Foreman is located Little
River County. According to Native American folklore, Rocky Comfort, originally
called Willow Springs, was so named because there was a spring, shaded by many
willow trees, running through the rich deposits of lime rock. Animals would
come to the spring and drink the cool water and rest under the willow trees.
The native people therefore named it "Rocky Comfort" because of the
rocky terrain and the shaded place of comfort enjoyed by the animals.
By 1850, Rocky Comfort
was a thriving community on top of a hill, and by the 1860's it began to
develop downhill across the ground below. The courthouse, a hotel, blacksmith
shop, stores, and other establishments spread out in many directions. Rocky
Comfort was named the county seat in 1868, and remained the center of county
government until 1880 when it was moved to Richmond.
When the Arkansas and
Choctaw Railroad built its line from Ashdown to Arkinda in 1895, it cut through
the virgin forest one mile North of Rocky Comfort on the "right of
way" easements sold to the company by local citizens. By 1900, businessmen
as well as residents of Rocky Comfort recognized the area's potential and added
convenience of locating closer to the rail line.
A new community began to
grow, and was named "New Rocky Comfort". When the U.S. Postal Service
was officially established in 1900, it did not want to use a lengthy name in
transacting the mail for this new community. Instead, it chose to designate the
town as "Foreman", in honor of Ben Foreman, a prominent civic leader
from Texarkana.
Due to the "dual
identity" of the town, all mortgages and deeds carried a description of
the town as being situated in New Rocky Comfort (Foreman). It was not until
1959, the State Legislator and later Speaker of the Arkansas House of
Representatives, Marion Crank, proposed " Act 83 " which legally
changed the name of the town from New Rocky Comfort to Foreman.
The town is
located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, a short distance from the
Red River and Little River as well as Millwood Lake. Information care of city
of Foreman.
