AREA HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
Our area topography is generally flat, fertile, agricultural land with the exception of the unique geological formation known as Crowley's Ridge.  The ridge forms a north-south highland some 300 feet above sea level and three miles wide through the middle of St. Francis County, and is the only formation of its kind in the United States.

Some of the earliest inhabitants of our area were Cherokee Indians who lived on a beautiful, clear creek now known as Village Creek.  The area where the Indians lived is now the largest state park in Arkansas, Village Creek State Park.

Originally recognized by the Arkansas Territorial Legislature on October 13, 1827, St. Francis County was originally a part of Phillips County.  The history of the county is displayed at the St. Francis County Museum, one of the designated hospitality centers for the Arkansas Scenic Byway that winds through Forrest City.  Named for the St. Francis River, a major route for pioneer traffic, the county is currently divided into ten municipalities. Forrest City incorporated in 1871, is the county seat. The county also encompasses the towns of Caldwell, Colt, Goodwin, Heth, Hughes, Madison, Palestine, Wheatley, and Widener, each town with its own distinct identity.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, a famous Confederate general, became interested in the area around Crowley's Ridge during the Civil War.  After the war was over, he contracted with railroad companies in Memphis and Little Rock to cut through the ridge and succeeded in linking the two cities by rail.  The first trains came through in 1868.  General Forrest later built a commissary on what is now known as Front Street.  Forrest City got its name from General Forrest's workers who were mostly former Confederate soldiers and Irish immigrants.  Forrest's "camp" was incorporated as Forrest City, May 11, 1870 and now has a population of over 14,000.

CLIMATE
Seasonal Averages
   Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43 Degrees
   Spring  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63 Degrees
   Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  82 Degrees
   Fall  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63 Degrees
   Rainfall, Annual Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Inches
   Snowfall, Annual Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3.4 Inches
   Frost Free Growing Days  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220


DEMOGRAPHICS
Forrest City, the county seat of St. Francis County, is located in the east central part of the state. St. Fancis County contains an area  of 407,041 acres.
The population of St. Fancis County is 29,329 and Forrest City's population is 14,774.

For more detailed demographic information on St. Francis County, click on the link below.