Visit our Facebook Page "Discover Cherokee Village" or our website at: https://www.discovercherokeevillage.com/
John A. Cooper established Cherokee Village in 1954. In 1969, Cooper was instrumental in forming the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID) to provide fire security protection service, to provide, operate and maintain recreational facilities and to maintain the area's streets and roads.
Empowered under the laws of the state of Arkansas, the SID's Board of Commissioners assessed annual levies against property parcels to ensure the ability of the SID to meet its maintenance obligations.
In 1994, a group of military veterans met weekly at the Copper Feather to discuss their rights unavailable because of the lack of a representative governing body.
Interest grew in the idea of a ‘government’ and attendance swelled. Citizens began to talk “incorporation.” The idea caught hold and the citizens formed a group initially labeled the “Concerned Citizens Committee.” Those involved volunteered to serve as officers for the group and the officers, in addition to appointing a board of directors and committees, solicited the aid of attorney. The group obtained 501-C-3 status as a corporation and on December 14, 1995, the Concerned Citizens Committee and Board of Directors became a reality.
Three volunteers who unselfishly contributed countless hours, a great effort, indomitable spirit, boundless enthusiasm and support to their fellow team members, passed away during or shortly after the incorporation project. Everett Compton, Paul Eastman and Murray Rudd are memorialized with a plaque and three Bradford pear trees located in the parkway at Town Center.
To solicit citizen signatures on a petition for presentation to the Sharp and Fulton County judges, the committee began drafting a White Paper based on a format used by another Cooper Community seeking incorporation. The paper explained what would be required to incorporate, what the results of incorporation would mean for the citizens and for the existing governing entity, the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District 1, how the city would finance itself, and what benefits of incorporation would accrue should incorporation become a reality.
When the Board of Directors decided that the White Paper answered everyone’s questions satisfactorily and that sufficient numbers of signatures petitioning incorporation were documented, the formal request for incorporation took place at Omaha Center on December 20, 1996 before both the Sharp and Fulton County Judges.
On January 31, 1997, the Fulton County Judge signed a court order stating that there were no impediments in the petition to incorporate. Cherokee Village West was born. Elections produced a mayor, Marjorie A. Rogers, a city clerk, Susan Maynard and a council comprised of Fritz Lorentzen, Hobie Weisman, Jay Torbit, Buddy White and Allen Maxedon.
On February 6, 1997, the Sharp County Judge denied the petitioners. A subsequent vote for annexation (with Cherokee Village West and the annexed citizens in Sharp County participating) made the city of Cherokee Village a unified city on April 28, 1998. The Sharp County Judge the court order on April 30.
In November of the same year, another election named Marjorie Rogers as mayor, Susan Maynard as clerk, and the council was expanded to include wards determined by census statistics for the entire city. The council increased from five to eight (with two persons representing each ward, at large) and the following took seats at the council table: Tom Paul, Ray Torbit, Dan Dennis, Roger Radebaugh, Jay Torbit, Joe Waggoner, Louisa Relyea and Marty Betz.
Excitement and energy caught on and the mayor’s wise and aggressive leadership, along with an enthusiastic, dedicated and supportive council established twice monthly meetings. These efforts produced committees to address immediate needs of planning and zoning, roads, police, animal control and airport affiliation.
The city contracted with SID to assume responsibility for security, fire protection and road maintenance. In 2000, the city hired the first police chief, commanding a force comprised of a lieutenant and four patrolmen to satisfy state statutes as a city of the first class with a population of 4,868. Cherokee Village became the largest city among the three counties of Sharp, Fulton and Izard counties. Shortly thereafter, city coffers were enriched through the establishment and fine collection system of a municipal court.
In April 2000, the mayor, clerk, council, police department and building inspector moved into new quarters. Town Center’s defunct and vacant grocery store became the property of the city. Hours and hours of volunteer labor preceded the move-as many as 15-20 people at a time were sanding, sawing and painting to put on the finishing touches. The mayor’s staff capped the project by decorating the building throughout.
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Hardy, Arkansas, is located in Sharp County in the north-central portion of the state. The town sits at 377 ft. elevation and has a population of 772 (2010 US Census). Founded in 1883, Hardy began as a railroad town and grew into one of the premier tourism destinations in the region. Because of its beautiful setting on the Spring River, the town has always been a mecca for those wishing to trade the hustle and bustle of the city for relaxation and fun.
Today, Hardy is home to historic buildings, artisans, antique shops, museums, restaurants, lodging options and river outfitters.
We invite all visitors to our area to visit our Tourism site provided by our Advertisement & Promotions Commission at this site: Visit Hardy Arkansas
or visit our Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HardyCAPC for information on upcoming events.
The History of Hardy ~
Located in northern Arkansas on the Spring River, Hardy (Sharp County) was established in 1883 as a result of the construction of the Kansas City, Springfield, and Memphis Railroad. The town emerged in the twentieth century as a popular tourist destination for Mid-southerners seeking the natural beauty of the Ozark foothills.
The Arkansas General Assembly’s 1867 decision to pay companies $10,000 for every mile of track laid led to a statewide boom in railway construction. The Kansas City, Springfield, and Memphis Railroad through Arkansas was built, at least in part, because of this incentive.
Named for railroad contractor James A. Hardy of Batesville (Independence County), the town was developed on 600 acres of land by early settler Walker Clayton in 1883 to service the needs of travelers. Residents wanted to name the town Forty Islands after a nearby creek, but the U.S. Post Office insisted on Hardy because that designation was used to deliver mail to railroad workers in the area. This was not the last time an outsider influenced the direction of Hardy’s development.
