Nashville, Arkansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Nashville, Arkansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = "Sharing the Hometown Feeling"<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.nashvillear.com/|title= City of Nashville Arkansas Chamber of Commerce|publisher= City of Nashville Arkansas Chamber of Commerce |access-date= September 12, 2012}}</ref>
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_seal               = Nash logo001.jpg
|image_map                = File:Howard County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Nashville Highlighted 0548560.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Nashville in Howard County, Arkansas.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arkansas|County]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Arkansas]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Howard County, Arkansas|Howard]]
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Larry Dunaway
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|56|31|N|93|50|53|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_total         = 4153
|established_date         = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 14.29
|area_land_km2            = 14.17
|area_water_km2           = 0.12
|area_total_sq_mi         = 5.52
|area_land_sq_mi          = 5.47
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.04
|population_density_km2   = 293.11
|population_density_sq_mi = 759.09
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CST]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_m              = 116 
|elevation_ft             = 
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 71852
|area_code                = [[Area code 870|870]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 05-48560
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0077792<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|77792}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.nashar.org}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|population_footnotes = 
}}
'''Nashville''' is a city in [[Howard County, Arkansas|Howard County]], [[Arkansas]], United States. The population was 4,627 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0548560| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Nashville city, Arkansas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=April 21, 2017}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The estimated population in 2018 was 4,425.<ref name="USCensusEst2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=October 1, 2019}}</ref> The city is the [[county seat]] of Howard County.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>

Nashville is situated at the base of the [[Ouachita Mountains|Ouachita foothills]] and was once a major center of the peach trade in southwest Arkansas. Today the land is mostly given over to cattle and chicken farming. The world's largest dinosaur trackway was discovered near the town in 1983.

==History==
Mine Creek Baptist Church was built along the banks of Mine Creek by the Rev. Isaac Cooper Perkins (1790–1852) in the area where Nashville now stands around 1835.<ref name="The Nashville Leader, 21 Sept. 2009">[http://www.nashvilleleader.com/articles/2009/03/28/news/01news.txt ''The Nashville Leader'', 21 Sept. 2009]</ref> Settlers later established a post stop along the settlement roads in 1840,<ref name=Centennial>{{Cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6hUUAAAAYAAJ&q=nashville&pg=PA902| title=Centennial History of Arkansas, Volume 1| author=Dallas T. Herndon|authorlink=Dallas T. Herndon | location=Chicago and Little Rock| publisher=S.J. Clarke| year=1922| isbn=9780893080686}}</ref>{{rp|902–903}} and a post office incorporated in 1848.<ref name="The Nashville Leader, 21 Sept. 2009"/> Michael Womack (1794–1861), a [[Tennessee]] native reputed to have killed the British general [[Edward Pakenham]] during the [[War of 1812]], settled in the area with his family in 1849.<ref name="Genealogy of Michael Womack">{{cite web| url=http://www.womacknet.com/features/michaelwomack.html| title=Michael Womack – Pioneer Arkansan| access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> The area was then known by locals as "Mine Creek", but was also called "Hell's Valley"<ref>''Arkansas Historical Quarterly''. "Hell's Valley, Nashville", 13:265</ref> and "Pleasant Valley".

Settlement in the area progressed slowly but steadily, though industry declined during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Following the war, the village's prospects improved, industry and settlement picked up, and the town was officially incorporated as Nashville on 18 October 1883, with D.A. Hutchinson serving as the first mayor.<ref name=Centennial/>{{rp|903}} Womack is attributed with first proposing the name and called the town after [[Nashville, Tennessee]].<ref name="Genealogy of Michael Womack"/> The following year, Nashville and [[Hope, Arkansas|Hope]] were connected via railroad, spurring further growth, and the county seat was relocated from [[Center Point, Howard County, Arkansas|Center Point]] to Nashville.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.arkansasheritage.com/life_times/counties/d_j.asp#howard |title=ArkansasHeritage.com |access-date=2008-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517122748/http://www.arkansasheritage.com/life_times/counties/d_j.asp#howard |archive-date=2008-05-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> With the establishment of county government in the town, and due to the increased trade and access brought by the railroad, Nashville continued to grow. The town had a population of 928 in 1900, and boasted "a cotton-compress and [[cotton gin|gin]]" and a "bottling-works";<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5iA9AAAAYAAJ&q=nashville&pg=PA1257 ''Lippencott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer or Geographical Dictionary of the World'', Vol.2.] A. Heilprin and L. Heilprin, Eds. (Philadelphia: J. Lippencott, 1906):1257</ref> by 1920 the population had risen to 2,144.<ref name=Centennial/>{{rp|903}}

