In 1907, in an attempt to connect Joplin, Missouri with Helena, Arkansas – the Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad built a bridge across the Middle Fork of the Little Red River, in a community with no name. In 1911, the town of Shirley, Arkansas was founded. By 1920, The town had a population of almost 500. The railroad brought with it tourists, jobs, and money. But the boom was to be short lived. Two long strikes and a citizen’s uprising that left one person lynched, eventually bankrupted the M&NA. The second world war came and went, and in 1949, the last train crept across the tracks through Shirley, pulling up the stakes along the rails as they went.

The dream was shattered, the bubble burst, and the town began a slow decline into Ozark obscurity. But there is one place in Shirley where the dream of the railroad lives on. Located just behind the “depot stage” where you can hear live music during the town’s annual homecoming celebration in June, you’ll find the Cottrell-Wilson Trailhead.

You can walk along the railroad bed, and if you look closely along the ground as you walk, you might even find a few remnants of the railroad slowly decaying. The walk is beautiful, and mostly flat until you reach the Mountain View to Little Rock wagon road, where you will start to climb up hill. Following the Wagon Trail you will end your hike at the Cottrell Wilson Cemetery, overlooking the beautiful Little Red River far below. If you have an afternoon to spend, walk the trail. Listen closely and you can almost hear the train rolling down the tracks.

–Special Note to anyone interested in visiting this trail: Located less than a mile from this trailhead is the beautiful train-truss bridge and the single room jail. Each of these make wonderful photo-opportunities!