Today, the village of Henderson, Arkansas, sits peacefully on the east shore of Norfork Lake, anchored by a post office and the Corps of Engineers recreation area. But its current location is not its original one. To understand the heart of Henderson, we have to look to the valley floor, now deep beneath the lake’s surface.
The original village of Henderson was established around 1860, just before the Civil War, about one mile west of where it stands today. Like many early settlements in the beautiful, remote Ozarks, it was nestled in a sheltered valley where the soil was fertile for tilling, a small creek provided fresh water, and the North Fork River flowed nearby.
For decades, the river was the main obstacle and artery of the community.
The Smith Ferry: Around 1902, one of the earliest settlers, Frank Smith, began operating a small ferry across the North Fork River. After his death in the early 1930s, his sons took over, facilitating the growing local traffic, including what would eventually become U.S. Highway 62.
The Bridge: The ferry’s long life came to an end in December 1934 when a concrete bridge was built across the river, connecting the two banks.
When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers arrived to build the Norfork Dam and “harness” the river’s power, the original village of Henderson was unfortunately doomed. Its buildings had to be torn down before the lake began to rise.
The village consisted of three or four homes, a small grocery store, and Leffel J. Smith’s general merchandise store, which housed the U.S. Post Office. This store was the social hub of the community, famed for its wide front porch—a perfect spot for a lazy afternoon of “spit and whittle.” The article notes that the exterior was covered in signs for everything from snuff (like Bruton’s and Garrett’s) to cold remedies like Vick’s Vapo-Rub and solid leather Peter Shoes.
Today, the spot where the old village once stood is covered by about 15 feet of lake water, and the 1934 concrete bridge remains standing, about 80 feet under the surface of Norfork Lake.
The spirit of Henderson was not lost, just relocated. The modern village has moved to higher ground and is now home to the Lake Norfork Marina, a hotel, a resort, a realtor office, and various small businesses serving lake visitors.
Interesting Fact:
The last of the old ferries—used for U.S. 62 and AR 101, known as the “Arkansas Navy”—made their final voyage in 1984 with the completion of the Memorial Bridges.
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