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Ink, Arkansas facts for kids

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Ink, Arkansas
Road marker for Ink
Road marker for Ink
Ink, Arkansas is located in Arkansas
Ink, Arkansas
Ink, Arkansas
Location in Arkansas
Ink, Arkansas is located in the United States
Ink, Arkansas
Ink, Arkansas
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Arkansas
County Polk
Elevation
1,033 ft (315 m)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s) 479
GNIS feature ID 72147

Ink is a small place in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community. This means it's not a city or town with its own local government. It's more like a neighborhood or a group of homes. Ink is located about 1,033 feet (or 315 meters) above sea level.

About Ink, Arkansas

Ink is found in the beautiful state of Arkansas. It's a quiet spot in Polk County. Even though it doesn't have its own city hall or mayor, it's still a recognized place. People live and work there, just like in any other community.

What is an Unincorporated Community?

An unincorporated community is a place where people live together, but it's not officially a city or town. This means it doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's usually managed by the county it's in. For Ink, that's Polk County.

How Ink Got Its Name

The name "Ink" is quite unusual for a community! There are two main stories about how this place got its unique name back in 1887.

The Popular Story

Many people like to tell a funny story about Ink's name. They say that when the people living there wanted to start a post office, they had to fill out a government form. On the form, there was an instruction that said, "Please write in ink." The story goes that the townsfolk misunderstood this. They thought it was asking for the name of their proposed town. So, they wrote "Ink" as the name, and it was accepted!

The True Story

While the popular story is fun, the real reason for the name "Ink" is a bit different. In 1887, many new communities across the United States were trying to get official post offices. The United States Postal Service (USPS) had a big challenge. They wanted to make sure that not too many places had the same name.

Because of this, communities had to suggest several different names for their post office. Most towns didn't get their first, second, or even third choice! For the community we now know as Ink, their first choice for a name was "Melon." However, "Melon" was not approved. "Ink" was actually their second choice, and that's the name that stuck!

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