Yellville, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Yellville is a city in Marion County, Arkansas
, United States
. The population was 1,312 at the 2000 census
. The city is the county seat
of Marion County.
who was the first member of the United States House of Representatives
from Arkansas, second Governor of Arkansas, and who fell in combat at the Battle of Buena Vista
in the Mexican-American War. Yellville existed well before the state of Arkansas was accepted into the United States in 1836, but under a different name. The actual name of Yellville is explained by Marian Burnes in the 1979 book, The History of Marion County:
In 1836 Marion County was formed...At that time, Yellville was chosen as a name for the town, in honor of Arkansas's second governor, Archibald Yell. The story has been handed down that he wanted the new town named in his honor and offered the founding fathers $50 to do so. They named it Yellville, but the $50 was never paid. Before Archibald Yell, the settlement was called Shawneetown for the Indian villages located here. Yell fought in the Mexican War under General Zachary Taylor
and died in the war in 1848. The name Yell can be seen across Arkansas, as in Yell County, Arkansas
and Archibald Yell Boulevard in Fayetteville, Arkansas
. At least two biographies of Yell have been written, the most recent published by the University of Arkansas
Press in Fayetteville.
In the late 1840s it was the scene of several intense gunfights during the Tutt-Everett War
. Interestingly current relatives of Governor Yell read about how Yellville got its name and in 2006 paid the naming fee without interest.
To honor the original town name, the local town branch that flows near Crooked Creek and through town is called the Shawnee Town Branch. There is also a Shawneetown Days Festival.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²).
of 2000, there were 1,312 people, 535 households, and 356 families residing in the city. The population density
was 515.6 people per square mile (199.4/km²). There were 599 housing units at an average density of 235.4 per square mile (91.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% White
, 0.76% Native American
, 0.23% Asian
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
, and 1.22% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 535 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $31,793. Males had a median income of $26,000 versus $18,056 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,618. About 13.2% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
, parodied the turkey drop on one of their best-known episodes. Yellville and the Turkey Trot Festival were also included in the American supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer
in 1989 with photographs of the festival and commentary on animal cruelty. Due to the bad press, the turkey drop ceased for a few years. It has since resumed. The Turkey Trot festival also includes a Miss Turkey Trot Pageant, a Miss Drumstickz Competition (best legs), dinners, musical entertainment, a 5 kilometer run, a parade (which has included former Arkansas governor and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee
), and a nationally recognized turkey calling contest sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. Crafts and tools related to the hunting of wild turkeys are also sold in streetside booths along the town square. Entertainment at Turkey Trot has ranged in recent years from famous acts like John Conlee
, singer of "Rose Colored Glasses," and Jeannie Kendall from the Grammy-award winning group The Kendalls
, to more local entertainment by area groups such as The Muddles, South 14, Joe Sasser and Friends, and Carnes McCormack.
. During the summer, tourists visit the area and Yellville becomes a hub for shopping and lodging for all those visiting this particular region of the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo National River
. A popular Bed and Breakfast in Yellville is the Red Raven Inn. The Buffalo Point Ranger Station is located approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) south of Yellville. Activities and services in the area include horseback trail riding, canoeing, and cabin rentals. Other area attractions include the more than 1,000 caves that exist in Marion County, and the famous "Rush" ghost town located in the Buffalo Point area—a turn-of-the-century ghost town from the zinc mining heyday of the area. Abandoned mines are visible along many of the hiking trails at Rush, but are fenced off due to safety concerns. Recent arson has destroyed a few of the historic buildings of the Rush ghost town.
. Eastern Marion County's border with Baxter County, Arkansas
is marked by the White River
. Both are well-known for offering another outdoors opportunity for those visiting the area. Water skiing, pontoon boating, and fishing are all popular summer activities at the Bull Shoals Lake and White River areas. Yellville is located approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest from Bull Shoals, Arkansas
and serves as another housing and tourist destination for those who are not staying at the numerous resorts in Bull Shoals, along the White River, or at the confluence of the Buffalo and White Rivers near Buffalo City, Arkansas along the Marion and Baxter County line.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,312 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The city is the 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....
of Marion County.
History
Yellville is named after Archibald YellArchibald Yell
Archibald Yell was a member of the United States House of Representatives, second Governor of the State of Arkansas, and a Brigadier General in the United States Army serving in the Mexican-American War.-Early life:...
who was the first member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Arkansas, second Governor of Arkansas, and who fell in combat at the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
in the Mexican-American War. Yellville existed well before the state of Arkansas was accepted into the United States in 1836, but under a different name. The actual name of Yellville is explained by Marian Burnes in the 1979 book, The History of Marion County:
In 1836 Marion County was formed...At that time, Yellville was chosen as a name for the town, in honor of Arkansas's second governor, Archibald Yell. The story has been handed down that he wanted the new town named in his honor and offered the founding fathers $50 to do so. They named it Yellville, but the $50 was never paid. Before Archibald Yell, the settlement was called Shawneetown for the Indian villages located here. Yell fought in the Mexican War under General Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
and died in the war in 1848. The name Yell can be seen across Arkansas, as in Yell County, Arkansas
Yell County, Arkansas
Yell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,185. The county has two county seats, Dardanelle and Danville...
and Archibald Yell Boulevard in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. At least two biographies of Yell have been written, the most recent published by the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
Press in Fayetteville.