In the years before the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], Nashville was a prosperous, if small, town. According to author [[Dallas T. Herndon]], Nashville was "a banking town, with electric lights, waterworks, an ice and cold storage plant, a canning factory, foundries, machine shops, a flour mill, two newspapers, a brick factory, fruit box and crate factory, mercantile concerns... well-kept streets, [and] modern public schools."<ref name=Centennial/>{{rp|903}}

An EF2 tornado struck the town on [[Tornado outbreak sequence of May 5–10, 2015|May 10, 2015]], and killed two people.

==Geography==
Nashville is located in southeastern Howard County at {{Coord|33|56|31|N|93|50|53|W|type:city}} (33.942079, −93.847958).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 278|278]] and [[U.S. Route 371|371]] run concurrently through the northern side of the city. US 371 leads east {{convert|34|mi}} to [[Prescott, Arkansas|Prescott]] and west {{convert|19|mi}} to [[Lockesburg, Arkansas|Lockesburg]]. US 278 leads northwest {{convert|19|mi}} to [[Dierks, Arkansas|Dierks]] and southeast {{convert|28|mi}} to [[Hope, Arkansas|Hope]]. [[Arkansas Highway 27]] joins US 278 in a bypass around the eastern side of Nashville; SR 27 leads northeast {{convert|13|mi}} to [[Murfreesboro, Arkansas|Murfreesboro]] and southwest {{convert|8|mi|0}} to [[Mineral Springs, Arkansas|Mineral Springs]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Nashville has a total area of {{convert|14.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.1|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.76%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> The city is in the valley of Mine Creek, a south-flowing tributary of the [[Saline River (Little River)|Saline]] and [[Little River (Red River)|Little]] rivers.

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Nashville has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=211530&cityname=Nashville%2C+Arkansas%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Nashville, Arkansas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|work=Weatherbase|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref>

