Known as the “Duck Hunting and Rice Capital of the World,” the city of Stuttgart lies in Arkansas County and serves as one of its two county seats. Situated on Arkansas’ Grand Prairie, Stuttgart is located on U.S. Highway 165, approximately 45 miles southeast of Little Rock. As of the 2020 census, Stuttgart’s population was 9,326.
Stuttgart was founded in 1880 by German native and Lutheran minister, Rev. George Adam Buerkle. Buerkle and family moved to the United States in 1852, originally settling in Woodville, Ohio. Buerkle and his family, along with a group of fellow German immigrants, came to the area which is now Stuttgart in 1878. In April 1880, he was appointed postmaster of the settlement’s new post office and needed a name for it. Buerkle chose Stuttgart in honor of the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
In 1882, the Texas and St. Louis Railroad laid tracks and began operations in the small settlement. In 1884, the city was platted, however, Stuttgart did not initially thrive or prosper. Thomas Leslie, who came to the area in 1887, became a leader in the town and assisted with the start of its economic growth. For example, Leslie opened the first bank in Arkansas County and helped lead the expansion of railroad construction from Stuttgart to Gillett. Stuttgart was incorporated on April 19, 1889.
Shortly after Stuttgart’s incorporation, residents elected Col. Robert Crockett as the city’s first mayor. Crockett was the eldest son of the legendary frontiersman and politician, David “Davy” Crockett. Robert Crockett had moved to Stuttgart from Memphis at the age of twenty-four.
While it had been an agricultural town since its inception, Stuttgart’s most popular cash crop of rice was not grown in the area until 1902. As an experiment, local farmer Bill Hope planted a small plot of rice. The small plot yielded 139 bushels per acre. On March 9, 1907, Stuttgart Rice Mill Company was incorporated. The company’s mill was completed in October 1907 and reported a profit of $16,000 on the first season’s crops. The success of the mill began Stuttgart’s rise as the leading producer of rice in the world.
Riceland Foods, the world's largest miller and marketer of rice, was founded in 1921, and is headquartered in Stuttgart. Producers Rice Mill, also one of the world’s largest millers and marketers of rice, is located in the city as well. Stuttgart is home to the University of Arkansas' Sen. Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, which is the largest rice research facility in the United States.
Stuttgart is also home to the Grand Prairie Center, which is located on the campus of Phillips County Community College. The venue hosts several concerts and stage plays throughout the year. Several years ago, my wife and I attended a performance by the country music group, Restless Heart, at the Grand Prairie Center, and it is indeed a great place to hear live music.
Not only is Stuttgart known for rice, but it’s just as famous for the great opportunities for duck hunting the area provides. With its abundance of flooded fields, swamps, and buckbrush reservoirs, Stuttgart is considered a prime location for duck hunting in the nation. The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest has been held in the city since 1936 as part of the annual Wings Over the Prairie Festival. Mack’s Prairie Wings, a large retail store specializing in hunting and fishing products, is considered a must-see destination by sportsmen when visiting the area.
For history buffs seeking to learn more about the city, the Museum of the Grand Prairie in Stuttgart features exhibits on pioneer life and notable residents, and of course, rice production and waterfowl hunting.
Whether you’re in town for duck hunting or just passing through the state’s grand prairie, Stuttgart has something for everyone to see and experience.
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