Welcome to the McGehee Area Chamber of Commerce
Uniquely Southeastern Arkansas
The vitality of McGehee is apparent when visiting with any resident. McGehee boasts excellent schools, great places to eat, and wonderful hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching opportunities. A new medical clinic, hospital expansion, and the Boys & Girls Club set McGehee apart from other Delta communities.
McGehee Men’s Club and Women’s Service League add strength and support to the community. Downtown McGehee is home to Caboose Park, a rose garden, Veteran’s Memorial, and the WWII Japanese American Internment Museum, which preserves the history of internees once housed nearby. McGehee is located just ten miles from the Mississippi River, Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area, and Delta Heritage Trail State Park — a levee-top and rails-to-trails bicycle trail.
We welcome all visitors to stay awhile and enjoy the pace of McGehee and the hospitality we offer.
History of McGehee
The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of the railroad dates back to 1870 when a railroad was constructed from Pine Bluff southeast through Varner, to Chicot.
Important in the history of the town of McGehee is the McGehee family which came to the area from Alabama in 1857. Benjamin McGehee, his wife, Sarah, a son, Abner and daughters Laura and Mary settled on land that is now a part of McGehee. Abner McGehee, son of Benjamin and Sarah McGehee purchased 240 acres of land on July 1, 1876, on which the town of McGehee was later to be located. When the railroad came into McGehee in 1878 and continued south and southwest, people began to move into the area. Abner McGehee constructed a large commissary building and entered the mercantile business to accommodate the new arrivals.