Mena, Arkansas
Mena (/miːnə/ MEE-nə) is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County.[4][5] The population was 5,637 as of 2000 census.
Mena is included in the Ark-La-Tex socio-economic region. Surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest, Mena is a gateway to some of the most visited tourist attractions in Arkansas.
History
Mena, 1907
Mena, 1907
The Mountain Fork Bridge is one of 14 sites in Mena listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The Mountain Fork Bridge is one of 14 sites in Mena listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Depot in Mena
Depot in Mena
Mena was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (now the Kansas City Southern), which stretched from Kansas City, Missouri to Port Arthur, Texas. Train service to Mena began in 1896.
Stilwell named the town in honor of Folmina Margaretha Janssen-De Goeijen, the wife of his friend and financier Jan De Goeijen, whom Mr. De Goeijen affectionately called Mena. Janssen Park in the center of Mena is also named for her.
Mena was settled in 1896, and incorporated on September 18, 1896.
In 1897, the Bank of Mena was founded. The following year, the county seat was moved from nearby Dallas, Arkansas to Mena.
Mena's population had grown to 3,423 by 1900.
The town's main industries were timber, agriculture and mineral extraction, though it was advertised as a spa city located within a healthy environment.
Stilwell donated land to the city in 1906, and a park and campground were constructed.
In 1910, the railroad moved its shop facilities from Mena to Heavener, Oklahoma, causing a loss of 800 jobs.
A private school in Mena, Hendrix Academy, closed in 1905.
In 1911, a damaging tornado struck the town.