Photos

The town square of Greenwood, Arkansas. Greenwood is one of Arkansas's fastest growing communities. Located only about ten minutes from Fort Smith, it still retains a small town atmosphere. There are about 7,000 residents. It was founded in 1851 when the location was selected for the first county seat of Sebastian county. It was named for Judge Alfred Burton Greenwood, who had been elected the previous year to serve as Circuit Judge over ten NW counties. The first courthouse was a log structure, but was replaced in 1865 by a frame courthouse which also became the center of the public square, seen in the photo. Another courthouse was built after a fire in 1916, when the courthouse was relocated to the south of the square. The town's greatest test came in April, 1968 when a devastating tornado nearly destroyed the town. Thirteen people were killed and many homes and businesses were lost. The park seen in the photo still serves as the heart of the town, and also stands as a reminder of the past, as many buildings on this site were lost in the tornado and were never replaced.