When Hardy was incorporated, it was far removed from the county seat in Evening Shade. Feeling isolated from their government, Hardy residents complained to the General Assembly for a solution to the problems of distance and poor roads. In 1894, the state divided Sharp County into two sections, with Hardy named county seat of the Northern District. A court was established along with other government offices, which increased Hardy’s population to 347 people by 1900. As the twentieth century progressed, better roads made the dual-county-seat structure unnecessary, so Ash Flat was designated the county seat in 1963.
In 1908, Memphis physician George Gillespie Buford and his wife were temporarily stranded in Hardy when their train experienced a mechanical failure. The couple climbed Wahpeton Hill on the south bank of the Spring River and was charmed by the area’s natural beauty. The following year, the Bufords purchased fifty acres on Wahpeton, where they built a summer cottage.
Over the next few years, Buford expanded his land holdings by purchasing the nearby Jordan and East Wahpeton hills. In 1912, the Memphis physician constructed ten cottages for summer visitors on his newly acquired property, which he named Wahpeton Inn. Blytheville (Mississippi County) native L. L. Ward opened a second resort, Rio Vista, in 1932. In addition to the resorts, several Memphis youth organizations established summer camps near Hardy. The Girl Scouts established Camp Kiwani in 1920; Miramichee was built by the YWCA in 1916, and the Boy Scouts constructed Kia Kima in 1916. In addition to the railroad, bus service also connected Hardy to the rest of the world. By 1930, the town held 508 permanent residents, but its visitor population swelled to 1,000 per day between July and September.
The tourism boom spawned by Wahpeton, Rio Vista, and the summer camps in turn led to economic growth. By 1920, two blocks of Main Street were filled with several businesses, including a bank, two cafés, two drug stores, a Ford automobile dealership, and a grocery. Town leaders—perhaps most notably drugstore-owner William Johnston—tirelessly promoted Hardy as a place where city dwellers could find relaxation. In an interview with a Memphis Press-Scimitar reporter, Johnston boasted that Hardy had the “finest fishing in the world….” Although most residents welcomed tourists, some townspeople found it difficult to adjust as the average population increased by thousands during the summer months. In 1935, café owner Tennie Meeker exclaimed: “You take a big trainload of people and dump them down suddenly in a small town like Hardy, and it nearly works everybody to death.”
As the twentieth century progressed, tourists increasingly relied on automobiles to travel to the Spring River area. Resting near the intersection of national highways 62 and 63, Hardy was easily accessible for those who traveled by car. When large-scale federal highway construction began in the 1950s, the tourism population shifted from long-term visitors to those looking for a weekend getaway. Recognizing this trend, the Wahpeton resort individually sold its cottages in 1953.
The established tourism industry in Hardy was augmented in 1955 with the construction of retirement homes by West Memphis (Crittenden County) developer John Cooper. The founding of Cherokee Village (Sharp County) increased tourism to the Ozark foothills, and within a decade, the Hardy area was recognized as an important retirement center. In 1968, the Arkansaw Traveller Folk Theater was established in Hardy to preserve the culture of the Ozarks. When the railroad depot closed in the 1970s, some Main Street businesses relocated. This relocation accelerated when the Spring River flooded in December 1982. In their place, shops specializing in antiques and crafts were opened, which, along with the draw of the Ozarks’ natural beauty, has helped Hardy remain a popular tourist destination. Stop by our town and check our our shops and river and stay awhile.
Article Information: G. Wayne Dowdy
Memphis Public Library and Information Center Reprinted In Part From http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1271 (The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture) Photographs provided by submission from site visitors.
https://www.facebook.com/HardyCAPC/videos/848038725353683/
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Care Coordination
We provide assistance with navigating the confusing maze of senior care. With the use of health information and technology, we promote health and wellness to both consumers and family members.
Our Care Managers provide a single point of contact to evaluate your needs and monitor to ensure the best and most appropriate services and care are being provided.
We not only coordinate services our agency offers but also assist in the transitional care and coordination of services among other providers in your area.
Information and Assistance
Based on your needs, our Information Specialist and Care Manager will begin the process of determining exactly how programs and services can help you. They will assist and explain many options for your care.
Care Planning and Management
Development of the care plan based on the needs of the consumer identified through a comprehensive assessment.
Coordination of social and medical services needed including those available through WRAAA or other non-AAA sources.
Communication and coordination with family support.
Ongoing care management, monitoring and follow-up
General referral services (financial, legal, housing, and healthcare)
Communication and referrals to service providers regarding services to be rendered by consumer as part of care plan
Ordering Medical supplies (DME)
Offering alternatives in ordering and receiving medical supplies. Incontinence supplies such as diapers, liners and under pads; bedside commodes; walkers; canes; and more can be directly shipped to the home.
Prescription Management
Family Caregiver Program
This Program supports Caregivers caring for a relative 60+ in the home to reduce the burden and stress of caregiving. It also provides assistance with some costs of care, education, emotional support, and information and referral.
Applications (public and private assistance)
Medicare Prescription Drug Counseling
Advocate and assist with Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits
Transportation needs
Nutrition & Wellness
The Area Agency on Aging administers a contract with various agencies to provide nutrition and wellness programs. These programs offer a place where participants can engage in community services that can help them stay healthy and independent by offering a wide variety of programs and services, including Meals and Nutrition Programs, Social & Recreational Activities, Wellness Programs, Transportation Services and Senior Center Volunteer Programs.
These programs are available through senior centers in the following counties in our service area:
Senior Living
We are pleased to offer two types of living options to Seniors in our area.
Our Assisted Living Facility located at 302 Woodmont Circle, Batesville Arkansas
Affordable Housing for eligible seniors in 12 different locations.
Community Services
We offer supportive services to our community in three different areas.
Our Foster Grandparent Programs offer assistance to children in our local schools
The Ombudsman Program advocates for residents residing in long term care facilities
Our Ticket to Work Program assist individuals with disabilities obtain employment
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