Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. Located in the Arkansas Delta, the county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart.
The first of the state's 75 present-day counties to be created, Arkansas County was formed on December 13, 1813, when this area was part of the Missouri Territory. The county was named after the Arkansas River (itself named for the Arkansas tribe), as was the subsequent Arkansas Territory. This was later split off from Missouri Territory and eventually admitted to the union as a state. The riverfront areas in the Arkansas Delta were developed for cotton plantations, based on the use of enslaved African Americans. Cotton was the major commodity crop before and after the Civil War. Other crops such as soybeans are also cultivated now, in industrial-scale production.
Arkansas County is one of seven present-day counties in the United States that have the same name as the state in which they are located.
Video Arkansas County, Arkansas
History
Louisiana Purchase and Territorial Arkansas
The county was created by the Missouri Territorial Legislature on December 31, 1813. It was called Arkansas after the Arkansas River, and the Arkansas tribe of Native Americans. It is one of seven current counties that have the same name as the state in which it is located. (The other six counties are Hawaii County, Idaho County, Iowa County, New York County, Oklahoma County, and Utah County).
Its original boundaries were New Madrid County to the north, Louisiana to the south, the Mississippi River to the east, and the Indian Boundary Line south of Fort Clark to the west.
Statehood and antebellum Arkansas
The county seat was moved from Arkansas Post to DeWitt, a newly established town created at the request of the Arkansas County Quorum Court on February 19, 1853. County government officially held court for the first time in DeWitt in October 1855.
This area was developed for cotton plantations through the antebellum period, based on the labor of enslaved African-American workers. Major planters earned considerable wealth with the commodity crop, for which there was high demand.
Citizens of the county supported the Secession Convention to discuss secession from the Union in 1861 by a 80% to 20% margin. The anti-immediate secession delegates negotiated a compromise to put the question on the statewide ballot in August, but to remain in the Union. Following President Abraham Lincoln's request for troops following the Battle of Fort Sumter, citizens of several counties, including Arkansas County, formed a militia and stormed Little Rock to serve the Confederate government.
Civil War and Reconstruction
Arkansas County initially sent two companies of militia to Little Rock to serve in what would become the 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment: Company H, known as "The Crockett Rifles", and Company K, known as "The DeWitt Guards". A third company would join the 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment as the "Dixie Grays".
There were tensions in the aftermath of the Civil War, as whites and freedmen struggled to negotiate working within a free labor system.
The New South
In the post-Reconstruction era, whites directed considerable violence against African Americans, in an effort to restore and maintain white supremacy after Democrats regained power. At the turn of the century, the state legislature passed measures that effectively disenfranchised most blacks for decades. The Equal Justice Initiative reported in 2015 that the county had 18 lynchings of African Americans from 1877-1950, most in the decades near the turn of the 20th century. This was the highest of any county other than Phillips, where the Elaine Race Riot is believed to have resulted in more than 200 deaths of African Americans.
To escape the violence and social oppression, thousands of African Americans left the state in the Great Migration to northern industrial cities. They migrated beginning around World War I, increasing the number leaving during and after World War II, when rural jobs had been reduced.
Maps Arkansas County, Arkansas
Geography
Arkansas County is located in the Arkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta") a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from the Mississippi River between Louisiana and Illinois.
Within the Delta, Arkansas County is almost entirely within the Grand Prairie subregion, historically a flat grassland plain underlain by an impermeable clay layer (the Stuttgart soil series). Prior to the 19th century, flatter areas with slowly to very slowly permeable soils (often containing fragipans) supported Arkansas's largest prairie, covered in prairie grasses and forbs, with oaks covering the low hills and ridges, and pockets of floodplains with bottomland hardwood forests. This region was a sharp contrast to the bottomland forests that once dominated other parts of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Cropland has now largely replaced the native vegetation. Distinctively, rice is the main crop; soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat are also grown. The rice fields provide habitat and forage for large numbers and many species of waterfowl; duck and goose hunting occurs at this important spot along the Mississippi Flyway.
