Birthplace Of Johnny Cash Turns Focus To Heritage Tourism (2024)

In south Arkansas in September, the sound of a Sharpie on paper meant a focus group stayed on task. Talk of developing a visitors center might not be what you’d expect to hear in a city whose population is around 450.

Except this is the birthplace of Johnny Cash, born February 26, 1932. Cash lived in rural Kingsland, Arkansas for three years until his family moved, one of about 500 families selected to relocate to northeast Arkansas, to a New Deal agricultural resettlement named Dyess.

Kingsland rolled out as a rail town back in 1882, when a stretch of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway unfurled through Cleveland County. A settlement started near the railway station and two years later was incorporated as Kingsland. Local farmers accessed new markets with the railroad, better known by its nickname, the Cotton Belt Route, to which Cash would later pay homage in song. By 1889, Kingsland had nine sawmills driving its economy. Timber was king, for a little while.

But things are quieter in Kingsland these days. 10 years ago, Kingsland lost its only bank. There’s no traditional grocery store. For health care, that’s a drive outside of town, too. But Kingsland’s in it for the long haul.

A grassroots effort got underway to improve the quality of life. With the community development initiatives Kickstart Kingsland and Kickstart Cleveland County, there’s new ambition for revitalization. They want to capitalize on something celebratory for the city. Backers and participants include representatives from Kingsland City Council, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, among others.

Economic development experts have a challenge with Arkansas’ rural areas, where locales have not fully recovered from the Great Recession. According to a report on economic trends from the University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture, 42% of Arkansas’ population lives in rural areas, where there are 3% fewer jobs than in 2007. Local governments bear a heavy burden with declining tax bases. In manufacturing, Arkansas lost approximately 34,000 jobs from 2007 to 2015, which has negatively impacted rural areas’ economic footing. The Natural State’s rural counties experienced net outmigration, resulting in population loss.

How communities manage the very idea of change, when attempting to improve their economic condition, is something that Mark Peterson, professor of community and economic development at the University of Arkansas Extension, has a perspective on.

“The 21st-century economy is global, it is digital and it is fast,” says Peterson. “It is also very disruptive, and businesses and governments that do not adapt will be left behind.”

Peterson points to leaders at the local level as necessary agents of engagement, in communities weighing the balance between stagnation and ambition.

“The most important task of community leaders today is to understand that in the fast pace of the new economy, they must be proactive in addressing their most critical challenges and pursuing the most promising opportunities in their community. To be effective, they must identify these challenges and opportunities, and create a sense of urgency within their community to come together to take action.”

For now, Cash’s Arkansas roots are interpreted in Dyess, one of several Arkansas State University Heritage Sites. Arkansas State cites the historic properties—including Farm No. 266, Johnny Cash’s boyhood home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018—serve as economic catalysts for local communities. Reportedly, more than 40,000 tourists annually have visited Cash’s restored home since 2014, coming from all 50 states and 57 countries. Dyess also hosts the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival held in October.

A Kingsland destination would complement the Cash record. Although he lived in Kingsland for a short period of time, Johnny and his wife June would travel to Kingsland to attend family reunions and support various functions across the county. Cash visited discreetly and publicly.

“Community leaders in Kingsland are seeking to leverage the fact that Johnny Cash, with his incredible and compelling music, was raised in their community,” says Peterson. “They are also reaching out to the Johnny Cash family and Trust, seeking their involvement to ensure that what is developed truly honors his legacy and family.”

One thing’s clear: the real estate developer at the outset is city hall. “The project is in the very early stages and there are still a lot of unknowns,” says project director and City Council member Sharon Crosby.

The city holds title to the old post office building. They’re exploring the adjacent, former bank building. Parallel to the railroad tracks, this block fronts on 1st Street and may be the vicinity for whatever action shakes out. Just up the road is the newer Kingsland Post Office, where Cash appeared at its dedication in 1994, in conjunction with unveiling the 29-cent Carter Family postage stamp.

“There is even a possibility of building a new structure,” Crosby says of the visitors center.

The synergy of a Cash heritage trail from Nashville over to Memphis, down to Dyess and onward to Kingsland is entirely conceivable. Having travelers intentionally come to Kingsland, rather than driving by on U.S. Route 79, would be an accomplishment.

Cash’s personal and artistic fondness for the underdog was undeniable. Kris Kristofferson spoke of his friend and fellow Highwayman at Cash’s memorial service, saying, "Johnny Cash was the champion of the voiceless, the underdogs and the downtrodden."

Now Kingsland is the underdog. They can draw inspiration from Cash, of course, and his legion of fans.

“Johnny Cash has fans all over the world,” Peterson notes. “He touched their souls, and they would love to visit his hometown, to get a sense of what shaped him to be who he was.”

“We will have a Johnny Cash Visitors Center in Kingsland,” assures Crosby. “We are working hard to make this happen."