Siloam Springs was established in 1880 and is known for the beauty of the parks lining Sager Creek as it winds through the downtown. Eight of the springs feeding into the creek were once considered medicinal, which brought health seekers and summer visitors to the town for many years. Visitors and residents also enjoyed Chautauqua programs, concerts in the parks, and dramas in the opera house. White settlement along the creek dates back to the arrival of Simon Sager and family by 1839. The first town along the creek was Hico, which was established around 1845 by Caldeen and Nancy Ward Gunter. Today, Siloam Springs is home to John Brown University, the corporate headquarters for Allens, Inc. and Simmons Foods, Inc., and plants for several industries. This town of more than 15,000 is an Arkansas Main Street Community with three National Register Historic Districts.