Lavaca, Arkansas

Home of the “Golden Arrows,” the town of Lavaca is a popular suburb of Fort Smith. It is bordered to the north by the Arkansas River and to the south by Fort Chaffee. The town has a rich heritage and is home to one of the paths of the five civilized tribes in the 1930s Trail of Tears. Lavaca is also known for its namesake fruit, the Lavacaberry. The hybrid berry variety was developed and planted in the 1940s. At its peak, production and harvest of the fruit helped reinvigorate the local economy, following the Great Depression. A few crops of the unique berry can still be found around town today.