CLARK COUNTY, ARKANSAS

'Clark County' is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 23,546. The county seat is Arkadelphia. Clark County is Arkansas's third county, formed on December 15, 1818 alongside Hempstead and Pulaski counties. The county is named after William Clark who at the time was Governor of the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

Contents

Geography

Major Highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Cities and towns

Notable natives & trivia

References

See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,286 km² (883 mi²). 2,241 km² (865 mi²) of it is land and 44 km² (17 mi²) of it (1.95%) is water.

Major Highways

★ Interstate 30

★ U.S. Highway 67

★ Highway 7

★ Highway 8

★ Highway 26

★ Highway 51

★ Highway 53

Adjacent counties

★ Hot Spring County (northeast)

★ Dallas County (east)

★ Ouachita County (southeast)

★ Nevada County (southwest)

★ Pike County (west)

★ Montgomery County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 23,546 people, 8,912 households, and 5,819 families residing in the county. The population density was 10/km² (27/mi²). There were 10,166 housing units at an average density of 5/km² (12/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.28% White, 22.02% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,912 households out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 27.60% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county the population was spread out with 21.70% under the age of 18, 20.00% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,845, and the median income for a family was $37,092. Males had a median income of $28,692 versus $19,886 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,533. About 13.50% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.90% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

★ Amity ★ Alpine ★ Arkadelphia

★ Caddo Valley ★ Curtis ★ Gum Springs

★ Gurdon ★ Okolona

★ Whelen Springs

Notable natives & trivia

★ On December 18, 1914 Arthur Hodges became the first person in Clark County to be executed by use of the electric chair. Prior to that, the primary way of execution was either by hanging or firing squad. It was the 314th documented execution in Arkansas history, the fourth by electrocution. He was executed for murder, and the subject of an article by ''The Kansas City Star'' entitled "Eight to die in Arkansas", making reference to eight men being executed in Arkansas over a sixteen day period. Although Clark County has sentenced many to death in its history, only five, including Hodges, were executed, all for the crime of murder. The other four were Louie McBryde, Willis Green, Anderson Mitchell, and Daniel Jones, the latter three being hanged together on March 15th, 1889. These statistics do not include lynchings, which were common in 19th century Clark County, nor does it include firing squad executions committed during the Civil War era.

★ The Clark County town of Alpine was once a childhood home to Hollywood film star Billy Bob Thornton.

★ Dallas Cowboys NFL great Cliff Harris played his college football for the Ouachita Baptist University football team.

★ A train locomotive (or train engine), originally built in the early 20th century for the timber industry in the once-thriving Clark County lumber town of Graysonia, was used in the Steven Spielberg mini series ''Into the West''.

★ Though raised in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, rising country music star Jody Evans got his start in Clark County, and once worked for the Arkadelphia Police Department.

★ Allen Williams, best known for his involvement in the Liquica Church Massacre investigation, is originally from Amity, Arkansas, in Clark County, and also once worked for the Arkadelphia Police Department.

★ Actor Daniel Davis, best known for playing "Niles the butler" in the television series ''The Nanny'', was born in Gurdon.

★ Two modern politicians had roots in Arkadelphia: former Lieutenant Governor Bob C. Riley, a Democrat who served from 1971-1975, and Jerry Thomasson, a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives who switched to the Republican Party to run unsuccessfully for state attorney general in 1966 and 1968.

References

1. Based on 2000 census data

See also

★ Graysonia, Arkansas