Sager Creek - Siloam Springs, AR
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 36° 11.016 W 094° 32.461
15S E 361429 N 4005412
This creek flooded in 1892 and devastated the city, almost all things here have been built since then.
Waymark Code: WMN785
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 01/10/2015
Views: 1
Count of site: Benton County
Location of site: City Park and Twin Springs Park, Siloam Springs
"Siloam Springs was established in 1880 and is known for the beauty of the parks lining Sager Creek as it winds through the downtown. Eight of the springs feeding into the creek were once considered medicinal, which brought health seekers and summer visitors to the town for many years. Visitors and residents also enjoyed Chautauqua programs, concerts in the parks, and dramas in the opera house. White settlement along the creek dates back to the arrival of Simon Sager and family by 1839. The first town along the creek was Hico, which was established around 1845 by Caldeen and Nancy Ward Gunter. Today, Siloam Springs is home to John Brown University, the corporate headquarters for Allens, Inc. and Simmons Foods, Inc., and plants for several industries. This town of more than 15,000 is an Arkansas Main Street Community with three National Register Historic Districts." ~ Arcadia Publishing
"Siloam Springs is on the western edge of Benton County in what could be called the “bootheel” of the county. “Siloam” refers to the healing waters of the Pool of Siloam in the New Testament (John 9:6), and health seekers were once important to the local economy. The town is known for the beauty of the parks lining Sager Creek"
"The first town here was Hico, established by Caldeen and Nancy Ward Gunter for trade with the nearby Cherokee Nation. “Hico” is a Cherokee word meaning “clear water” or “sparkling water,” referring to the springs flowing into Sager Creek. The Hico post office was established in 1855."
"The pure spring water flowing into Sager Creek was said to be medicinal, and testimonials about cures attracted health seekers even before Hargrove platted his land into a town. Trade with the Cherokee Nation and farming continued to be important parts of the local economy."
"The first major recorded flood of Sager Creek took place on May 13, 1892, causing three deaths and $20,000 in property damage. Several downtown businesses were damaged, and a few washed away. Mills and barns along Sager Creek were also damaged. The town’s location along a creek in a valley makes it subject to periodic flash floods. Minor floods occurred in the 1920s, and the last major flood was in 1974." ~ Encyclopedia of Arkansas
The 2005 water shed assessment can be read in this report from AWRA Hydrology & Watershed Management Technical Committee