Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

History

The original village site was established in Missouri, near what was called the Harry Turnstall spring, now known as “Old Town.” Despite homesteading efforts by early settlers in the region, the spring was divided into multiple plots. It wasn't until the arrival of the Frisco Railroad in 1883, which extended its track from Springfield, Missouri, to Memphis, Tennessee, and established a station and depot between the spring and the Spring River, that the town shifted to the Arkansas side of the river.

In 1890, Mammoth Spring was promoted to Memphis investors as an excellent site for construction of major manufacturing operations. At that time the town was home to an upscale resort hotel, The Nettleton, said to rival other hotels in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The Nettleton was built by Memphis millionaire Napoleon Hill and operated from 1899 to 1932, when it was destroyed by fire. In 1927, Mammoth Spring became the first town in the region to have electricity, powered by the dams constructed by the Mammoth Spring Improvement Company.

In 1968, the Frisco Railroad discontinued passenger service altogether and the train depot was converted into a museum, an extension of Mammoth Spring State Park. The depot was restored in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

From the History section of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.