Prairie County, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Prairie County is a county
located in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
. As of 2010, the population is 8,715. The county has two county seat
s, Des Arc
and De Valls Bluff
. Prairie County was formed on October 25, 1846, and named for the Grand Prairie of eastern Arkansas.
of 2000, there were 9,539 people, 3,894 households, and 2,795 families residing in the county. The population density
was 6/km² (15/mi²). There were 4,790 housing units at an average density of 3/km² (7/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.83% White
, 13.71% Black
or African American
, 0.36% Native American
, 0.18% Asian
, 0.28% from other races
, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,894 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples
living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% 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 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,990, and the median income for a family was $36,131. Males had a median income of $28,413 versus $18,808 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,907. About 12.20% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.
Indian settlers from Tennessee
and was formerly the Western band of Cherokee Reservation from 1812 to 1836. Today, an estimated 2,000 residents have some degree of American Indian ancestry.
The town of Fredonia (Biscoe)
was named for the failed movement for a Republic of Fredonia by Arkansas Cherokee and American Texan
settlers in Mexican Texas
in 1826. Another town, De Valls Bluff had the tribal seat office but now one of the county seats.
to be executed by use of the electric chair
. He was executed for the offense of rape
.
Stern's Medlar
, a previously unknown plant species, was discovered in Prairie County in 1990, and is not known to grow anywhere else. It is critically endangered, with only 25 known specimens, all growing within a single small wood, now protected as the Konecny Grove Natural Area.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. As of 2010, the population is 8,715. The county has two county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s, Des Arc
Des Arc, Arkansas
Des Arc is a city in and the county seat of the northern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Des Arc is located at ....
and De Valls Bluff
De Valls Bluff, Arkansas
De Valls Bluff is a town in and the county seat of the southern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 783 at the 2000 census.-Geography:De Valls Bluff is located at ....
. Prairie County was formed on October 25, 1846, and named for the Grand Prairie of eastern Arkansas.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 675.76 square miles (1,750.2 km²), of which 645.93 square miles (1,673 km²) (or 95.59%) is land and 29.83 square miles (77.3 km²) (or 4.41%) is water.Major Highways
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Interstate 40Interstate 40Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
U.S. Highway 70
U.S. Highway 79
Highway 11
Highway 13
Highway 33
Highway 38
Highway 86
Adjacent counties
- White CountyWhite County, ArkansasWhite County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 77,076. The county seat is Searcy. White County is Arkansas's 31st county, formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties and named for Hugh Lawson White, a...
(north) - Woodruff County (northeast)
- Monroe CountyMonroe County, ArkansasMonroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population is 8,149. The county seat is Clarendon, while its largest city is Brinkley...
(east) - Arkansas CountyArkansas County, ArkansasArkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart...
(south) - Lonoke County (west)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,539 people, 3,894 households, and 2,795 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6/km² (15/mi²). There were 4,790 housing units at an average density of 3/km² (7/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.83% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 13.71% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.36% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.18% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.28% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 3,894 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% 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 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,990, and the median income for a family was $36,131. Males had a median income of $28,413 versus $18,808 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,907. About 12.20% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.
Native American settlement
The county was at first land given to CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Indian settlers from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and was formerly the Western band of Cherokee Reservation from 1812 to 1836. Today, an estimated 2,000 residents have some degree of American Indian ancestry.
The town of Fredonia (Biscoe)
Fredonia (Biscoe), Arkansas
Fredonia is a town in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 476 at the 2000 census.Local myth claimed the town's name "Fredonia" was for the Republic of Fredonia movement of Mexican Texas in the 1820s by a group of Arkansas Cherokee Indians settled near Nacogdoches, Texas....
was named for the failed movement for a Republic of Fredonia by Arkansas Cherokee and American Texan
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
settlers in Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very...
in 1826. Another town, De Valls Bluff had the tribal seat office but now one of the county seats.
Notable Facts
On September 5, 1913, Lee Simms became the first person in ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
to be executed by use of the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
. He was executed for the offense of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
.
Stern's Medlar
Stern's Medlar
Mespilus canescens, commonly known as Stern's medlar, is a large shrub or small tree, recently discovered in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States, in 1990...
, a previously unknown plant species, was discovered in Prairie County in 1990, and is not known to grow anywhere else. It is critically endangered, with only 25 known specimens, all growing within a single small wood, now protected as the Konecny Grove Natural Area.
Cities and towns
|
Fredonia (Biscoe), Arkansas Fredonia is a town in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 476 at the 2000 census.Local myth claimed the town's name "Fredonia" was for the Republic of Fredonia movement of Mexican Texas in the 1820s by a group of Arkansas Cherokee Indians settled near Nacogdoches, Texas.... Hazen, Arkansas Hazen is a city in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,637 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hazen is located at .... |
Ulm, Arkansas Ulm is a town in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 205 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ulm is located at .... |
Townships
- Belcher
- Bullard
- Calhoun
- Center
- Des Arc
- Hazen (HazenHazen, ArkansasHazen is a city in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,637 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hazen is located at ....
) - Hickory Plain
- Lower Surrounded Hill (Fredonia (Biscoe)Fredonia (Biscoe), ArkansasFredonia is a town in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 476 at the 2000 census.Local myth claimed the town's name "Fredonia" was for the Republic of Fredonia movement of Mexican Texas in the 1820s by a group of Arkansas Cherokee Indians settled near Nacogdoches, Texas....
) - Roc Roe (UlmUlm, ArkansasUlm is a town in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 205 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ulm is located at ....
) - Tyler
- Union
- Upper Surrounded Hill
- Watersaw (De Valls BluffDe Valls Bluff, ArkansasDe Valls Bluff is a town in and the county seat of the southern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 783 at the 2000 census.-Geography:De Valls Bluff is located at ....
) - White River (Des ArcDes Arc, ArkansasDes Arc is a city in and the county seat of the northern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Des Arc is located at ....
)