For the Central Arkansas Library System and Little Rock Public Radio, I’m Mark Christ with an Encyclopedia of Arkansas Minute.
A Hot Spring County community can trace its roots to 1855, when the Brown family emigrated there and placed boxes over the sulfur, iron and copper springs in the area. Brown Springs became a popular vacation spot for people from Clark and Dallas counties and a Methodist campground was established in 1867.
The Red Hill School, shared by Brown Springs and Donaldson, opened in 1882; an independent Brown Springs High School would close in 1931. Two sawmills were running there in the early twentieth century and the hamlet was renowned for its Independence Day celebrations.
The road through the area was designated as Highway 51 in 1932 but when it was paved twenty-six years later the Highway Department placed a sign calling the village Faber; a public outcry resulted in the name changing back to Brown Springs. The hamlet has housed a Baptist church since 1853 that remains in operation today. Brown Springs now serves as a bedroom community for Malvern and Arkadelphia.
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