On March 1, 1997, a tornado ripped through Arkadelphia, killing six people, injuring more than 100 others and destroying the downtown.
As Arkadelphia’s residents restored their lives, they vowed to rebuild.
“Although the struggle to bring the downtown area back from the brink has been long and tedious, buildings have since been repaired or rebuilt and the sense of community pride is still strong,” said Brooke Gregory, community program coordinator for Southern Bancorp Partners, the nonprofit division of Southern Bancorp of Arkadelphia.