Searcy
Both the town and county of Searcy were named for the same person: Arkansas
pioneer Richard Searcy. Born in Tennessee, he headed to Arkansas with the early
settlers of Davidsonville. He served as postmaster before moving to Batesville in
1820 to practice law. He became on of the territory’s best-known attorneys, which
led to him being appointed a territorial court judge for the Batesville district.
Searcy made two attempts to become an Arkansas Territory delegate to Congress
but was defeated in both. He died either in 1832 or 1833 before knowing a county
and town had been named for him. The town was laid out by Israel Moore who
named the original streets for streets in Philadelphia.
The Little Red River and White Sulphur Springs are both a part of Searcy’s
founding. The springs were developed and attracted visitors with their healing
properties. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “The home
of David Crise, about halfway between the springs and the river, was the site of
the first county court, held on May 23, 1836. The first post office named
Frankfort was established in 1837” with the name being changed in 1838 to
Searcy.
During the Civil War, the town was involved in battles comprising the Little
Rock Campaign. The Action at Whitney’s Lane, took place near the Little Red
River. It was the first major contact between Union and Confederate troops in
the state after the major Battle of Pea Ridge which took place March 6-7, 1862.
This skirmish and following events led the Union army to decide to quit trying
to capture Little Rock in 1862. Little Rock was later captured by Federal troops
in September 1863. The Action at Whitney’s Lane, according to Encyclopedia
of Arkansas, revitalized the Confederate war effort in the state because of
the belief that the Federal troops were retreating. Searcy saw more action in
August of 1863 when the Cricket, a Union gunboat, came up the Little
Rock and captured Kaskaskia and Tom Sugg, two Confederate
steamboats, at the Searcy Landing. This was part of another attempt by Union
forces to take Little Rock. This second Little Rock Campaign was successful.
Today Searcy is a thriving college town home to several industries. One major
employer is Wal-Mart which has two large distribution warehouses here.
Harding University, a private College, draws students from
around the country and offers arts and athletic events for the community.
A major attraction is the White County Fair which has been named by the
Los Angeles Times as one of the top county fairs in the country. It
began in 1930 and draws over 50,000 each year. The historic 1874 Black
House, a restored 1870s Italianate home on the National Register of Historic
Places, now houses the Searcy Art Gallery. The imposing White County
Courthouse, the oldest functioning courthouse in the state, is also listed on
the National Register. The 1923 Rialto Theatre is a landmark with its splashy
neon lighting and is one of only a few historic theatres which still shows daily
movies. Each Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day, the annual Holiday of
Lights display in Searcy welcomes the season.
Both the town and county of Searcy were named for the same person: Arkansas
pioneer Richard Searcy. Born in Tennessee, he headed to Arkansas with the early
settlers of Davidsonville. He served as postmaster before moving to Batesville in
1820 to practice law. He became on of the territory’s best-known attorneys, which
led to him being appointed a territorial court judge for the Batesville district.
Searcy made two attempts to become an Arkansas Territory delegate to Congress
but was defeated in both. He died either in 1832 or 1833 before knowing a county
and town had been named for him. The town was laid out by Israel Moore who
named the original streets for streets in Philadelphia.
The Little Red River and White Sulphur Springs are both a part of Searcy’s
founding. The springs were developed and attracted visitors with their healing
properties. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “The home
of David Crise, about halfway between the springs and the river, was the site of
the first county court, held on May 23, 1836. The first post office named
Frankfort was established in 1837” with the name being changed in 1838 to
Searcy.
During the Civil War, the town was involved in battles comprising the Little
Rock Campaign. The Action at Whitney’s Lane, took place near the Little Red
River. It was the first major contact between Union and Confederate troops in
the state after the major Battle of Pea Ridge which took place March 6-7, 1862.
This skirmish and following events led the Union army to decide to quit trying
to capture Little Rock in 1862. Little Rock was later captured by Federal troops
in September 1863. The Action at Whitney’s Lane, according to Encyclopedia
of Arkansas, revitalized the Confederate war effort in the state because of
the belief that the Federal troops were retreating. Searcy saw more action in
August of 1863 when the Cricket, a Union gunboat, came up the Little
Rock and captured Kaskaskia and Tom Sugg, two Confederate
steamboats, at the Searcy Landing. This was part of another attempt by Union
forces to take Little Rock. This second Little Rock Campaign was successful.
Today Searcy is a thriving college town home to several industries. One major
employer is Wal-Mart which has two large distribution warehouses here.
Harding University, a private College, draws students from
around the country and offers arts and athletic events for the community.
A major attraction is the White County Fair which has been named by the
Los Angeles Times as one of the top county fairs in the country. It
began in 1930 and draws over 50,000 each year. The historic 1874 Black
House, a restored 1870s Italianate home on the National Register of Historic
Places, now houses the Searcy Art Gallery. The imposing White County
Courthouse, the oldest functioning courthouse in the state, is also listed on
the National Register. The 1923 Rialto Theatre is a landmark with its splashy
neon lighting and is one of only a few historic theatres which still shows daily
movies. Each Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day, the annual Holiday of
Lights display in Searcy welcomes the season.