{{Weather box
 | width       = auto
 | collapsed   = yes
 | single line = yes
 | location    = Nashville, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–present)
 | Jan record high F  = 84
 | Feb record high F  = 85
 | Mar record high F  = 90
 | Apr record high F  = 92
 | May record high F  = 97
 | Jun record high F  = 107
 | Jul record high F  = 107
 | Aug record high F  = 113
 | Sep record high F  = 110
 | Oct record high F  = 101
 | Nov record high F  = 87
 | Dec record high F  = 81
 | year record high F = 
 | Jan high F = 54.0
 | Feb high F = 58.5
 | Mar high F = 66.5
 | Apr high F = 74.7
 | May high F = 81.7
 | Jun high F = 89.3
 | Jul high F = 93.4
 | Aug high F = 93.9
 | Sep high F = 87.9
 | Oct high F = 77.2
 | Nov high F = 65.1
 | Dec high F = 56.4
 | year high F = 74.9
 | Jan mean F = 42.9
 | Feb mean F = 46.7
 | Mar mean F = 54.3
 | Apr mean F = 62.1
 | May mean F = 70.8
 | Jun mean F = 78.6
 | Jul mean F = 82.4
 | Aug mean F = 82.1
 | Sep mean F = 75.7
 | Oct mean F = 64.3
 | Nov mean F = 53.1
 | Dec mean F = 45.3
 | year mean F = 63.2
 | Jan low F = 31.7
 | Feb low F = 35.0
 | Mar low F = 42.1
 | Apr low F = 49.5
 | May low F = 59.8
 | Jun low F = 68.0
 | Jul low F = 71.4
 | Aug low F = 70.3
 | Sep low F = 63.5
 | Oct low F = 51.4
 | Nov low F = 41.0
 | Dec low F = 34.3
 | year low F = 51.5
 | Jan record low F  = -12
 | Feb record low F  = -14
 | Mar record low F  = 8
 | Apr record low F  = 23
 | May record low F  = 36
 | Jun record low F  = 46
 | Jul record low F  = 54
 | Aug record low F  = 51
 | Sep record low F  = 30
 | Oct record low F  = 24
 | Nov record low F  = 12
 | Dec record low F  = -5
 | year record low F = 
 | precipitation colour   = green
 | Jan precipitation inch = 3.95
 | Feb precipitation inch = 4.24
 | Mar precipitation inch = 5.05
 | Apr precipitation inch = 5.74
 | May precipitation inch = 6.15
 | Jun precipitation inch = 4.24
 | Jul precipitation inch = 4.10
 | Aug precipitation inch = 3.18
 | Sep precipitation inch = 3.74
 | Oct precipitation inch = 5.02
 | Nov precipitation inch = 4.44
 | Dec precipitation inch = 5.12
 | year precipitation inch = 54.97
 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
 | Jan precipitation days  = 10.1
 | Feb precipitation days  = 10.3
 | Mar precipitation days  = 10.9
 | Apr precipitation days  = 9.5
 | May precipitation days  = 10.3
 | Jun precipitation days  = 8.2
 | Jul precipitation days  = 7.5
 | Aug precipitation days  = 6.9
 | Sep precipitation days  = 6.3
 | Oct precipitation days  = 7.8
 | Nov precipitation days  = 9.0
 | Dec precipitation days  = 9.9
 | year precipitation days = 106.7
 | Jan snow inch = 1.2
 | Feb snow inch = 1.0
 | Mar snow inch = 0.1
 | Apr snow inch = 0.0
 | May snow inch = 0.0
 | Jun snow inch = 0.0
 | Jul snow inch = 0.0
 | Aug snow inch = 0.0
 | Sep snow inch = 0.0
 | Oct snow inch = 0.0
 | Nov snow inch = 0.0
 | Dec snow inch = 0.3
 | year snow inch = 2.6
 | unit snow days = 0.1 in
 | Jan snow days  = 0.3
 | Feb snow days  = 0.6
 | Mar snow days  = 0.1
 | Apr snow days  = 0.0
 | May snow days  = 0.0
 | Jun snow days  = 0.0
 | Jul snow days  = 0.0
 | Aug snow days  = 0.0
 | Sep snow days  = 0.0
 | Oct snow days  = 0.0
 | Nov snow days  = 0.0
 | Dec snow days  = 0.2
 | year snow days = 1.2
 | source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="NOWData">{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=shv
|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = November 2, 2023}}</ref><ref name="NCEI">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00035112&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = November 2, 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 172
|1890= 810
|1900= 928
|1910= 2374
|1920= 2144
|1930= 2469
|1940= 2782
|1950= 3548
|1960= 3579
|1970= 4016
|1980= 4554
|1990= 4639
|2000= 4878
|2010= 4627
|2020= 4153
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Nashville racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0548560&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-30|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,726
| 41.56%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,391
| 33.49%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 8
| 0.19%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 49
| 1.18%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 3
| 0.07%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 179
| 4.31%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 797
| 9.19%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 4,153 people, 1,733 households, and 1,085 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 4,878 people, 1,857 households, and 1,179 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,067.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,136 housing units at an average density of {{convert|467.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 59.96% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 30.21% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 5.25% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.23% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.39% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.94% from two or more races. 6.99% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 1,857 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,480, and the median income for a family was $28,611. Males had a median income of $24,494 versus $17,480 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,258. About 18.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

