Catholics working to protect century-old community

Published: August 13, 2014

Two Catholics are at the forefront of getting the community of Little Italy to become an incorporated town.

Kristy Eanes and Chris Dorer are concerned with the historical preservation of the town and urban sprawl in western Pulaski County and wanted a way to protect Little Italy, which will mark its 100th anniversary in 2015.

“Little Italy has always been an independent community of friendly people who love where they live and are proud of their history, and a grassroots effort is now underway to seek incorporated status,” said Eanes, a member of the Cathedral of St. Andrew and great-granddaughter of the area’s first Italian settlers.

Together with Dorer, a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Little Italy and a local historian, Eanes formed a task force that has spent nearly three years researching the advantages the community will have that it currently lacks without town status.

Founded on Dec. 23, 1915, and originally named Alta Villa by its settlers from northern Italy, Little Italy is located in Pulaski County 16 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Eanes, a descendant of the Belotti and Vaccari families, is a Little Italy landowner. She feels strongly about the incorporation bid because of her ancestral roots here.

“My great-grandparents came from Italy to America searching for a better life for their families, and they found it here,” Eanes said. “I want to preserve and protect what they found and loved. My land and that community are deeply rooted in me.”

To learn more about the incorporation efforts, visit here or the Facebook page. The Twitter handle is @littleitalyark1.