In the late 1840s it was the scene of several intense gunfights during the Tutt-Everett War
Tutt-Everett War
The Tutt-Everett War, also called the Marion County War or the Tutt, King, Everett War was a politically motivated feud that took place in Marion County, Arkansas, during the politically charged era preceding the American Civil War....
. Interestingly current relatives of Governor Yell read about how Yellville got its name and in 2006 paid the naming fee without interest.
To honor the original town name, the local town branch that flows near Crooked Creek and through town is called the Shawnee Town Branch. There is also a Shawneetown Days Festival.
Geography
Yellville is located at 36°13′47"N 92°41′7"W (36.229723, -92.685310).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²).
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 1,312 people, 535 households, and 356 families residing in the city. 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 515.6 people per square mile (199.4/km²). There were 599 housing units at an average density of 235.4 per square mile (91.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% 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...
, 0.76% 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...
, 0.23% 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...
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
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 1.22% from two or more races. 0.53% 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 535 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $31,793. Males had a median income of $26,000 versus $18,056 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 city was $12,618. About 13.2% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Turkey Trot
One of the longest traditions in Yellville is the annual Turkey Trot festival. Beginning in 1945 with the first turkey dropped from the roof of the Marion County Courthouse, the festival continues today. It is held every second weekend of October with the best-known attraction being live turkeys that are dropped from airplanes over the town square. October 2005 marked the 60th anniversary of this festival. The 1970s television show, WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
, parodied the turkey drop on one of their best-known episodes. Yellville and the Turkey Trot Festival were also included in the American supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
in 1989 with photographs of the festival and commentary on animal cruelty. Due to the bad press, the turkey drop ceased for a few years. It has since resumed. The Turkey Trot festival also includes a Miss Turkey Trot Pageant, a Miss Drumstickz Competition (best legs), dinners, musical entertainment, a 5 kilometer run, a parade (which has included former Arkansas governor and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
), and a nationally recognized turkey calling contest sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. Crafts and tools related to the hunting of wild turkeys are also sold in streetside booths along the town square. Entertainment at Turkey Trot has ranged in recent years from famous acts like John Conlee
John Conlee
John Conlee is an American country music singer. Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of thirty-two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and recorded eleven studio albums...
, singer of "Rose Colored Glasses," and Jeannie Kendall from the Grammy-award winning group The Kendalls
The Kendalls
The Kendalls was an American country music duo, consisting of Royce Kendall and his daughter Jeannie Kendall . Between the 1960s and 1990s, they released sixteen albums on various labels, including five on Mercury Records...
, to more local entertainment by area groups such as The Muddles, South 14, Joe Sasser and Friends, and Carnes McCormack.
Buffalo National River
Yellville is popular for its proximity to the Buffalo National RiverBuffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
. During the summer, tourists visit the area and Yellville becomes a hub for shopping and lodging for all those visiting this particular region of the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo National River
Buffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
. A popular Bed and Breakfast in Yellville is the Red Raven Inn. The Buffalo Point Ranger Station is located approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) south of Yellville. Activities and services in the area include horseback trail riding, canoeing, and cabin rentals. Other area attractions include the more than 1,000 caves that exist in Marion County, and the famous "Rush" ghost town located in the Buffalo Point area—a turn-of-the-century ghost town from the zinc mining heyday of the area. Abandoned mines are visible along many of the hiking trails at Rush, but are fenced off due to safety concerns. Recent arson has destroyed a few of the historic buildings of the Rush ghost town.
Bull Shoals Dam and Reservoir / White River
Most of northern Marion County is made up of water—most notably, the waters created by the Bull Shoals DamBull Shoals Lake
Bull Shoals Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. It has hundreds of miles of lake arms and coves perfect for boating, water sports, swimming, and fishing...
. Eastern Marion County's border with Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is in the northern part of the state, and shares a border with Missouri. It is commonly referred to as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas' largest lakes, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake...
is marked by the White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
. Both are well-known for offering another outdoors opportunity for those visiting the area. Water skiing, pontoon boating, and fishing are all popular summer activities at the Bull Shoals Lake and White River areas. Yellville is located approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest from Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Bull Shoals is a city in Marion County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,000 at the 2000 census. Bull Shoals was founded in 1954. Primarily a retirement and vacation center, Bull Shoals is bordered in three directions by a clear, deep, manmade lake of the same name, Bull Shoals...
and serves as another housing and tourist destination for those who are not staying at the numerous resorts in Bull Shoals, along the White River, or at the confluence of the Buffalo and White Rivers near Buffalo City, Arkansas along the Marion and Baxter County line.