== Economy ==

===Peach farming===
[[Image:Nashville peach pickers.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Peach pickers in Nashville in 1915]]
[[Peach]] farming sustained Nashville during the Depression. The peach industry came to the Nashville area in the late nineteenth century. Peak years of production lasted from the 1920s until the 1950s. Nashville's peak peach production was 1950, with over 400,000 bushels collected from 425 orchards. "Up to 175 boxcars, each carrying 396 bushel baskets, were shipped from Nashville each day during peak production years."<ref name="encyclopediaofarkansas.net">{{cite web| url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2099| title=Peach Industry – Encyclopedia of Arkansas| access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> Late freezes and early thaws in 1952 and 1953 led to the devastation of the peach harvests. Two-thirds of the crops were destroyed, and production sank to 150,000 bushels. "The Arkansas growers lost the market, and the impact was devastating. For Howard County growers, the only option was to pull up the trees and convert the land for other purposes, often pasture for cattle, or to raise chickens," which remain the dominant agricultural products in the Nashville area to this day.<ref name="encyclopediaofarkansas.net"/>

The peach industry in the area continued to decline as industrial farming in the [[Sun Belt]] and shifting production patterns made southwest Arkansas less attractive to larger produce companies. However, many small peach orchards still remain and are farmed by local families.

==Arts and culture==

===Museums and other points of interest===
The [[National Register of Historic Places]] lists several entries of significant historical value from Nashville.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/AR/Howard/state.html| title=National Register of Historical Places – ARKANSAS (AR), Howard County| access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref>  Among them:
*The First Christian Church building, built in the Late [[Gothic Revival#The 20th century|Gothic Revival]] style in the early 20th century, is still an active church.
*The Howard County Museum is located in the [[First Presbyterian Church (Nashville, Arkansas)|First Presbyterian Church]] building, built in the Eastlake style in the early 1900s.
*Garrett Whiteside Hall is all that remains of the Nashville High School complex built in the 1930s.  It is used for storage and special activities by the local school district.
*Elbert W. Holt House, and Flavius Holt House, [[Colonial Revival]] structures, are still used as private residences.
*[[Howard County Courthouse (Arkansas)|Howard County Courthouse]] is one of the few public buildings in Arkansas built in the Moderne or [[Art Deco]] style.

===Dinosaur discoveries===
The largest find of [[dinosaur]] trackways in the world was discovered by [[Southern Methodist University|SMU]] [[archaeology]] graduate student [[Brad Pittman]] in a quarry north of the town in 1983, the site of a prehistoric beach.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/monsters/ms9.html |title=Nashville's Sauropod Trackway |access-date=2007-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704041356/http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/monsters/ms9.html |archive-date=2007-07-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Pittman, Jeffrey G. and David D. Gillett, "Tracking the Arkansas Dinosaurs," ''The Arkansas Naturalist'' (March 1984) v. 2 no. 3, pp 1–12.</ref><ref>Pittman, Jeffrey, ''Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies'', vol. XXXIV (1984), pp. 202–209</ref> A field of 5–10,000 [[sauropod]] footprints were found in a [[mudstone]] layer covering a layer of [[gypsum]].<ref>"Geologists to Make Casts of Rare Dinosaur Prints," ''Arkansas Gazette'', January 1, 1984; sec. B, p. 8, col. 5.</ref> Casts {{convert|65|ft|m}} long and {{convert|7|ft|m}} wide were made and put on permanent display, first at the courthouse and finally at the Nashville City Park, while many of the original tracks were disbursed to local museums such as the [[Mid-America Museum]] in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas|Hot Springs]] and the [[Arkansas Museum of Discovery]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]]. The full extent of the trackway has never been excavated.

==Education==

===Colleges and universities===
Nashville hosts a campus of the [[Cossatot Community College]] of the [[University of Arkansas]]. The school operates out of a facility constructed in 2006 on {{convert|35|acre|m2}} of land west of town. The college has programs in [[business administration]], [[nursing]], [[truck driver|truck driving]], [[welding]], [[residential construction]], [[cosmetology]], and [[Curriculum#United States 2|general education]] coursework. The college also provides non-credit coursework in [[adult education]] such as [[General Educational Development|GED]] classes, [[English as a Foreign or Second Language|ESL]] training, [[test preparation]], and [[computer literacy]].