Two different eco-regions border the Grand Prairie along the major rivers forming the county's east and southern boundaries: the Arkansas River Holocene Meander Belt and the Western Lowlands Holocene Meanders. These areas of flat floodplain contain the meander belts of the present and past watercourses, point bars, natural levees, swales, and abandoned river channels. Some of the most extensive remaining tracts of native bottomland hardwood forest in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain remain along these rivers. Along the banks of the White River in Arkansas County, these forests are preserved in the White River National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,033.79 square miles (2,677.5 km2), of which 988.49 square miles (2,560.2 km2) is land and 45.30 square miles (117.3 km2) (4.4%) is water.
The county is located approximately 55 miles (89 km) east of Little Rock, 112 miles (180 km) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and 367 miles (591 km) northeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) in Texas. Arkansas County is surrounded by Prairie County to the north, Monroe County to the northeast, Phillips County to the east, Desha County to the south, Lincoln County to the southwest, Jefferson County to the west, and Lonoke County to the northwest.
Hydrology
Water is an extremely important part of Arkansas County's geography, history, economy, and culture. The many rivers, streams, and ditches crossing the county have featured prominently since prehistoric times, and many of the hundreds of archaeological sites, including the Menard-Hodges Site, are along waterways. The navigability of the Arkansas River has been important for every civilization in Arkansas County since prehistory. Tribes of Quapaw, Casqui, and Mississippian cultures were settled in the area along the rivers. Three major rivers form much of the county's boundaries: Arkansas River, Bayou Meto, and the White River. Within the county, La Grue Bayou is an important watercourse.
Rivers brought early prosperity to the county during white settlement for navigation. The county saw battles for control of the rivers during the American Revolution in 1783 at the Battle of Arkansas Post, and the Civil War in 1862 and 1863 in the Battle of Saint Charles and Battle of Arkansas Post, respectively.
Protected areas
Several agencies own and maintain areas of natural and cultural value for enjoyment and use by residents and visitors of Arkansas County. Along the county's eastern boundary, 99.3 square miles (257 km2) of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge protect Mississippi lowland forests along the White River. In the western part of the county, 39.3 square miles (102 km2) of the George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) to preserve natural woodlands and wetlands for wintering waterfowl within the Mississippi Flyway. At the southern tip of the county, the bottomland hardwood forest area between the Arkansas and White is preserved in the Trusten Holder WMA. The area is well known for hunting and fishing, and bald eagle watching in winter. The AGFC also maintains the Ethel WMA, a 176-acre (71 ha) area known for small game hunting, formerly open only to residents of Ethel.
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission maintains two small sites in Arkansas County: the Roth Prairie Natural Area and the Striplin Woods Natural Area. Roth Prairie is a flat 41 acres (17 ha) plot south of Stuttgart, one of the few remaining tallgrass prairies typical of the Grand Prairie prior to leveling and clearing for human settlement. Striplin Woods preserves a very biodiverse section of old growth bottomland hardwood forest along the White River located within the White River NWR, and is comanaged with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Along the Arkansas, the Corps maintains a total of 160 campgrounds at Merrisach, Notrebes Bend, Pendleton Bend, and Wilbur D. Mills Use Areas, each with electric hookups, boat ramps, and restroom facilities. The Corps also maintains the Moore Bayou Day Use Area on the Arkansas, providing access to the Arkansas Post Water Trail, and Wild Goose Bayou Day Use Area on the Arkansas Canal.
The primary cultural site in Arkansas County is Arkansas Post, the historic entrepot near the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers, and early epicenter of white settlement in the region. Founded in 1686, Arkansas Post was established at various sites near the confluence, often moving after flood events. Though remains of the post have been lost by movements of the Arkansas River, a small townsite is preserved as the Arkansas Post National Memorial. The nearby Arkansas Post State Park preserves the history of early settlement on the Grand Prairie through a five-building museum. The central structure is the 1877 Refeld-Hinman dogtrot house.
Demographics
The peak of population in the rural county was 1940. Mechanization and industrial-scale agriculture reduced the number of farm workers, and people have moved away because of the lack of opportunities.
