Early Arkansas, In Beauty They Walked....

As was the case throughout the US, the history of Bella Vista, Arkansas begins with the Native Americans who lived and hunted here in the Ozarks.  Artifacts have been found throughout the area, many of which are on display at the Bella Vista, Museum located at the bottom of Kingsland Road on 71 highway.

Arkansas, in it's entirety, was part of the Louisiana Purchase arranged by then president, Thomas Jefferson, with the French, who laid claim to the lands.  After the purchase, settlers began migrating from the east and settling in the area.  Arkansas became the 25th state of the United States on June 15, 1836.

Arkansas, as a cotton growing state, was a slave holding state, fighting on the side of the south during the Civil War.  Battles and skirmishes took place throughout Arkansas, two of the largest right here in Northwest Arkansas.  The Siege of Fayetteville and the Battle of Pea Ridge.  The Pea Ridge National Military park is 4300 acres and honors the men who fought and died there, on both sides of the battle. 

For a very comprehensive look at the battles and skirmishes fought by the Arkansas Militia Click Here.

After the war, more and more settlers moved into the area, mostly in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville.  The OZARK hills with it's rocky grounds and dense Oak/Hickory forests made living in the area difficult.  The area was made up of homesteads spaced a goodly distance apart.

Those same OZARK hills that made farming and getting around difficult, however, allowed for lush forests and beautiful scenery, which did not go unnoticed. 

An Eye For Beauty!  Many eyes in fact...

Before the widespread use of air conditioning, and with the widespread use of the automobile, attractive lush green places with lots of trees and cool spring water were in demand.  Especially if they were accessible by road.  The Valley in the midst of the OZARK Hills in Northwest Arkansas fit the bill perfectly.

At least that was the thoughts the various visionaries who each did their part in bringing this beautiful area of the Ozarks to the attention of first hundreds, and then thousands of people!

The Bakers

The first visionaries was Presbyterian Minister,  Rev. William Baker and his wife, Mary.  They inherited some property in the area and visualized sharing it with others by creating a resort.  They started by building a dam across Sugar Creek and plotted a subdivision with the intention of selling Lots.  It's around this time that the name, Bella Vista, was first used.  Bella Vista is said to originate from the Spanish, and means Beautiful Site.

The Bakers sold some lots in their new recreation development, and in anticipation of further growth, they created the Smith-Baker Land Company.   It wasn't long before their efforts were noticed by land developers from Texas.  In 1916 the Bakers decided to sell Bell Vista, most likely because the offer to purchase was too good to turn down.

Although the new owners had come from Dallas, where they lived and worked, they had actually grown up in Northwest Arkansas.  With the purchase of the Bella Vista resort,  The Linebarger Brothers were coming home!

The brothers were successful real estate developers in Texas, having built and developed the town of Tomball, Texas.   Forest W., Clayton C., and Clarence A. Linebarger were ready for a new venture and Bella Vista was right up their Alley!

From a 1932 postcard - C.W. Linebarger Summer Cabin
This old cabin is still standing and can be seen  behind Arkansas Visitor's center on 71 HWY. 

For the next 35 Years the Brother's expanded Bella Vista into a 1st class resort that brought summer visitors from throughout the United States!   After the resort was well established the two older brothers went back to Dallas to run the Real Estate interests there, leaving the youngest brother, C. A. Linebarger, in Bella Vista to oversea the day to day business of the Bella Vista Resort!  

Under C.A.'s guidance thousands of visitors found a summer Mecca, away from the unbearable heat and stuffiness of larger cities.  Often whole families would come to Bella Vista to stay the summer, while the husbands would stay in the cities and come to Bella Vista to visit their families on the weekends. 

Just as today many Bella Vistians head to Florida or South Texas during the winter, then families did the same, only reversing the seasons, leaving their homes in the summer and returning in winter.

During the Linebarger years C.A. was directly responsible for the development of the Sunset Hotel and the Wonderland Cave nightclub, both hotspots during the heyday of the "Linebarger" years of Bella Vista, Arkansas. 

With changes brought about after the war, better roads, more reliable automobiles, the springing up of the roadside hotels and inns, Americans began traveling the highways and byways, forgoing spending summers at a time at inclusive resorts.  The older Linebargers had, by now, passed along most their interests in Bella Vista to C.A. and he saw the handwriting on the wall.  Having been a widower for some years, C.A. decided it was time to hunt for a new owner of the Bella Vista resort and to retire himself.

