Oak Grove[s] (Clark County)

At least three communities in Clark County have had the name Oak Grove. One is located in the southeastern corner of the county, one is located in the northwestern portion, and one was located near the middle of the county.

Oak Grove Community Church served as the center of the community in the southeastern part of the county. Located near the Kansas (Clark County) community, the church was organized at an unknown date in the late nineteenth century. Serving as both a church and a school, the original building was constructed of split logs. This building burned around 1902. A replacement was constructed and continued to operate until the late twentieth century. In 1992, the church was still used for funerals and other special events, but it was no longer in use by 2019.

The area around the church was first settled in the 1840s and 1850s when land patents were obtained by numerous individuals, although the records do not indicate who obtained the plot on which the church sits. The area appears much as it did at that period, with few homes. Most of the area is used for timber growth, and the Easley Cemetery, located about a quarter of a mile to the northwest, continues to be active in the twenty-first century.

The second Oak Grove is located about one mile northeast of the Fendley (Clark County) community. Consisting of a few scattered homes, a church also named Oak Grove Community Church, and an attached cemetery, this community is closely associated with Fendley. The church continues to be active in the twenty-first century.

A third community called Oak Grove was located near the town of Beirne (Clark County) and had a school that operated during the 1892–93 academic year. Little information about this historic community is available.

For additional information:
Richter, Wendy, et al. Clark County Arkansas: Past and Present. Arkadelphia, AR: Clark County Historical Association, 1992.

David Sesser
Henderson State University