Oil Trough Sign

Historical marker at Oil Trough (Independence County); 2010. The text reads:
When the white man came into the White River valley, Oil Trough Bottom was covered with a dense canebrake inhabited by bear. Early hunters rendered the bear oil and stored it in troughs made from hollowed out tree trunks. Use of these troughs is the legendary origin of the name. A post office was opened here as Pleasant Island in 1832 and the name was changed to Oil Trough in 1849. Oil Trough Bottom has been known widely for its productive soil in growing corn, cotton, grain, and soybeans.

Photo by Guy Lancaster