The timing couldn't have been better for Cave Springs resident and businessman, E.L. Keith.  Keith had just finished developing a small recreation area around a lake he had named for himself, Keith Lake, and was ready to take on a larger project.  He found that project in the aging Bella Vista Resort.  C.A. Linebarger could now spend his days fishing his beloved Sugar Creek and leave the resort business up to new owner E.L. Keith!

E.L. enjoyed his new project for 10 years, pouring his soul, as well as his money, into the resort, improving many of the amenities. Keith deepening and further developing Lake Bella Vista, rebuilt the concrete pool which had fallen into disrepair in the later Linebarger yeart, increasing operations of the popular riding stables bringing in as many as 40 horses that were brought in for the summers.  He built a grocery store, 30 unit Motel and popular restaurant along highway 71 which attracted more then simply resort visitors.   Keith also added to his property holdings by buying additional acreage with the intentions of building a housing subdivision.

According to the brochure above, from the 1960s, Bella Vista is ideally located in Mid-America's beautiful OZARK Mountains and is one of the Nation's finest communities.  It fulfills your vacation dreams with a full range of outdoor activities and with social and recreational facilities for every age.  

Keith loved his Bella Vista resort, but it is true what they say...everything has a price!  No one knew this better then the owner of an organization called the Cherokee Village Development Company who was scouting for an area of the county in which to develop a recreation/retirement community with a view to the future! 

Although Keith sold after only a decade of being the guiding force of Bella Vista's growth, he never regretted the move, and remained a staunch supporter of Bella Vista and of all the growth  that was happening in Bella Vista during the Cooper years! 

He could often be seen walking the trails, fishing in the lakes and waving to new comers and olbies with a smile!

Awash with the success of  the real estate development venture, Cherokee Village, Arkansas, John Cooper Sr. was scouting Northwest Arkansas with the idea of another vacation and retirement resort in mind. Having hunted and fished this beautiful area of the Ozarks, this area was a natural choice for John Cooper, Sr.  It's said that when John Cooper stood on one of the ridges of the Ozark hills here in Bella Vista, his vision was as large Bella Vista is today! 

Far seeing, even before he signed on the dotted line to purchase the Bella Vista resort from E.L. Keith, the Cherokee Village Development Company began buying up farms and land north of the current village on both the east and west sides of highway 71.  It's said that eventually they owned until an estimated 16,000 acres.  

Cooper's purchase of the "old" Bella Vista Resort was completed in 1963, giving Cooper the right to use the Bella Vista name and it's reputation, both crucial when Cooper began adverting lots for sale in this new planned community of his! 

Everything that we experience today, the magnificent golf course, the beautiful lakes, the Country Club, Roidan Hall, Metcalf Clubhouse, Branchwood Clubhouse, Loch Lomond Marina and Clubhouse, the tennis courts, the walking trails...the life we all live here in Bella Vista....all of it is because of the vision of John Cooper Sr. which was carried on by John Cooper Jr.

The Cherokee Village Development company went onto become Cooper Communities, Inc., and, although Bella Vista is no longer owned by CCI, they still own much of the undeveloped land west of Forest Hills Blvd. as well as commercial land throughout Bella Vista.    

Today Bella Vista is a full fledged city.  We've come a very long way since the Baker's first dared to damn sugar creek and create a recreation lake in the early 1900's.   

I think if they could see us today, the Rev. William and Mary Baker, F. W., C. C., C. A. (and his wife, Regina) Linebarger,  E. L. and Ilda Keith and John. A. and Mildred B. Cooper couldn't help but be proud of being a part of such a dynamic and beautiful community as Bella Vista, Arkansas!

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For a more in-depth history of Bella Vista, Arkansas, visit the Bella Vista Museum located, next to the old stone VFW building on the corner of Kingsland and 71 Highway.

Above is a painting and below is a photograph of the Bella Vista Riding Stables which was torn down in 2006 to make way for Bella Vista Elementary School, the 1st school built in Bella Vista..

This stables was a part of the old Knot's farm and was a part of Bella Vista from the early days, serving as a riding stables during the Keith and Cooper years.

Click on the painting or photograph to see the larger image of this wonderful historical painting by local artist, Charles Harrington.

To learn of other great artists in the area, be sure to check out The Village Art Club.

HISTORY page two shares the history of Bella Vista Through the Eyes of Those Who Were a Part of It!  

HISTORY PAGE 2