Rogers' Boom
From the Arkansas Democrat (Now the NWA Democrat Gazette - December 12, 1900
~Something About Monte Ne, the New Health Resort~
~To Open April 1, 1901~
~There Are a Dozen or More Springs, One of Which Flows 5.000 Gallons Per Minute -
Plat of the New Town-Site Has Been Completed~
From the Arkansas Democrat (Now the NWA Democrat Gazette - December 12, 1900
~Something About Monte Ne, the New Health Resort~
~To Open April 1, 1901~
~There Are a Dozen or More Springs, One of Which Flows 5.000 Gallons Per Minute -
Plat of the New Town-Site Has Been Completed~
Rogers, Ark., December 10- (Special Correspondence.) - Rogers is now enjoying a general boom and it is due to the fact that a new health resort is to soon open near the suburbs of the city of Rogers. Rogers is the metropolis of Benton county on the Frisco railroad, and is 333 miles from St. Louis, 249 miles from Little Rock, and eighty-two miles from Fort Smith. Rogers has a population of over 3,000 happy and prosperous people. Rogers has a fine public school and academy, and all the leading church denominations are well represented in number and houses of worship.
Rogers has two good papers, the Democrat and the Republican. Rogers has a fine electric-light plant, ice factory, bottling works, steam laundry, large roller mill, telephone system, two planers, two banks, two fine hotels, spoke and stave factory, lime works, cold storage, fine academy and dormitory, four livery stables, two large brick public-school buildings, large fruit evaporator, two barrel factories, city hall, fire company, dye works, besides three or four blocks of fine brick business houses and a great many other things too numerous but worthy of mention.
Rogers has two good papers, the Democrat and the Republican. Rogers has a fine electric-light plant, ice factory, bottling works, steam laundry, large roller mill, telephone system, two planers, two banks, two fine hotels, spoke and stave factory, lime works, cold storage, fine academy and dormitory, four livery stables, two large brick public-school buildings, large fruit evaporator, two barrel factories, city hall, fire company, dye works, besides three or four blocks of fine brick business houses and a great many other things too numerous but worthy of mention.
A view of Rogers from near the time this article was written (Circa. 1910)
All the leading secret societies and fraternal and beneficent associations maintain lodges here. Their memberships include the most influential citizens. Health conditions in Rogers are excellent, high altitude, pure air and good water.
Rogers is the largest shipping point in Benton county, and shipped over 90,000 bushels of green apples and 552,000 pounds of evaporated apples and thirty-seven cars of strawberries during the season of 1900. The fruit and strawberry crop prospects for next year are very flattering.
Rogers is the largest shipping point in Benton county, and shipped over 90,000 bushels of green apples and 552,000 pounds of evaporated apples and thirty-seven cars of strawberries during the season of 1900. The fruit and strawberry crop prospects for next year are very flattering.
Apple Grading Machine- near Rogers, Arkansas
The writer is under special obligations to ex-Senator J. A. C. Blackburn and Mr. S. Fleek, the liveryman, for favors shown while in Rogers.
Mr. Fleek, the liveryman, has fine rigs and is expecting a great many drives to and from Monte Ne, the famous heath resort, which is only five miles southeast of Rogers. Senator Blackburn is among the many energetic business men of Rogers and is always doing something to upbuild and advance the town. Mr. Blackburn was born and raised in this county, being a son of one of the earliest pioneers. His father came to what is now known as Benton county in 1832. He is a strong Democrat and a fine campaigner and was elected state senator a few years ago. Mr. Blackburn owns about 6,000 acres of fine timber land in the southeast part of Benton county and will be glad to correspond with anyone desiring information regarding Rogers or Benton county.
A few weeks aho Hon. W. H. ("Coin") Harvey, who is a well known as a political writer and speaker, came to Rogers and purchased the Silver Springs, situated only five miles southeast of this city. This is to be the new health resort of Benton county, and will be opened to the public April 1, 1901. It is to be a pleasure as well as a health resort, and will have hardly any equal in the state.
There are a dozen or more springs in all. The name of Monte Ne is from the French "Monte," meaning mountain, and the Indian "Ne," meaning water. The largest of the springs is one flowing 5,000 gallons per minute. This forms a basin, the dimensions of which are about 100 feet in width, 700 in length, and from three to ten feet in depth. At the end of the basin or lake is a canal winding along the foot of a mountain at the rim of a valley, half a mile away, turning a spur of the mountain.
Mr. Fleek, the liveryman, has fine rigs and is expecting a great many drives to and from Monte Ne, the famous heath resort, which is only five miles southeast of Rogers. Senator Blackburn is among the many energetic business men of Rogers and is always doing something to upbuild and advance the town. Mr. Blackburn was born and raised in this county, being a son of one of the earliest pioneers. His father came to what is now known as Benton county in 1832. He is a strong Democrat and a fine campaigner and was elected state senator a few years ago. Mr. Blackburn owns about 6,000 acres of fine timber land in the southeast part of Benton county and will be glad to correspond with anyone desiring information regarding Rogers or Benton county.
A few weeks aho Hon. W. H. ("Coin") Harvey, who is a well known as a political writer and speaker, came to Rogers and purchased the Silver Springs, situated only five miles southeast of this city. This is to be the new health resort of Benton county, and will be opened to the public April 1, 1901. It is to be a pleasure as well as a health resort, and will have hardly any equal in the state.
There are a dozen or more springs in all. The name of Monte Ne is from the French "Monte," meaning mountain, and the Indian "Ne," meaning water. The largest of the springs is one flowing 5,000 gallons per minute. This forms a basin, the dimensions of which are about 100 feet in width, 700 in length, and from three to ten feet in depth. At the end of the basin or lake is a canal winding along the foot of a mountain at the rim of a valley, half a mile away, turning a spur of the mountain.
This is believed to have been Big Spring not long after the Monte Ne resort opened.
This spring would later be surrounded by the amphitheater.
This spring would later be surrounded by the amphitheater.
The plat of the new town-site has been completed and the work on a large 100-room hotel is already in progress, which will be pushed until completed and will be opened early this spring. One or two boarding-houses have already been opened for the benefit of the army of men which Captain Harvey has employed. The post office will be changed from Silver Springs to Monte Ne, and a telephone will be extended to the springs at once. The citizens of Lowell and Rogers will put in a pike road to the springs. To say that Rogers and Benton county is proud of Hon. W. H. Harvey and the new resort would be putting the fact in mild terms.
Hotel Monte Ne was the first hotel to be completed at Monte Ne.
Later Mr. Harvey would go on to build Missouri Row and Oklahoma Row.
Later Mr. Harvey would go on to build Missouri Row and Oklahoma Row.
The "Arkansas Democrat" reaches Rogers every morning and also along the Frisco, which is a "Gem in the Ozarks." Much more could be said of this enterprising, up-to-date little city.