In 1897, thirty million Laclede apples were sold for eight million dollars. Ozark apples were winning prizes at exhibits
and fairs all over the world. At the St. Louis Fair in 1904, they claimed blue
ribbons and won their exhibiter the title, “Apple King of the Ozarks” (Rossiter
55). The apple industry was king in Northwest Arkansas, from around 1840, when
the first commercial apple orchard was planted, until 1927, when several devastating
events led to the downfall of the huge industry. The loss of the apple industry
and the decline of the railroad marked a turning point in the history of all
small towns that were ever so dependent on this once great industry.
This is the story of one of those small and once dependent towns in Northwest Arkansas. This is the story of Gentry, Arkansas. This page is dedicated to helping to preserve the history of this small town.
A few things that are included in this page are:
