[ArkansasBound]

After having studied the North Central part of Arkansas for about a year as a relocation area, my husband and I purchased some land near Yellville. We are currently living out of state. We have been gradually (as money permits) getting ready to move there. We are white.

My husband has been driving up there off and on to oversee the building of our house. I've only been up there twice, and recently I have finally been able to get up there to see the house. It's beautiful! But, unfortunately
some of the 'locals' don't appreciate our being there. And some of these 'locals' aren't even originally from Arkansas.

My husband had been experiencing trouble from the neighbors ever since they knew we'd bought the land. They would tell him how horrible the wildlife is (bears EVERYWHERE), hundreds of snakes, endless insects, lights in the
night, thieves breaking in everywhere, bad storms, tornadoes, NO JOBS to be
found anywhere, very little pay IF we DID get a job, lousy stores, lousy hospitals, no help from anyone, everyone would rip us off. And during some of his trips, there would be someone out in our woods making wild animal
noises when he was camping out.

I met some more neighbors on another street. They had come over and introduced themselves to my husband earlier on. Frankly, at a certain point my husband didn't want to talk to ANYONE up there. These people gave me the same runaround........bears, thieves, people who were dangerous and might try something REALLY bad. One person is originally from out of state and has been in Yellville for years, and they have been terrorized (their own words) all that time! GOSH, you'd think they would have been run off by now. But THEY are pulling the same stuff on us.

But, thank God, most of the people in Yellville just stared at us and left us alone.

We ate at a restaurant near Yellville, and I just couldn't resist making a comment. I told the waitress we were from out of state, to see how she would react. She said well, as long as we weren't from Illinois. Them thar Illinois people are the meanest! A woman from Illinois opened a business across the street from the restaurant and she was just darn MEAN! I said what in the world had this woman done to HER? Well, she said, nothin' exactly, she just heard she was mean. Wow, such compassion for other people! I'm from Illinois originally, but I didn't mention it, or mention my opinion that I've run into some Arkansans who were just darned mean. And, she lost 2 customers. I'll never eat there again.

So, it is quite apparent that some locals don't care for outsiders. I have met 2 other 'locals' who said one couldn't get a job up there unless they personally knew the employer. I have never heard such nonsense!

I'm sure a lot of the factories in the area are from out of state. I wonder if the locals are appreciative of the outsiders providing jobs for them. HEY, maybe I'll stand a better chance of getting a job if the employer is an OUTSIDER too!

During tourist season I have no doubt the town appreciates these horrible 'outsiders'.

We have spent too much money and time in this relocation, and we intend to move there.

So, to the 'outsiders' who want to relocate to the Yellville area, just take what people might say to you with a grain of salt. Some want to run you off.

And, in my opinion, some of the locals are racist. We have a friend of 'color' who has gone up there with us, and if looks and subtle comments could kill, our friend would be dead.

We're white outsiders, which is bad enough to the locals, but if I was of a different race, I'd think twice about living in Yellville. And of course that is MY opinion.

So this is my observation and opinion, and I have had several years of observation. This can ALSO be said of other states and towns. There are people like this ANYWHERE you go.

On a final note, if anyone is considering having a house built, make absolutely sure the building contractor is officially licensed and checked out. We have
friends there who took someone's word that he was a licensed builder, and
it turned out he WASN'T. He'd lied to my friends. They were too trusting. But everything turned out well anyway. But be careful.

[mlrfo4]

Just out of curiousity...................are you out in the sticks or right in town ?

[ArkansasBound]

Not in Yellville, but close. Would that still be the sticks?

[sbernard]

Just guessing, but I'd say the locals were pulling your leg to some degree. I live thirty miles from Yellville and I've found every one there to be very warm and genuine. Jobs will be hard to come by because there aren't a lot of employers.

I used to work with a woman who'd moved here from Enid, Oklahoma. I've never been to Enid, but after knowing her I don't need to go there. She rambled for hours about how things were 'back in Enid'. How they did things in Enid, how great things were in Enid, how much better Enid was than where she'd moved to.

Like I said, I've never been to Enid, but I already hate it. And, that's how a lot of people are that come here. To the locals, this is home and we like it fine. If someone else comes here and doesn't like it, they're free to move back to wherever they came from. Over the last thirty years the area has been inundated with newcomers from all over the US and some locals are feeling a little outnumbered.

Try not to take it too seriously and just be yourself. It's probably the same almost anywhere you go. Come here with a good friendly attitude, act like you're glad to be here and you'll be treated like a real person by your newfound friends.

[ArkansasBound]

Thanks for the input.

Yes, I'm sure they were just messing with us. Apparently they have no lives.

It's definitely not my intent to brag about where I've come from. I can't
stand where I'm from. That's why we want to move, and we picked Yellville.
I wouldn't move to a place I didn't like.

And I intend to respect the people who respect me.

[woopig_sooie]

small town folks don't have much to do as far as entertainment goes. they were probably just sitting back and placing bets to see how long it took to run you guys off. Glad they didn't get to you too bad, and I sure hope you enjoy Arkansas.

[ArkansasBound]

That's exactly what my husband said. These people have lost all bets,
and I will certainly enjoy Arkansas when I finally get up there.

[calbound]

A few years ago we found out that our great, great, great uncle was govenor of Arkansas, and that he got them to name the town of Yellville after him for a price of $50, but he got killed in a war before he paid. My brother and cousin went to Yellville and paid the $50. Last Oct. my cousin, two brothers, sister and myself went to Yellville, and were in the parade, most everyone was very nice to us, they even had us on stage and introduced us as decendents of Archiball Yell, but they never put our pictures on their website, they still have old pictures of the turkey trot, so I feel like they really didn't care about us visiting. I don't plan to go back.

[TMnow]

Ilooked at yellville also, I talked to the guy and bought a few things from the rebbel store across the street from super wal-mart.
He was nice, but you could tell it was a closed comunity.
Even the people who had moved in from other parts of the state did not like new people moving in, I was told by a down town antique store owner, that it was people like me that were driving up the cost of homes.
I decided not to move and fight the civil war again or get lynched by some bald knobers.
Eurika springs, hot springs, around the little rock area are best for people who are not in the good ol boy network.
Hot springs village is also good if you dont mind the rules of the subdivision.
But harrison is also another place I have met some very nice people and many who look at you cross ways becasue they did not see you on a regular basis at their high school foot ball games.
In harrison there is a little old man on the west out side of town that has a antique store, talk about OCD, this guy would sit in this store cluttered to the point of you almost cant move in the place. and every time you ask how much this or that was, he would say, you dont want that, it does not work or any thing to not sell something, He is definatly OCD and it seems to bring him great pain to sell any item, I guess this is why he has so much clutter in the so called dump.
I think most people who stop are one time only after meeting Mr. dumbass.
Yellville and harrison are two towns I would stear clear of, even if you build there I dont think there are many people who can afford what you want to sell.
Eurika springs is a very tolorant place. If you are not homophobic or do not try to force your "god hates gay people crap" on others. There is a large gay comunity there, I for one feel more comfortable with most gays I have met, than the good ol boy network Moderator cut: unnecessary, flaming .

[wiggles]

We own land in Yellville and are in the process of building a home there. We have made many trips to Yellville and think the residents to be very friendly and nice. In all our trips there we have not met one person that was not friendly to us. We are small town people, our town only has a population of 652 people and we are looking forward to when we can move to Yellville for good. We think that Yellville is the most beautiful place. The people there in Yellville are actually more friendly than the people from our home town.