You can’t pass up a town called Monkey Run

Monkey Run, Ark., is in a narrow valley on the western border of Baxter County.

Baxter County is in the very center of North Arkansas and abuts Missouri. By official count, the county population in 2010 was 41,513, with 95.96 percent white of non-Hispanic lineage.

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says Monkey Run used to be called Pilgrim’s Rest. At least three versions exist as to why the name was changed to Monkey Run. You can read the three versions here:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6899

Whatever the reason, a town’s name does not change to something as unusual as Monkey Run unless a lot of people agree to the change.

All Wikipedia has to say about Monkey Run is, it “is an unincorporated community in Baxter County, Arkansas, in the United States.”

roadsidethoughts dot com has this to say about Monkey Run: “As far as we can tell, Monkey Run has not been included in past Census counts, so there is no population information for this community.”

Does that mean people in Monkey Run opted out of the latest census?

There is a Facebook page on Things to Do in Monkey Run. It’s blank.

Suburbanstats dot org? Nada.

Sotheby’s International Luxury Homes listings? None.

Found something!

http://globalsearchusrs.ca.com/cities/arkansas/monkey-run/

Population: 3,147. I think that is for the whole Zip Code. Average income: $29,797. Ditto.

Limousine service in Monkey Run is listed at a St. Louis, Mo., company. My guess is, you call the company in St. Louis and tell somebody you want to be picked up in Monkey Run, Arkansas, the somebody will reply: “Do what?”

Here is a link to Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery near Monkey Run:

http://baxtercountycemeteries.blogspot.com/2011/07/pilgrims-rest-cemetery-is-in-monkey-run.html

There are four photographs.