When White county was founded, around 1835, this city was known as White Sulphur Springs. The springs therapeutic properties led to the establishment of a health spa which attracted visitors but its existence was short lived. When the Arkansas legislature designated the are as as the county seat of White county it was renamed to Searcy. Searcy’s beginnings were not peaceful with many ownership disputes over the land in the town occurring; finally ending up in the United States Supreme Court. With the presence of the Little Red River and Gin and Deener creeks at Searcy it was possible for steamboats to stop at the city and they brought in pioneers who built up its economy. Harding University is located in this city on the site of the old Galloway College.