among Osage, Shawnee, and Cherokee indian tribes did not keep these poor, hardworking pioneers from looking for inexpensive and free land. They settled in small farmsteads on bottoms laying along the many creeks and rivers flowing beside rock bluffs. Descendants of these rugged mountaineers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas constitute the basic population of Harrison today.

In 1869, the Arkansas legislature created Boone county. After a short argument that moved closely to being settled with guns, Harrison won out over the nearby village of Bellefonte to become the county seat. Its first growth and significance was as a transportation hub of the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad. Although no longer as active, you will find rail lines, bridges, and depots throughout the area.

Harrison, with a population of approximately 12,000 people, is situated in the Ozark mountains. Its elevation is 1,150 feet and it experiences a seasonal, moderate climate. Rainfall averages a little over 40 inches yearly distributed among one or two medium winter snowfalls and spring and early summer showers and thunderstorms.

The scenery is impressive. Mountain highways twist through broadleaf and pine forests and edge limestone bluffs. Cattle, horses, and elk graze in green creekbottom pastures. In springtime, blooming dogwood and redbud trees attract sightseers. The fall colors rival those of New England. Clear flowing creeks and rivers wind through the valleys and draws. One of these waterways, the Buffalo River, became the nation's first nationally protected river because of its beauty.

The Buffalo River also is a popular destination for outdoor sportsmen. Its rapid currents, strewn with boulders and segregated by lazy pools, give canoeing fans a satisfying and splendid ride. Fishers and boaters use the nearby five lakes and three rivers to practice their skills. Other outdoor activities include hunting, biking, spelunking, hiking, camping, and golfing.

Harrison enjoys a strong economic base. Agriculture, manufacturing, and a growing tourist trade underpin the local economy. There are significant beef-cattle and poultry operations in the area. In Harrison and its area are located over forty manufacturing and transportation industries, to include nationally known American Freightways, Tyson Foods, Flexsteel Industries, Duncan Industries, and White-Rodgers.

Harrison has become the hub of a significant tourist trade. Within an hour's drive are located the Victorian-turreted hillsides of Eureka Springs, and the country's entertainment capital of Branson, Missouri. Fluttering quilts and bright tinware advertising signs entice travellers to stop and browse among the area's many craft and antique shops. The Ozark Folk Center in Arkansas and Silver Dollar City in Missouri are popular and entertaining tourist destinations.

There are other reasons for Harrison's popularity. The Harrison school system recently was rated among one of the top ten school districts in the nation. The four elementary schools, junior high, and high school educate students producing test scores ranking in the top ten percent of the country. This, with a minimal per-pupil expense and an outstanding parent-volunteer base contribute to the high rating. Other strongpoints include an admirable health care system, low unemployment and crime rates, and an affordable cost of living. Harrison now is rated one of the top 100 Best Small Towns in America.

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