The History
Clutter Hill was destined to provide shelter after a long day’s work. From its humble beginnings as temporary housing for weary railroad workers to today’s distinction as one of the premier housing developments in Rice County, families are discovering their future on land with a storied past.
The H.B Hodges family owned a ranch house that boarded railroad laborers laying track to serve the future community of Little River, named after the tributary the M&M Branch Line of the Santa Fe railroad crossed. The first train passed through Little River from Florence to Ellinwood on June 1, 1880, six years before Little River was incorporated.
In the late 1880s, Cyrus Clutter purchased the Hodges farm and buildings, and the land remained in the Clutter family for three generations: Mr. Clutter; his daughter and son-in-law, Edna Clutter Perry and Percy Perry; and grandson, Paul. The land has been affectionately dubbed “Clutter Hill” since the 1900s.
Supporting community growth, Mr. Perry and Paul deeded off tracts of land to build Sandstone Heights Nursing Home, a grass airstrip used in the 1950s and ‘60s and homes for Bill Hicks and Clair Cordell. The original boarding house had been converted to a barn and stood along side a granary until the homes were built. A large portion of Clutter Hill to the north was deeded to Sentry Underground for hydrocarbon storage. Ferrell Gas currently owns the property.
Because of the historical significance of “Clutter Hill,” and to pay homage to well known philanthropists George Hoffman and W.H. Burke, two streets in the subdivision – Hoffman Court and Burke Lane – were named after them. It is a sincere effort to memorialize the men’s many contributions to Little River, including the Burke Hotel, which was built in 1921 and is still standing, and Hoffman Memorial Hospital, now the site of City Hall.
In January of 2006, the Little River Development Group (LRDG) purchased the remaining Clutter Hill tract from the Perry family with a vision of developing a new subdivision. A grant from the Little River Community Fund was awarded to the LRDG, and the parcel was subsequently annexed by the city. Bids were obtained for construction and a final award was granted on May 24, 2010. Construction started on July 1, 2010 and a projected completion date is December 1, 2010. The subdivision has concrete streets, curb and gutter, city sewer, gas and water and is served by state-of-the-art fiber optics communication lines.
This first phase of the subdivision consists of 25 lots varying in size from .23 acres (10,058 sq. ft.) to .64 acres (27,841 sq. ft.), priced from $9,000 to $19,000. Homes are under construction. Please contact Fletcher Raleigh with Sheets-Adams Realtors at 785.810.8050 for detailed information and availability.
