The Pines (Scott County)

The Pines is an unincorporated community in central Scott County located along Business Highway 71, just south of the town of Waldron (Scott County). The agricultural and timber industries have been important in the surrounding area for many years.

The area’s first inhabitants included natives from the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods. Archaeological evidence suggests that natives of the Caddo Nation made their homes along the Poteau River and other prominent waterways in the area. Thousands of archaeological sites can be found along the Fourche La Fave and Poteau River valleys nearby.

The people of the Choctaw Nation were present in various areas of Scott County from 1820 to 1830, as a result of the Treaty of Doak’s Stand, which exchanged some Mississippi land for a large portion of Arkansas Territory. White settlers began arriving in the area near The Pines in the early 1840s. People continued to settle the area through the early 1900s. Most families participated in a wide variety of agricultural practices.

The Civil War influenced people living in the area near The Pines as it did throughout the rest of the Confederacy. Men who were called to fight in the war served with both the Confederacy and Union. Women, children, and the elderly were often left to look after homes and farms.

After Reconstruction, a large influx of settlers moved to The Pines and the surrounding area. The town was reportedly named because of a number of pine log cabins that were once located in the area. The area was likely logged in the early twentieth century, making the town a strong logging community.

In 1931, the Arkansas Western Railroad built a southeasterly extension to the town of Forester (Scott County) in order to service the timber industry there, and a portion of the railroad went through The Pines. The extension was abandoned in 1954 after the Caddo Lumber Company sawmill went out of business.

Timber continues to be an important industry in the area in the twenty-first century. The Green Bay Packing Company owns a large timber lease just west of The Pines. Agriculture is also still present in the area, mostly in the form of cattle farms. The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses was built in The Pines but was vacated when the congregation constructed a new church building closer to Waldron. Several recreational opportunities are available near the community. The Waldron Police Shooting Range is located in the area, as well as Truman Baker Park, which features fishing and picnicking opportunities. Hunting is also a popular activity in the area.

For additional information:
Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.

Cate, Michael. History of Scott County, Arkansas. Dallas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1991.

Goodner, Norman. A History of Scott County, Arkansas. Siloam Springs, AR: Bar D Press, 1941.

McCutcheon, Henry Grady. History of Scott County, Arkansas. Little Rock: H. G. Pugh and Company, 1922.

Ty Richardson
Richardson Preservation Consulting