March 18, 1890

Early Benton County settler Sylvanus Blackburn died. His wife had died five days earlier; as the story goes, he directed that her grave be dug but not closed until he was buried beside her. Blackburn is noted for building the first gristmill in Benton County, locating his mill on War Eagle River. After selecting a site, Blackburn built a home, followed by a gristmill, blacksmith shop, carpentry shop, sawmill, and school. As of 2019, Blackburn’s two-story home still stands, while a 1973 reproduction of the mill sits on its original spot. War Eagle Mill is Arkansas’s only remaining working mill. This is also the site of the well-known annual War Eagle Fair, established in 1954 and held each year in October.