Ozark, AR

Ozark is a city in Franklin County at the northern bend of the Arkansas River, where the river valley meets the foothills of the Ozarks. The modern settlement took shape in the 1830s and incorporated in 1850. During the Civil War, the town was burned and lost its incorporated status; it reorganized in 1869. The railroad followed in the late nineteenth century, and by 1888 four passenger trains ran through town. That mix of river crossing, courthouse, and rail line made Ozark a natural center for the surrounding valley.

ATTRThomas & Dianne Jones / CC BY 2.0

Today, the old Missouri Pacific depot stands beside the Arkansas River as the Ozark Area Depot Museum. Arkansas Highway 23 leaves town toward the Pig Trail Scenic Byway and the Ozark National Forest, while the river bridge carries traffic south. Ozark School District serves students from primary school through high school, and Arkansas Tech University-Ozark adds a two-year campus to the local education map. Ozark's current map still holds the older pattern: courthouse streets and depot by the water, highways heading into the mountains, and schools serving the river valley.