Pictures of chickens, flowers, wheat, a boy looking through a magnifying glass, irrigation pipe, soybean pods, and fruits and vegetables.

Cooperative Extension Service

Search | Publications | Jobs | Personnel Directory | Links
County Offices | Departments

About Us

Find Us

For the Media

Agriculture

Business & Communities

Arkansas Procurement
      Assistant Center
      (APAC)
Economic Development
Leadership Development
Taxes
Visioning and
      Strategic Planning
Volunteer Organizations

Links
Newsletters

Families & Consumers

Health & Nutrition

Home & Garden

Natural Resources

4-H Youth Development

Public Policy Center

For Faculty & Staff

Giving

Division Home

Agricultural Experiment
      Station Home

Cooperative Extension
      Service Home

VisionWorks' Breakthrough Solutions
Community and Regional Success Stories
McNab – The Small Town That Never Gave Up – November 2003

McNabb Gathers to Celebrate Their New Park

This an amazing story about a community of just under 60 people. On October, 10, the city of McNab, Arkansas dedicated a park with a brand new pavilion and children’s playground, another great success for this small community in western Hempstead County. Nearly 100 people attended the dedication, including local and state elected officials, as well as representatives from state and federal agencies. The community also plans to install a walking trail, water park, soccer field, and softball field in the park. Dr. Mark Peterson was the keynote speaker for the dedication.

The new pavilion and playground build on the success of the community’s Twin Rivers Festival, held each April.

• Nearly 2000 people came out for the two-day festival in 2002, which was held on a 40-acre open field.
   
• The festival included 29 vendors with arts and crafts, antique cars, a domino tournament, arm wrestling tournament, a sack race for children. Fourteen gospel choir groups came from all over to perform, the high school band played, and 750 people went to church under a big tent on Sunday morning.

Twenty five years ago, the community’s population was 300, with 12 stores, a post office, and a school. "In 15 to 20 years, we believe we are going to have our city back," states Mayor James T. Conway. "We are looking for sites for a multi-cultural community center; we are planning for water and sewer; International Paper has donated 480 acres of land for commercial and warehouse space for the Poulan and Weedeater companies located at Hope." McNab has done a great job of tapping resources, including Judy Davis with the Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation, and other resources.

"We are excited about it all. If it had not been for VISION 2010 giving us insight into what small towns can do, we would never have been successful," states Mayor Conway. "We went through six or seven VISION 2010 seminars and learned how small communities can partner with each other. That is what we are doing."

Back to Community and Regional Success Stories