Altheimer, Arkansas

Altheimer is a second-class city in Jefferson County, Arkansas. The community is located near the Arkansas River northeast of Pine Bluff, placing it in a transition zone between the Arkansas Timberlands and Arkansas River lowlands subregion of the Arkansas Delta. Founded as a railroad town along the Cotton Belt, the city flourished from the cotton industry until mechanization on the farm began to replace farmhands in the fields in the mid-20th century. Altheimer is located in the Pine Bluff metropolitan area, and has seen a decrease in population to 984 at the 2010 census.

Altheimer
Altheimer Location in Arkansas.
Coordinates: 34°19′19″N 91°50′46″W

History

Eponym

The city of Altheimer was founded in 1884 by Louis Altheimer, a planter and business owner of German-Jewish descent. Altheimer, who was born in Darmstadt-Eberstadt in 1850, read stories by German adventurer Frederick Gerstacker telling of the rich natural resources in Arkansas, and left for the United States as a teenager, eventually settling in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Louis Altheimer brought his brother Joseph with him to the land that would eventually bear their name. Joseph's son, Benjamin J. Altheimer, became a successful attorney, establishing the prominent Chicago law firm of Altheimer, Mayer, Woods, and Smith (later known as Altheimer & Gray), and serving twice as president of Chicago's Iroquois Club, the city's oldest Democratic Party political club. Ben Altheimer owned 15,000 acres (61 km²) of land in Arkansas. His foundation, the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation, provided scholarships and funding for projects in the city of Altheimer and throughout the state and continues today as the Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Geography

Altheimer is located at 34°19′19″N 91°50′46″W (34.321827, −91.846240).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.6 km²), all land. Altheimer is part of Timberlands Region of Arkansas, a region rich in natural resources that was discovered by pioneers from the Eastern United States in the early 19th century. Deer hunting, bass fishing, timber and oil are plentiful in this area.

Arts and culture

Tourism

Altheimer's history is on display for residents and tourists in the form of many restored pioneer-era log cabins, Victorian eraplantation homes and museums. One of the most prominent locations is The Elms, a former plantation house on the Collier Estate built in 1886, renovated by Ben Altheimer in the 1930s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Elms is open to the public for retreats, family reunions and tours. Also located on the property are the Elms Duck Lodges, which provide hunting and fishing in the private lake and pond. Roselawn, also known as the Collier-Barnett House, was built in 1875 and added to National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Lake Dick  is an oxbow lake located four miles (6 km) south of Altheimer. This area formerly held farmsteads of eighty Caucasian families who were moved into the area in 1936 as part of the Farm Security Administration. The lake was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altheimer,_Arkansas

Classifieds in Altheimer