Mountain View History

Mountain View Arkansas, county seat of Stone County was incorporated in August 1890. Until Stone County was found in 1873, the hub of activity had been the settlement of Riggsville. Located on the west fork of Rocky Bayou Creek, Riggsville was the center of commerce before and during the Civil War. Like most of the communities of the times, the location on the creek was necessary for transportation as well a source of water.

Civil War records give accounts of troops visiting Riggsville, a community that included a water mill, tan yard, blacksmith shop, merchandise store, and a church. The First Methodist Church and
Flatwood Baptist Church were organized at Riggsville before moving to their present location.

The demise of Riggsville and the eventual settling of the town of Mountain View occurred during the last quarter of the century. When the activity began to move from Riggsville to the area now known as Mountain View, there arose a need for naming the new town. Tradition and old timers stories say that a group of concerned citizens discussed possible names, and when they couldn't agree, they put all of the ideas into a hat and drew. Although it Is not known who submitted the name "Mountain View", many people believe that it was Elijah Chappell who drew the name from the hat.

When the county was formed in 1873, the courthouse was located on East Main Street. In the year 1874 the first Post Office in Mountain View was established with James W. Whitfield as it first postmaster. This post office is believed to have been located in the vicinity of the Emma Case property on East Main Street about a quarter of a mile East of the present court house. In 1891 a group of the more progressive citizens of the community banded together and petitioned for and election to incorporate the community into an incorporated town. The first stone building in Mountain View was constructed about 1900 by J. L. Lancaster, a merchant. The building was destroyed by fire in 1936. The first term of the Stone County Circuit Court was held in 1873-74 and the first public school was built in 1893. In 1895, the citizens of Mountain View purchased from T. D. Martin a 4 acre tract of land, on which was built the first public school building in Mountain View. Revenue collected was used to keep the school open to all for as many months as possible. Then the term was financed on a tuition basis. In 1928 the school board decided to build a new building and extend the curriculum through the 12th grade. The present grade school building was built and the townspeople thought their building needs were supplied for the years to come. The school grew by leaps and bounds, and since it was the only accredited high school, (even though it was only a C-grade and offered an 8 month term), it attracted students from over the entire county. in 1938, under the National Youth Administration, the Gymnasium was built. In 1941, the Agriculture building was built, in 1945, the lunch room was built, and 1947 other buildings have been added to include a home economic program, cafeteria and library with offices for the school administration.

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