Our History
CLEBURNE COUNTY, ARKANSAS, the youngest (75th) in the state, was created February 20, 1883, and named for Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. Major General Cleburne entered the Confederate Service from 1861 as Colonel of the First Arkansas Infantry and attained the rank of Major General.
In this era of political correctness, historical revisionism, and self-imposed, social-censorship, some might argue that Cleburne, the highest ranking of the “tens of thousands of Irish natives who served in the Civil War,” should not be honored because he fought for the South, and thus, it would be said, defended slavery.
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Such an argument would be uninformed. Rather, Cleburne should not just be remembered, but cherished and emulated for his defense of freedom. Like most men who fought for the South, Cleburne never owned a slave.
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The landscape of the county is rugged: mountainous in the north to rugged, rolling terrain in the south. The Greers Ferry hydroelectric dam, a 40,000 acre reservoir, made way for a recreational boom that has steadily continued since 1963. Thousands of visitors visit this area each year. Fishing, boating, and hunting in the area are big. A visitors’ center, national fish hatchery for rainbow trout, the dam and powerhouse overlook, and a natural trail along with the icy-cold Little Red River filled with trout makes it a popular place. In Heber Springs, a 10-acre city park features seven mineral springs. The beautifully restored courthouse, which sits on the town square, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Industrial development, cattle and poultry farming, and tourism makes up the economic base of the county. Fishing tournaments, conventions, reunions, and craft shows provide family entertainment for the local citizens as well as many visitors. Saturday nights come alive in Heber Springs with country music.
Cleburne County Historical Society
Find out more about our history by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleburne-County-Historical-Society
Phone: 501-362-5225
The Cleburne County Historical Society is located on 102 E Main Street in Heber Springs. They have a wonderful museum and research library.
The historic Old Post Office was built in 1937 as the Federal Building, housing a post office on the main floor and Department of Agriculture offices in the basement. The building was expanded in 1962 and sold to the county when a new post office was built in 1991. The county used the building as a District Court until 2013 and then it served as a temporary location for the county library. The county and the Historical Society have partnered in establishing a county Historical Center at the location. The original post office Mural, painted in 1939, has been restored to its original location in the museum area.
Excerpt from the Cleburne County Historical Society website