Canehill (also known as Cane Hill and Boonsboro) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Washington County,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 74. The community is located in the

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...

on the outskirts of the

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozark Mountains. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, the surrounding towns of Benton an ...

metropolitan area. One of the most historic communities in the state, Canehill contains seventeen listings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(NRHP). The

Cane Hill College Cane Hill College, originally Cane Hill School, was the first institution of higher learning in Arkansas. It operated in Canehill, Arkansas from 1834 until 1891. History Cane Hill School (1834–1858) Cumberland Presbyterians founded a school in ...

began operations in 1834, which led to the rapid growth and development of the community as a center of higher education. The college and community suffered during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and was bypassed by the railroad, which chose a route through

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

. Recently, restoration and preservation of many historic buildings has been undertaken by a nonprofit organization, Historic Cane Hill Inc.

Geography

The post office at Canehill is 1322 feet above sea level. Canehill post office Canehill is on

Arkansas Highway 45 Highway 45 (AR 45, Ark. 45, or Hwy. 45) is a designation for three state highways in northwest Arkansas. The southern segment of runs from Highway 96 north across US Route 71 (US 71) to Interstate 540/US 71 (I-540/US 71) in For ...

, approximately southwest of Fayetteville and east of the

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

border. Considered a postal designation ( ZIP code 72717), the population of the ZCTA was 847 at the 2000 census.

History

Cane Hill College

In 1834, the

Cumberland Presbyterians The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening.Matthew H. Gore, The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988, (Memphis, Tennessee: Joint Heritage Committee, 2000). ...

established the first collegiate learning institute in Arkansas, naming it the Cane Hill School, after a nearby

geological Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Eart ...

feature. The current

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

was opened in 1839 and was originally unnamed. In 1843, it was named Boonsboro, and the town maintained this name throughout the

American Civil War

The year of 1862 brought the

Battle of Cane Hill The Battle of Cane Hill (also known as the Engagement at Cane Hill) was fought during the American Civil War on November 28, 1862, in northwestern Arkansas, near the town of Cane Hill, Arkansas, Cane Hill. Union Army, Union troops under Brigad ...

Postbellum years and decline

In 1897, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church considered Cane Hill College as the starting point for their "state" college. However, due to the nearby competition from

Arkansas Industrial University The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

, the decline of Cane Hill as a population center and its remote location, the Synod decided to open Arkansas Cumberland College in Clarksville, Arkansas, a more centralized location. In 1891, Cane Hill College closed its doors permanently. In 1901, the community's name was changed to the current usage, that of Canehill.

Economy

Early settlers were attracted to the area by natural springs, which were used in agricultural operations. The community served as a trading post and regional center for apple orchards to sell crops to merchants from Fort Smith. The locals also produced and sold

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

, a tradition continuing today at the annual harvest festival.

Education

The community is served by the Lincoln Consolidated School District. Lincoln High School is its sole high school.

Demographics

2020 census

Gallery

A.R. Carroll Building.JPG, A.R. Carroll Building Blackburn_House.JPG, Blackburn House Cane Hill Museum in Arkansas.jpg, Cane Hill Museum D.N. Edmiston House.JPG, D.N. Edmiston House John_Edmiston_House.JPG, John Edmiston House Zeb Edmiston House in Canehill, AR.jpg, Zeb Edmiston House Cane Hill Harvest Festival sign.jpg, Harvest Festival Sign Methodist Manse 002.jpg, Methodist Manse College Avenue in Cane Hill, Arkansas.jpg, Streetside in Cane Hill Trail in Canehill, Arkansas.jpg, Trail

References

External links

The Battle of Cane Hill
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Washington County, Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Unincorporated communities in Arkansas Census-designated places in Washington County, Arkansas Census-designated places in Arkansas Populated places established in 1834 1834 establishments in Arkansas Territory