Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Membership Directory

HISTORY Our Proud Heritage
Spanish explorer Hernando
de Soto is said to have
explored the area in 1541
and found the Osage
Indians living here on what was later
called the Chactas Prairie. This is
where Russellville now stands. P.C.
Holledger tamed the area by building
the first house in 1834. Dr. Thomas
Russell, a well-respected doctor and
surgeon, purchased the house in
1835. The Chamber staff feels a deep
sense of history and commitment to
our city because the first house built
in Russellville and the home of the
town’s namesake was on the site
where the Chamber of Commerce
now stands.
population was less than two thousand
inhabitants, there were several
industries. Some of these were
the Melrose Cotton Mill, a gristmill,
a planing mill, a cotton gin and a
wool-carding mill. There was also a
wagon and plow factory that had a
capacity of four hundred wagons a
year, a canning and evaporation
plant, and a large foundry and
machine shop. The proud tradition
of industry continues today as
Russellville supports a nuclear power
plant, poultry processing plants,
automobile parts manufacturing,
frozen foods, and many, many
others. A total of 48 manufacturers
employing 8,500 citizens now call
the River Valley home.
The natural choice in the natural state,
Russellville is located approximately
seventy-five miles from Little Rock,
Fort Smith, Harrison and Hot Springs.
Our heritage has served us well as
Russellville has continued to prosper
and attract business and residents
from all over the world. It is easy to
see why Russellville has become the
trade center for the River Valley. Even
in the early days, when Russellville’s
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