Southland Park began as a dog racing track in 1956. At its opening in 1956, Southland became Arkansas's only greyhound racetrack, following in the tradition of the earlier Riverside Kennel Club, which was the first greyhound track in West Memphis. Riverside had been located at the Arkansas end of the Mississippi River bridge between West Memphis and Memphis, Tennessee, and proved to be a popular diversion. Based on that popularity, Southland was established after the demise of Riverside. Originally owned by the Upton family and other individuals, Southland was purchased by Delaware North Companies, Inc., based in Buffalo, New York, in the early 1970s. In the 1993 film The Firm, Southland appears as the backdrop for a pivotal scene between Tom Cruise and Ed Harris.
