The second town in the county in size is Atkins, situated on the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad, twelve miles from Russellville, and prettily located at the foot of the Crow range of mountains. From the summit of a spur of Crow Mountain, and within a mile of the town, a picture of rare loveliness stretches out over forest and field as far as the eye can reach, and on all sides are fertile farms. The town is only five miles from the famous Arkansas River bottoms, where everything grows so abundantly. The health of the town is excellent; chills and fever are rarely ever known. Atkins has a large mercantile trade and is a shipping point of large quantities of cotton. Considerable live-stock is handled here. The manufacture of wagons and carriages has been a leading industry.

Atkins was incorporated October 23, 1876. The following named additions to the original town plat have been platted: Reynolds', Beeson's and Cahill's additions.

The gentlemen here mentioned have served the town as mayor: J. F. Darr, W. H. McCullough, James Cagle, William Reynolds, M. Kirtley, J. A. Westerfield, W. A. Wilson, A. M. Gibson.

Following is a list of the principal business interests of Atkins: Lester & Riggs, general merchants; A. J. Sisney, furniture dealer; A. Arnn, tinner; W. S. Hinton & Son, druggists; W. A. Galloway, druggist; A. J. Croom, general merchant; Matthews & Matthews, grocers; Bledsoe & Ford, druggists and grocers; J. F. Darr, general merchant; E. A. Darr, general merchant; J. C. Darr, general merchant; Reynolds Bros., hardware dealers; M. F. Cleveland, general merchant and furniture dealer; Avera Bros., grocers; C. Bell, general merchant; E. Epstein, general merchant; Paul Reiss & Co., grocers; J. U. Dunn, dealer in meat; W. S. Jones & Co., grocers; Weaver & Son, wagon manufacturers; Beckham & Hammond, blacksmiths and wagon-makers; the Scerlett House and Leatherwood House, hotels; Weaver & Son, proprietors of saw-mill, planing-mill and grist-mill; M. Alewine, cotton-gin and grist-mill; J. H. Potts, J. H. Westerfield, J. M. Yandall, R. B. Whiteside and D. J. Warren, physicians; B. F. Wilson, dentist.

The Methodist Episcopal, the Baptist, the Cumberland Presbyterian, the Methodist Episcopal South and the Catholic Churches all have organizations and hold regular meetings at Atkins. Some of their houses of worship are very fine buildings.

The population of this town is about 1,000.(1890)