May 1, 1939

The town of Big Flat, one of the earliest settlements in northern Arkansas, was officially incorporated. Big Flat is located along State Highway 14; it sits mostly in Baxter County but also straddles the Searcy County line. Named for a plateau in the Ozark Mountains, Big Flat was visited by indigenous groups for thousands of years before white settlers began to arrive in 1820. The community and surrounding farms were devastated by bushwhackers during the Civil War, with its buildings being rebuilt during the 1870s. The timber industry began investing in the area soon after and was one of the most significant employers of Big Flat residents.