Billy Tarpley

From the railroad and the "Gurdon Light" to the Hoo-Hoo International Museum, Gurdon offers a number of attractions that help define our local and regional heritage. The population of the town is about 2,300 and for most of my life it has always stayed right around that number. Gurdon's history as a railroad town makes it interesting because, until about 40 years ago, it was the hub of the rail lines that traveled east and west, as well as north to the lumber mills and quarries and south to Camden and beyond. The town was home to an old-fashioned roundhouse, which was used to turn locomotives in the opposite direction on the track. That was huge factor back then.
 
Gurdon is a town that could present a lot of options for someone with a vision toward downtown restoration or community development. There have been a few people who have mentioned that the town could find its niche as an antique center due to the availability of storefronts downtown. Others have mentioned that an artists' colony might work well here. But in any event, the town provides its share of interesting tourism sites. The Hoo-Hoo Museum is definitely like nothing else you'll ever see, and the burial site of Thomas Jefferson's grandson, Lewis Meriwether Randolph, is just south of town.

Gurdon's people make it special. It is a little town with a core group of citizens who will support that community in any good cause, particularly events that are related to the schools. We host a fall festival called The Forest Festival that is second to none. Like many other small towns, Gurdon has retained all the finest qualities of a nice community.

In terms of education, Gurdon has a new high school plant, middle school plant, a primary school renovation funded by a million dollar grant, gyms, new agriculture and textile buildings, and lighted baseball and football fields.  We recently completed a new 1,200 seat auditorium complex that is fabulous.  Many, many people want their children to attend the Gurdon schools. Gurdon students perform well on benchmark exams and the teachers are great. We also have some of the finest FFA and 4-H Programs in the state.