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| History of Siloam Springs; Our earliest history dates to 1835 when Simon Sager settled on a farm one mile west of what is now the City of Siloam Springs. The 28 springs along the creek were named in his honor, "Sager Creek". His original dwelling has been restored and is now located on the campus of John Brown University. The first settlement was called Hico, and in 1884 Caldeen D. Gunter settled there. At about this time the Hico Post Office was established. This was later moved to Siloam City (Siloam Springs). Hico was a prominent trading post with the Cherokee nation and consisted of two stores and a mill. In 1879 it was discovered that the waters contained medicinal qualities and the establishment of a summer resort began. The first anniversary of the town was celebrated on the 24th of June. In March 1880, J.V. Hargrove laid out the original plat of Siloam City. The name was later changed to Siloam Springs. Due to the reputation gained as a summer resort and the prospect of the railroad through town, the town was incorporated during its first year of existence on December 22, 1881, with a population of over 3,000. After this initial "boom" many of the transient residents returned to their homes and the population dwindled to about half. This was the only time in the history of the town that the population dwindled so rapidly. The first newspaper for the town of Siloam Springs was established in 1880 by Thomas Gallagher and was know as the "Sun". Other early papers were the Globe, Arkansas Herald, and the Locomotive. In 1892 the town experienced a great flood which took two lives and destroyed much of the downtown area. Rebuilding began immediately and, since that time, the town has sustained a steady growth pattern.The coming of the railroad in 1897 stepped up the economy of western Benton County. Orchards, poultry products, hides, wool, beef and all agricultural products found a ready market with the City of Siloam Springs serving as the shipping point and trade center. This trade center remains today, and is a great advantage to industry. In 1919 John E. Brown, Sr. founded the Southwestern Collegiate Institute in the City of Siloam Springs. In 1920 the name was changed to John E. Brown College, and in 1934 the name was again changed to John Brown University. Today the school has an enrollment of over 1,500 students and is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and by the Arkansas State Department of Education as a four-year college. At an altitude of 1,183 feet above sea level, the climate consists of an average temperature of 58.4 degrees and an average rainfall of 41.75 inches. Snow is usually at a premium and makes few appearances during the season, and spring brings an abundance of beautiful Dogwoods. The census count of 2006 put the population count at 13,990. Dogwood festival every year. Located in Northwest Arkansas, Siloam Springs is a vibrant & growing community. With a spirit of volunteerism, friendly atmosphere, & abundant natural beauty, Siloam Springs offers a high quality of life in a setting that is unique & attractive. City services & strong local government make Siloam Springs a clean, safe & enjoyable place to live and work. It´s a natural3;for businessOur location, government, and workforce create a vibrant business environment. Siloam Springs offers a strong base of industrial businesses and a growing community of small businesses to meet retail, entertainment and service needs of residents and workforce. The City offers a variety of services focused on supporting the community & encourages businesses to contact officials with any concerns, suggestions, or requests. Similarly, the City is available to satisfy a variety needs experienced by members of the business community. From location scouting to navigating permits and paperwork to expanding operations, the City is available to provide assistance to business and industry in any way possible |
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Siloam Springs Public Library, 401 West University Street, Siloam
Springs: City Administration Building, 400 North Broadway, Siloam
Springs: Town Hall,4880 Cedar Drive, West Siloam Springs:
Oklahoma AHTD District NineEngineer´s Office, 4590 Highway 65
South, Harrison AHTD District Nine Resident Engineer´s Office,
3700 Highway 112, Bentonville, Ar. 72712 |
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Mayor: M.L. Van Poucke Jr. On behalf of the City´s Board of Directors
& staff, welcome to the City of Siloam Springs! As Mayor, I´m pleased
to introduce you to our City. Our web page has been updated recently; I hope you enjoy what you see. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the site. It was modified to give you an exclusive look at how the City operates. I hope the images will help to tell the story of the City´s unique beauty & ideal location. Commemorating over a century of community, progress, & purpose, we have evolved from a small trade town to a city of nearly 14,000 people. Thecity is contemporary & forward thinking, yet tries to retain much of its historic charm, especially in the downtown area. Through careful planning, we have set and maintained the highest standards in housing, schools, business and infrastructure expansion, with many recreational activities to offer and a constant awareness of the public´s safety. We believe our mild climate, progressive economy, and strategic location make the area ideal for future planned growth. If you have questions or comments about anything you see
on the site, we´d love to hear from you. Thank you for your interest in Siloam Springs. I hope you´ll visit us often...Mayor M.L. Van Poucke, Jr |
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Population and Housing Statistics for Siloam Springs (9-9-05)
On average, the City´s housing stock increases by 179 units per year, this is an average increase of 4 % per year. From 2001 ? 2005, the City´s population increases on average by 585 a year, this is an average increase of 4.2 % per year. The population increase range within the last five years has been 281 in 2001 to 1047 in 2003, this number fluctuates. The average percentage rate of increase for population is 0.44 % per year. Taking historic figures and housing starts data and extrapolating this forward, the current estimated City population is 13,926.
