Bella Vista to celebrate dual anniversaries

Two anniversaries just happened to coincide and will give the entire city a reason to celebrate in 2015, according to Carole Harter of the Bella Vista History Museum.

In 1915, a dam was built across Sugar Creek and Lake Bella Vista was formed. It was named by Mrs. George Crowder who submitted the Spanish words in a contest to name the new resort community.

The resort was created by William and Mary Baker of Bentonville, but lots were selling slowly so in 1917, the resort was sold to the Linebarger brothers who eventually added a 9-hole golf course, dance pavilion and a concrete swimming pool. They sold the resort to E.L. Keith in 1952.

Fifty years after the first resort was formed, John A. Cooper Sr., purchased not only the resort but huge tracts of land north of the original Bella Vista. In 1965, the Declaration was signed for what became the Bella Vista Village Property Owners Association.

So, in 2015 both anniversaries will be celebrated.

Two committees are already at work planning events to commemorate the two anniversaries.

Members of the Bella Vista Historical Society are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the old resort and representatives of the POA are working on the 50th anniversary celebration for their organization.

The museum is planning 10 special exhibits -- one for each decade, Harter said. The museum will be open for 10 months -- March through December -- in 2015. A presentation will be planned to introduce each exhibit sometime during the month, she added

There also will be at least three meetings that will focus attention on the special year -- the annual membership meeting in the spring and the annual Open House in the fall, as well as a special meeting in mid summer, museum docent Xyta Lucas said.

For the POA, Membership Services Manager Connie Willoughby is working on the 50th anniversary celebration along with a committee of other staff members. So far, the committee is still gathering ideas, she said.

In August she plans a lunch meeting with leaders from the POA, the city, area churches and schools to plan a celebration. She thinks the main celebration will take place in May. The Declaration that formed the POA is dated May 18, 1965.

In 1965, Cooper Communities was called Cherokee Village Development Co., and the POA was the Bella Vista Country Club.

The city of Bella Vista was formed in 2007, so city government may not be included in the celebration, Harter said.

General News on 07/30/2014