2010 Census
As of the 2010 census, there were 19,019 people, 8,005 households, and 5,306 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 9,436 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.8% White, 24.5% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. 2.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,005 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,230, and the median income for a family was $48,698. Males had a median income of $37,489 versus $25,607 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,142. About 13.1% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010, the largest denominational group was the Evangelical Protestants (with 7,709 adherents) and Mainline Protestants (with 2,500 adherents). Almost 29% of people in the county did not claim a religious tradition. The largest religious bodies were The Southern Baptist Convention (with 6,332 members) and The United Methodist Church (with 1,976 members).
2000 Census
As of the 2000 census, there were 20,749 people, 8,457 households, and 5,970 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 9,672 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.19% White, 23.36% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,457 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,316, and the median income for a family was $36,472. Males had a median income of $28,914 versus $21,127 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,401. About 14.10% of families and 17.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.80% of those under age 18 and 15.50% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, the largest denominational group was the Evangelical Protestants (with 10,229 adherents) and Mainline Protestants (with 3,593 adherents). The largest religious bodies were he Southern Baptist Convention (with 5,103 members) and the United Methodist Church (with 2,750 members).
Human resources
Education
Educational attainment in Arkansas County is typical for a rural Arkansas county, with a 2016 study finding 82.5% of Arkansas County residents over age 25 held a high school degree or higher, below Arkansas and national averages of 85.2% and 87.0%, respectively. Arkansas County's proportion of population holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 14.4%, significantly below the state average of 21.5% and national average of 30.3%.
Primary and secondary education
Two public school districts are based in Arkansas County: Stuttgart Public Schools is the larger of the two school districts in the county, with the DeWitt School District serving most of the rural area of the county. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation from Stuttgart High School or DeWitt High School, respectively. Both high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses and are accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
Higher education
Within Arkansas County, two branch campuses of Phillips Community College (based in Helena-West Helena) are operated in De Witt and Stuttgart. Public four-year colleges in the area include the University of Arkansas at Monticello in Monticello, Southeast Arkansas College (SEARK) and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) in Pine Bluff, and several institutions in Little Rock.
Library system
The Arkansas County Library system is based in Stuttgart and contains three branches: Cleon Collier Memorial Library at 211 Main Street in Gillett, DeWitt Public Library at 205 West Maxwell, and the William F. Foster Stuttgart Public Library at 2002 South Buerkle. All three libraries offers books, e-books, media, reference, youth, business and genealogy services.
Culture and contemporary life
Media
The county newspaper is the Stuttgart Daily Leader, a daily newspaper established in Stuttgart in 1885. Former newspapers include The Free Press and The Stuttgart Republican.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Arkansas County Quorum Court has eight members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.
Taxation
Property tax is assessed by the Arkansas County Assessor annually based upon the fair market value of the property and determining which tax rate, commonly called a millage in Arkansas, will apply. The rate depends upon the property's location with respect to city limits, school district, and special tax increment financing (TIF) districts. This tax is collected by the Arkansas County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15th without penalty. The Arkansas County Treasurer disburses tax revenues to various government agencies, such as cities, county road departments, fire departments, libraries, and police departments in accordance with the budget set by the quorum court.
Sales and use taxes in Arkansas are voter approved and collected by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas's statewide sales and use tax has been 6.5% since July 1, 2013. Arkansas County has an additional sales and use tax of 1.0%, which has been in effect since January 1, 1998. Within Arkansas County, Almyra and Humphrey have an additional tax of 1.0%, St. Charles has an additional 2.0%, Gillett and Stuttgart an additional 3.0%, and DeWitt an additional 3.5% on top of county rates. The Arkansas State Treasurer disburses tax revenue to counties/cities in accordance with tax rules.
Communities
Cities
- De Witt (county seat)
- Gillett
- Humphrey (partly in Jefferson County)
- Stuttgart (county seat)
Towns
- Almyra
- St. Charles
Unincorporated communities
Historical communities
Townships
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Arkansas County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
Infrastructure
Aviation
Almyra Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located in Arkansas County. It is three nautical miles (6 km) west of the central business district of Almyra, which owns the airport.
Major highways
- US Route 79
- US Route 165
- State Route 1
- State Route 11
- State Route 17
- State Route 33
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Arkansas County, Arkansas
Notes
References
External links
- "Arkansas, a S. E. county of Arkansas". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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