Arkansas’ official geographic center is marked with a marker near Bryant

Bryant, Arkansas – The official center of Arkansas is marked by a marker in Bryant.

The memorial was erected in 1936 by the Daughters of American Colonists to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Arkansas, according to Rob Roedel, a council member for the City of Bryant.

“[The marker] is off by a few feet because I think the geographic center is right in the middle of Highway 5,” Roedel said. “It wouldn’t have been very safe to put it right in the middle of the road.”

According to Roedel, the tombstone is made of concrete with a metal plaque and is located close to a cemetery.

“Everyone knows all roads lead to Bryant anyway so it’s a pretty good tie-in for the City of Bryant,” Roedel said.

According to Roedel, the city of Bryant has its own history of how it developed into the city it is now.

“The whole legend of how Byant got started is travelers traveling from somewhere in the east to Texas,” Roedel said. “Hurricane Creek, which is here in Bryant, flooded, they weren’t able to continue for a few weeks and they liked the area so much they stayed.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, the city experienced a boom in activity, according to Roedel.

“There was a gas station a pizza and a grocery store that’s when I moved here,” Roedel said. “Anything North of the interstate is all brand new relatively.”

According to Bryant’s mayor, Howard Scott, the city’s population has increased significantly during the past ten years.

“The last 10 years, we had a 24 percent growth which is phenomenal, and we are continuing to grow,” Scott said.

According to Scott, the city is attempting to upgrade its park systems and build out its infrastructure.

Bryant Parkway construction is one of the city’s largest projects for economic growth, according to Scott.

“That will allow is direct access from the interstate to the airport,” Scott said. “That will be a