General Information; Siloam Springs, population of over 14,000 (2004), sits on U.S. Highway 412 at the Oklahoma state line, 25 minutes from Interstate Highway 540. Highway 412 at Siloam Springs is the number one non-Interstate entrance into the state of Arkansas with daily averages of 26,000 cars per day, according to AHTD. Only Interstate 30 at Texarkana and Interstate 40 at Memphis handles more traffic into the state.
Northwest Arkansas unemployment rate hovers around 2.5% while the unemployment rate just across the state line in Oklahoma ranges from 6% to 8%.
The Siloam Springs marketing area is 93,000 people (2000 census figures)
The Siloam Springs MSA was selected as the number one economy in the nation by the Milken Institute, June 2003 ("Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers" MSA which actually covers Benton and Washington County) The Siloam Springs MSA was selected as the number seven economy in the nation by the Milken Institute, August 2004 ("Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers" MSA which actually covers Benton and Washington County)
Housing: Over 900 residential building lots are platted and in some phase of development process in the northeast section of the community Our county, Benton, is the 3rd fastest growing county in the nation while our MSA is the sixth fastest (1990-2000)
Direction of Residential Growth; The direction of our residential growth is northeast.
Direction of Commercial Growth; The direction of our commercial growth is northeast.Shopping Centers; There are several new shopping center developments over the last five years: 2000 - Time Square (11 units)(central part of town) and Wal-Mart Super Center (east part of town), 2002 - Ravenwood Plaza (10 units) (east part of town), 2004 - Sunrise Plaza (five units) (east part of town) and four new units in front of the Wal-Mart Super center (east part of town).
Alcohol Sales; Our county, Benton County, is dry, however there are allowances for "clubs." There are many clubs in the county while none are in Siloam Springs.
Colleges or Technical Schools
John Brown University, a Christian liberal arts college of 1,200 students on campus is located in Siloam Springs.
University of Arkansas, the state´s flag ship university of 17,000 students is located in Fayetteville just 45 minutes east of Siloam Springs.
Northwest Arkansas Community College, the fastest growing and the second largest in the state with 5,300 students is located in Rogers just 40 minutes east and north of Siloam Springs.
Northwest Technical Institute is the Arkansas Vo-Tech school with 1,000 students and is located in Springdale just 30 minutes from Siloam Springs
Northeast Technology Center is the Oklahoma Vo-Tech school with 550 students and is located in Kansas, Oklahoma, just 20 minutes to the west of Siloam Springs
Hospitals; Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital has 73 beds, 26 doctors and 138 nurses. The hospital is conducting a feasibility survey on building a new hospital within two years on the east side of town.There are four other hospitals in each of the four other communities in Northwest Arkansas. All are either new or newly remodeled.
Nursing FacilitiesThere are two with a total bed number of 258.
Major Employers & Number of Employees; Allen Canning Company, 1000+ Cherokee Casino, 285 City Of Siloam Springs, 200 Cobb-Vantress, 200 DaySpring Cards, 425 Franklin Electric, 650 Gates Corporation, 650 John Brown University, 407 La-Z-Boy of Arkansas, 525 McKee Foods, 1,450 Ozark Electronics Repair, 350 PipeLife Jet Stream, 92 Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital, 300 Simmons Foods, 1881 Syroco Arkansas, 100 Wal-Mart SuperCenter, 450 Webb Wheel Productions, 162
Traffic Count Map; This map can be downloaded here.
Tourist Events; Annual Special Events, time of event, draw in population:
- Dogwood Festival in Spring - 30,000
- Siloam Springs Rodeo in mid June ? 10,000 over four days
- Christmas parade on the 1st Saturday in December - 6,500
- City fireworks presentation, July 4th - 6,000
- Northwest Arkansas Marching Band Invitational in October ? 2,500
- JBU Candlelight Christmas Concerts ? 2,400
- Summer Music Games (national marching band competition) in July ? 1,800
- JBU Homecoming in October ? 1,000
- Siloam Springs Music Games (Marching Band Competition) in July ? 2,000
Number of Platted Homes and Price Range in $ thousands
New housing developments ? Inside City Limits:
A. Patriot Park - 128 lots, $125-170k; B. Walnut Woods - 112 lots, 125-170k
C. Stone Crest - 40 lots , 150-190k; D. Highland Park - 10 lots, 150-170k
E. "18 Acres" - 14 lots , 200k +; F. The Meadow - 18 lots , 165k +
G. Heritage Ranch - 79 lots, 125-170k; H. Ashley Park - 120 lots, 95-110k
New housing developments ? Outside City Limits
I. Club View - 12 lots , 225k + ; J. River Ridge - 16 lots, 150-250k
K. Timber Ridge - 10 lots, 97-200k; L. Spring Harbor - 10 lots, 250 k
M. Grace Estates - 19 lots , 150-260k; |
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is what your want to hear call Mary 479-530-7550; 
