The Mena weekly star., 1922-02-23
THE FUTURE OF MENA
Rv WI. C. B. Allen.

helped themselves, and when Mena wakes up, and everybody takes hold and helps to build the "best town in the southwest" then something will happen, and Mena will become lead CT among communities, for nothing succeeds like Success. What man has done, Man can do again.
 For the information of others, let us mention what Mena aims to do for it. self, and what some of the resources and attractions are.
 First and foremost, it's location on the foothills of the southern Ozark mountains, with an elevation of 1150 to 1500 feet, makes an ideal health resort, both for summer and winter. The winters are mild, and the nights are cool and delightful in the summer. The absence of malaria, mosquitoes, of negroes and alien races, makes an ideal American community for fami- lies and homes. The water supply is ample and pure, coming from noun tain springs and wells, and rock puri- fy and soften the streams which rise and flow in every direction from their sources in the Mena mountains. The peaks which overlook this town of 4,000 people, are from 2500 to 285O feet high, and are covered with pine, oak, gum, hickory and other forest trees. It is one of the beauty spots of the Ozarks, standing just at the foot of the mountains at the entrance to the Ouachita and Dallas valleys.
 Every denomination of churches are found, and the people are nine-tenths of American-bnrn families from all parts of the north, south, east and west, and believe in good schools, so- cial advantages, libraries, entertain ments, clubs, benevolent and secret orders and lodges. Agriculture and fruit growing the the principal reve- nues that sustain merchants, farm CTS and residents of the country, and Mena is the market place for the cot ton and dairy products, etc, for near iy 50 miles around in Western Arkan- sas, and a portion of eastern Okla homa. The railroad facilities are pro vided by the Kansas City Southern railway, but the north and south lief ferson highway, which is building from Winnipeg and St. Paul, via Kan sas City to Shreveport and New Or leans, passes thru Mena, and will eventually connect up with the good roads, and auto highway systems thru Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and the great Northwest. Another important highway or system of highways is contemplated across Oklahoma and central Arkansas, via Mena to Hot Springs and Little Rock, and construc- tion work has been partially complet- ed.
 The distance by rail and auto from from Kansas City is 380 miles, while it is about 185 miles north of Shreve- port, placing Mena about in the center of the five states that comprise the churches of the Methodist General Assembly, which meets in Mena March 2, to decide on the site and proposed location for it's headquarters, and to arrange for the construction of half a million dollars of buildings, cottages and improvements, including it's audi torium for lecture rooms, Chautauqua and other entertainments, with several hundred acres to be devoted to mod ern attractions. recreation grounds, water supply, electric lights and pow CT, and the conveniences for several hundred cottages. With the energy of the West, and the hospitality and so- ciable nature of the South combined, Mena offers it's glad hand of welcome to all law abiding citizens of other states who seek place for health, education, pure water and the safe surroundings of the family home. The basis of it's self support and future growth is found in the extensive fruit lands and farms of Polk county, in its dairying, poultry raising and truck gardening advantages, in addition to cotton, corn, cane, forage and other crops; it's vast fields of slate, of man. ganese. copper, and numerous evil dence of mineral deposits; it's fishing and camping inducements for the Boy Scouts, Y. NJ. C. A., the building of summer club cottages on the Ouachita, Mountain Fork and other streams, and the many cutting and picnic places in the National Forest Reserve; and es- pecially of the 25.000 acres of U. s. Forest Reserve, surrounding the pro- posed General Assembly grounds, which is destined to become natural park for the lovers of nature, and the students of botany, forestry and geo. logy.
 Finally, property and lands are cheap, compared with other states, and two crops year can be grown to ad- vantage in this climate. Grape cul- ture and berries offer especial induce ments, but apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, poultry and the small dairy, bee keeping and such lesser in vestments make the Ozark region the ideal home of the future. look to see continuous chain along the Jefferson highway, of vineyards, gardens, melon patches and orchards, all the way from Acorn to Ashdown. And every lot owner in Mena can help to build the prosperous future, by planting cherries, berries, grape arbors, vines, towering shrubs, and flowers; and now is the time to make beauty and utility increase the value, and add to the income of the home: and also by so doing invite people of means to join us in building homes for the coming generation of boys and girls, who will then rise up and bless the memory of those pioneers who builded the foun- dations by reason of their prophetic vision of tho future years
 The above was written in answer to inquiries as to Mena as a place of residence and ifs future prospects.