===High schools===
[[Nashville High School (Arkansas)|Nashville High School]] is a [[Public education|public]] [[secondary school]] for students in grades 10 through 12, and is accredited by both the Arkansas State Board of Education and the [[North Central Association]].<ref>[http://oracle.advanc-ed.org/reporting/Reports/LocatorReport.aspx?AssociationID=2&TaxonomyID=27&DistrictID=&SchoolName=nashville&City=&GovernanceID=&SchoolTypeID=&State=&Country=&CharterTypeID= NCA CASI Arkansas]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Retrieved 2009-09-18</ref> The high school is administered by the [[Nashville, Arkansas Public School District|Nashville Public School District]]. In the 2006–07 school year, Nashville High School had 43 teachers and a student enrollment of 390, with a student/teacher ratio of 9:1.<ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/sch_info_popup.asp?Type=Public&ID=051038000757 National Center for Education Statistics, CCD Public school data 2006–2007 school year], Retrieved 2009-09-18</ref>
In 2010, the Nashville Junior High School Quiz Bowl team won the National Championship in Quiz Bowl. The event was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The High School Quiz Bowl team won the State 4A Championship in 2012.
In addition to academic coursework, Nashville High School has active chapters in [[Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America|FCCLA]], [[National FFA Organization|FFA]], and the [[National Honor Society]]. Nashville High School has participated in the [[EAST Initiative]] since 2001.

The Nashville Scrappers compete in interscholastic sports under the sanction of the [[Arkansas Activities Association]] in sports such as [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[baseball]], [[cheerleading]], [[cross country running]], [[golf]], [[softball]], [[track and field]], [[tennis]], and [[trap shooting]]. Nashville High School sports teams compete at the [[Arkansas Activities Association#Organization|class 4A]] level. Nashville High School celebrated its 100th year in [[high school football]] in 2009.

==Civic and religious organizations==
Nashville has active chapters of national and international fraternal service organizations, including [[Lions Clubs International]] and [[Rotary International]]. In the 1960s and again in the 1980s–90s, Nashville supported several [[Boy Scouts of America]] troops as well.

2009 marked the 160th anniversary of the Pleasant Valley [[Freemasonry|Masonic Lodge]] in Nashville. There has been an uninterrupted Masonic presence in Nashville since this time. The original lodge was founded with 165 members, and was named before the township changed its name to Nashville.<ref>[http://www.pleasantvalleylodge.com/HISTORY.html Pleasant Valley Lodge #30]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Retrieved 2009-09-10</ref>

The Elberta Arts & Humanities Council is located in Nashville, hosted by the [[Elberta Arts Center]]. The center is a permanent collection of art from local artists and hosts ongoing exhibits of local work and items of regional interest, such as the original 1950s electronic marquee from the [[Art Deco]], 1,500-seat Elberta Theater (1943–1996).

Nashville is home to a variety of religious groups, representing congregations among the [[Assemblies of God]], [[Baptists]], [[Methodist]]s, the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the [[Churches of Christ]], [[Christian churches and churches of Christ|Christian Churches]], the [[Christian Methodist Episcopal Church]], as well as [[Non-denominational Christianity|non-denominational]], [[Charismatic Christianity|charismatic]], and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] congregations.

==Infrastructure==

===Railroads===
The first railroad to connect Nashville with the surrounding area was originally known as the Washington & Hope Railroad Co., chartered in 1876.<ref name="X4ISAAAAYAAJ 1903">[https://archive.org/details/annualreportrai20commgoog/page/n296 <!-- pg=354 quote=nashville. --> ''Annual report of the Railroad Commission of the State of Arkansas, Volume 3''] (Hot Springs: Sentinel Record, 1903):354</ref> The first stage of the railroad was a {{convert|10|mi|adj=on|0}} stretch connecting Hope and [[Washington, Arkansas]], in 1879. In 1881 the railroad was renamed the Arkansas and Louisiana Railway Co., and on 1 October 1884 a nearly {{convert|26|mi|adj=on}} extension to Nashville was opened.<ref name="X4ISAAAAYAAJ 1903"/> By the start of the 20th century the railroad was operated as an extension of the [[St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway]], which stretched from [[St. Louis, Missouri]] to [[Texarkana, Arkansas]].<ref name="X4ISAAAAYAAJ 1903"/> The earliest trains coming in and out of Nashville operated under the [[Missouri Pacific Railroad]] [[Reporting mark|mark]].

