One’s hometown is one thing to be pleased with; its identify? Possibly not a lot. Quirky city names are the norm round The Pure State. What would Arkansas be with out Possum Grape or Flippin? Or with out Crumrod and Nimrod? (Do you suppose they’re associated? We digress.) Arkansas city names are a quizzical bunch, and a few even elicit the occasional giggle. (Weiner? Actually?) Although some at the moment are unincorporated, we couldn’t assist ourselves from tipping our hats to among the state’s greatest designations. Right here’s to you, Bald Knob.

Possum Grape

This city will get its distinctive identify from the wild grape standard within the space for making jam and wine; they’re a deep purple shade, even painted on a mural on an outdated, run-down retailer on the town (possum additionally included, in fact). Nevertheless, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas says the identify may need been spurred from a neighborhood disagreement in 1954 — a dispute about naming the city both “Possum” or “Grape.” I’m undecided deciding on one or the opposite would have made a greater identify for the city than each mixed. Regardless of the story, the unincorporated neighborhood sits about 30 miles northeast of Searcy in Jackson County. Way back, the financial system was pushed by the pearling trade; divers collected mussel shells within the White River and bought them to a button manufacturing facility about 15 miles away in Newport. In the present day, largely farmers stay in Possum Grape and journey to close by cities for nearly all their wants; no more than a church, liquor retailer and auto enterprise nonetheless exist. MH

Bald Knob

Bald Knob, that unusually named outpost in White County, was initially named Shady Grove, which sounds each inviting and mysterious like that city within the TV present “Twin Peaks.” We will’t assist however suppose that, in a unique time, Shady Grove would have made this record simply as proudly. As for Bald Knob, it was named for a big outcropping of stone, the White County Historic Society’s William Leach wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Salt extraction and quarrying have been massive industries there over time however nothing was greater than the strawberry trade. Bald Knob farmers bought $3.5 million price of strawberries in 1951 (that’s about $39 million as we speak). Bald Knob even known as itself the Strawberry Capital of the World and was dwelling to a three-fourths of a mile strawberry shed, the longest on the earth. Sounds fairly candy … however we nonetheless like Shady Grove. GC

Weiner

Like these different cities, I can’t assist however get a kick out of the buildings’ names; the Weiner Submit Workplace, Weiner Christian Church, Weiner Gymnasium and Weiner Elementary Faculty — are you able to think about being 12 years outdated in a city known as Weiner? A couple of decade in the past there was a transfer to try to consolidate the faculties Weiner and Delight into one; it was unanimously shut down due to the 200-mile distance between the 2, however it’s laborious to shake the concept of a Weiner-Delight faculty. Anyway, this city of about 700 residents is in Poinsett County in Northeast Arkansas. Its authentic identify of West Prairie was outdated information when the railroad got here via city. The prepare station was named Weiner after a railroad official and the city turned generally known as the identical, although technically the city continues to be formally listed as West Prairie. From what I can inform on-line, the city doesn’t succumb to its identify, so we’ll maintain off on the inappropriate jokes for this one, however there are a lot. By the best way, the college mascot is the Cardinal, not the … weiner. MH

Tomato 

On a bend close to the Mississippi River in East Arkansas, the now unincorporated city of Tomato had different names in its previous — Canadian Attain and Cedar Touchdown, Mike Polston wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. However native custom says that whereas submitting for township on the submit workplace, (which was additionally the second smallest workplace within the nation in 1990) a neighborhood retailer proprietor requested for his daughter’s opinion for a city identify. As she was holding a can of tomatoes, she supposedly stated, “Oh, why not simply identify it Tomato?” Different lore states the port city as soon as had a tomato crate secured close to the river financial institution for deliveries. Ultimately, captains referred to the cease as Tomato. Due to its proximity to the river and flooding, the city buildings had been placed on log rollers and moved away a number of occasions. In the present day, solely farmland stays. MH

Flippin

Flippin is greatest generally known as the house of Ranger Boats, however the historical past of its identify is likely to be simply as noteworthy. It began within the early 1800s with a settlement within the space known as the Barrens, Eve West wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The proprietor of the overall retailer, based on native legend, was not happy with a peddler promoting stuff exterior his retailer, so he pushed him out of city with the assistance of a goat who head-butted the peddler in his behind. The city, in fact, then turned generally known as Goatville for some time. Actually. Because of a outstanding citizen named Thomas H. Flippin, the city took on the identify Flippin Barrens and, in 1921, it was formally named Flippin. In all honesty, we kind of miss Goatville. GC

Friendship 

The that means behind this Arkansas city is about as healthful as you’d hope it to be. In response to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, early residents determined to call this Scorching Spring County city as a mirrored image of the shut relationships amongst settlers within the space. I feel it makes every part on the town sound fairly cute; the Friendship Station for the Ouachita Hearth Division and the Friendship Baptist Church. Even the now-dormant, two-cell Friendship Jail sounds prefer it wouldn’t be too unhealthy of a keep. However with a dwindling inhabitants, solely about 150 residents occupy the city as we speak. MH

Fifty-Six 

In 1918, a settlement known as Newcomb utilized for a submit workplace however had its identify rejected,  Steven Teske wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. In substitution, the identify Fifty-Six — for the variety of the neighborhood’s faculty district — was chosen and by no means modified once more. Winding roads and water crossings result in Fifty-Six within the Ozark mountains of Stone County. It’s a nature-forward city with a small inhabitants of just below 200 people. You’ve most likely handed via on the best way to Blanchard Springs Caverns, the close by and breathtaking cave vacationer vacation spot. The world is gorgeous, with all the greatest The Pure State has to supply — Mirror Lake, forests, waterfalls and tenting below the brilliant, rural stars. The small city holds its personal with a lil’ nation retailer, a church and customer lodging. Numerical names should be a theme within the state; Arkansas additionally has the city Forty-4 in Izard County — supposedly for the variety of names on a petition to the postal division. MH