Celebrate Berryville: April

The year 2025 promises to be a historic one for the Berryville Public library and, by extension, for the town of Berryville. We broke ground on the new library last week, so the library should be finished in the spring of 2026. Preparation for the new building has made us at the Berryville Library nostalgic and reflective, not just about the library’s history but also about the town’s history. Other seminal moments in Berryville Library history occurred in 1938 and 1978, so we’ll be looking back this year on what Berryville was like then, as well as what it is like now, as we also look to the future.

For April, we’re looking at how and where Berryville works.

Berryville and the surrounding countryside have had a strong agricultural focus since the 1800s. The rocky soil can make growing crops difficult here, but the beautiful Ozark hills and mountains are perfect for grazing livestock, particularly cattle, and that tradition of raising beef continues into the 2020s.

In the 1930s, dairying also became a significant factor in the local economy. The Berryville Cheese Factory was established by then in Berryville. It used milk from local cows and eventually was purchased by Kraft Foods in the 1940s, operating until the 1980s.

Canneries were also important and widespread in the early 1900s in Carroll County. By the 1930s, locally grown tomatoes were supplying dozens of canneries across the county, including in Berryville, during the Great Depression.

The poultry industry took hold in the 1950s, when Carroll County Food Products was formed. Berryville quickly became known as the Turkey Capital of the World, both for its poultry processing plant that was leased to Ocoma Foods and the poultry farms in the surrounding areas. In the early 1970s, Tyson Foods purchased the Ocoma Factory, and it remains the largest employer in the city. Chicken and turkey farms also continue to be a significant portion of the agricultural economy outside city limits.

By the 1970s, Berryville’s economy had significantly industrialized. Beyond the Tyson and Kraft Food plants, the Glick Manufacturing Company, which sewed garments, was also a significant local employer and remained so until its closure. In 1977, gun manufacturer Wilson Combat opened south of town. The 1970s also saw the opening of our WalMart. Previously, Berryville had had one of the original Walton’s stores.

As of 2020, Berryville’s top employers were Tyson, WalMart, the local school district, Wilson Combat, Mercy Hospital, Carroll Electric, and Kerusso (apparel manufacturer started in 1987).

The city has started a new business park on the eastern edge of town, so the future seems bright for Berryville workers. At the library, we provide a bimonthly job posting called Who’s Hiring, which updates jobseekers on opportunities available across Carroll County. You can check it online anytime or pick up a hard copy at the library.

But that’s enough about us–we want to hear about you and your family!

You can answer the prompts at any of our collection stations at the library, the community center, and the historical society. Also feel free to email us your responses and any pictures you have of yourself and/or your family working in the 1930s, 1970s, and now at celebrateberryville@gmail.com.

Everyone who fills out the prompt is eligible for our prize drawing. Each month up to five lucky people will win small prizes that celebrate fun things to do, fun places to eat, fun things made–you get the idea–all in Berryville! Responses and photos are also eligible for inclusion in our commemorative book at the end of this project.

Learn more about Celebrate Berryville on our landing page!

A special thank you to Kristy Tesch, Dale Ross, and Shirley Pyron with their assistance in researching this post.

The following online resources were also especially helpful:

Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Largest Employers By County–Carroll.” https://aedc-arkansasedc-staging.azurewebsites.net/why-arkansas/rankings-accolades/largest-employers-by-county

City of Berryville. “Berryville History.” https://berryvillear.gov/about-berryville/berryville-history/

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Berryville.” https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/berryville-842/

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Carroll County.” https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/carroll-county-752/

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. “Scenes of Carroll County.” https://shilohmuseum.org/project/scenes-of-carroll-county/