Canehill, also known as Cane Hill and Boonsboro, is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) in Washington County,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, 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, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

on the outskirts of the

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozarks. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers, ...

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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP). The Cane Hill College 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, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, and was bypassed by the railroad, which chose a route through 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, approximately southwest of Fayetteville and east of the

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

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

History

In 1834, the Cumberland Presbyterians established the first collegiate learning institute in Arkansas, naming it the Cane Hill School, after a nearby geological feature. The current

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

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

. The year of 1862 brought the Battle of Cane Hill. Campus of Cane Hill College 001

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 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 bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

, 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

Transportation

As of 2023, there is no fixed route transit service in Canehill.

Ozark Regional Transit Ozark Regional Transit is the provider of mass transportation in the Northwest Arkansas region, including Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers, and Bentonville, Arkansas, Bentonville. Hi ...

operates demand-response service in the area. The nearest intercity bus service is provided by

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

in Fayetteville.

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

References

External links

*
Historic Cane Hill
at the Arkansas Archeological Survey *
Historic Cane Hill Museum
at the

Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism (ADPHT) is a cabinet level agency in the executive branch of Arkansas state government responsible for promoting, protecting, interpreting, and managing the state's natural and cultural r ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canehill, Arkansas 1834 establishments in Arkansas Territory Census-designated places in Washington County, Arkansas Census-designated places in Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Populated places established in 1834 Unincorporated communities in Arkansas Unincorporated communities in Washington County, Arkansas