At one time the city boasted three railroads:
* The earliest was the [[St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway|Iron Mountain Railway]] branch from Nashville to Hope.
* The second, granted a charter on 22 June 1906, was the Memphis Paris and Gulf (MP&G), later the Memphis Dallas and Gulf.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5J5KAAAAMAAJ&dq=arkansas%20railroads%20nashville%20Memphis%20Paris%20and%20Gulf&pg=PA376 ''Arkansas Biennial Report of the Secretary of State'', 1905–1906.] (Little Rock: Tunnah & Pittard, 1906):376</ref> The track ran twenty-five miles from Nashville to [[Ashdown, Arkansas]], and then on to [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]]. The MP&G was broken up in 1922 forming the Graysonia Nashville and Ashdown (GN&A) running {{convert|32|mi|km}} from Nashville to Ashdown. The GN&A was merged into the [[Kansas City Southern Railroad]] in 1993.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=kav09ZpkS6YC&dq=Graysonia+Nashville+and+Ashdown&pg=PA357 ''American Shortline Railway Guide'', 5th Ed.] Edward A. Lewis (Waukasha, WI: Kalmbach, 1996):357</ref>
* The third railroad in Nashville was the Murfreesboro Nashville Southwestern (MNSW), which ran from Nashville to [[Murfreesboro, Arkansas]], in 1909. The MNSW later became the Murfreesboro-Nashville railroad which folded in 1951.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=954|title=Murfreesboro (Pike County) – Encyclopedia of Arkansas|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people ==<!--consensus reached to standardize this heading per WP:WikiProject Cities/US Guideline -->
<!-- NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * *NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * NOTICE• Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
• The article must mention how they are associated with the community, whether born, raised, or residing.
• The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
• Alphabetical by last name please
• All others will be deleted without further explanation
END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * * END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * *END OF NOTICE --> 
* [[Trevor Bardette]], film actor
* [[Effie Anderson Smith]], impressionist landscape painter
* [[Boyd A. Tackett]], Arkansas politician
* [[Thomas Philip Watson]], Oklahoma state senator, born in Nashville

==Companies==
[[William T. Dillard]], founder of [[Dillard's]], opened his first department store in Nashville.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/09/business/william-t-dillard-founder-of-a-retail-chain-dies-at-87.html| title=William T. Dillard, Founder of a Retail Chain, Dies at 87| date=9 February 2002| work=The New York Times| access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> He started his successful franchise in 1938 when, with $8,000 borrowed from his father, he opened a small store in his wife's hometown of Nashville. Aside from a short period during World War II, the Dillard Company continued operating and expanding its Nashville location. In 1948, Dillard, looking for more growth prospects, sold the Nashville store and used the money, along with some outside financing, to buy controlling interest in a store in nearby [[Texarkana metropolitan area|Texarkana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.shareholder.com/dillards/history.cfm|title=Dillards – - Dillard's, Inc. – History of Dillard's, Inc.|access-date=26 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220013402/http://investor.shareholder.com/dillards/history.cfm|archive-date=20 December 2015}}</ref>

Jim Yates, founder of one of the largest privately owned [[convenience store]] chains, built his first E-Z Mart store in Nashville, Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ezmart.com/histframe.html |title=E-Z Mart |access-date=2011-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129153148/http://www.ezmart.com/histframe.html |archive-date=2011-01-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Nashville, Arkansas}} <!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
* [http://www.nashar.org/ City of Nashville official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130418195139/http://scrappers.k12.ar.us/ Nashville Public School District]
* [http://www.nashvillear.com/ Nashville Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.nashvilleleader.com/ ''The Nashville Leader'']
* [http://www.nashvillenews.org/ ''The Nashville News'']
* [http://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city_detail/city/Nashville Nashville information from Arkansas.com]
* [http://www.city-data.com/city/Nashville-Arkansas.html Nashville information from City-Data.com]

{{Howard County, Arkansas}}
{{Arkansas county seats}}
<br/><!--this break is to put visual space between the last information and the following template if needed-->
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Nashville, Arkansas| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Howard County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:County seats in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1835]]
[[Category:1835 establishments in Arkansas Territory]]