Ghost towns are full of wonder. Why not check out what Arkansas has to offer?

I am fascinated by ghost towns. Aside from the obvious question of why is this place abandoned, I like to try to imagine what life was like when that town was booming. Was this the place to be on a Friday night? What did this town dream for itself back in the day? Maybe this stems from the fact that I'm from a tiny mining town in California that is rich in Gold Rush history.

Ghost towns can be really fun to visit.

There are quite a few ghost towns in the state of Arkansas. Wikipedia lists 20 different ones. You could easily to travel to any of them, if you're willing to commit to it. There are also some towns you could make it to and from within a day.

Daleville, Arkansas - 1 hour, 20 minutes

Daleville was born in the 1886 and was the home of the Arkadelphia Lumber Company. It was named after a doctor who invested heavily in the company, Dr. J. R. Dale. By 1906, the company had outgrown its resources and means of transportation which forced them to leave the area. By then, the company was primarily funded by a man named William Grayson from St. Louis. The area saw little to no residents over the years. Today the mill is now owned by Daily Lumber Company.

Graysonia, Arkansas - 1 hour, 29 minutes

Graysonia was essentially born out of Daleville. After William Grayson became the majority stockholder in Arkadelphia Lumber Company, he relocated operations to a new area that was then named after him. Graysonia rapidly grew after its naming and became a booming lumber town during World War I, becoming one of the most productive in the south. The town had a movie theater, hotels, a school and a church. Once again the company began to outgrow its resources and a new shareholder wanted to move the company elsewhere. The Great Depression was the straw that broke the camels back for Graysonia. Much of the mill's equipment was moved in 1937 and the post office closed in 1950. The last known resident left in 1951.

Kimberly, Arkansas - 1 hour, 14 minutes

Kimberly began in 1908, but was nothing more than a flash in the pan. It started as a land-development project after Millard M. Mauney saw a business opportunity in the newly discovered diamond field. It was only a half-mile away and there was a railroad expected to be built cutting right through Kimberly. Businesses began to pop up like a bank, a three-story hotel and a general store. There were even plans for a club. However, due to the lack diamond discoveries, the idea fizzled and investors began to pull their money. The area of Kimberly has been incorporated into Murfreesboro.

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