SEARCY, ARKANSAS

'Searcy' (local pronunciation: ''SUR see'') is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arkansas It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County. Like Searcy County, the city takes its name from Richard Searcy, a judge for the Superior Court of the Arkansas Territory.
The city is the home of Harding University, a private college affiliated with the Church of Christ and the state's largest private university. Harding College (as it was originally denominated) moved to Searcy from Morrilton, Arkansas in the mid 1930s, and it occupied the campus of the former Galloway Women's College. Regional ice cream producer and distributor Yarnell Ice Cream Co. is also headquartered in the city's downtown area. Mike Beebe, Arkansas' current governor, has also lived and worked in Searcy several years, both in private law practice and representing the area in the Arkansas General Assembly. His wife, Ginger, is a native of Searcy.

Contents

History

Education

Geography

Demographics

References

External links

History

According to Dr. Ray Muncy's ''Searcy, Arkansas: A Frontier Town Grows up with America'', Israel Moore, who had traveled west from Philadelphia, was in charge of laying out Searcy's original streets, and "he proceeded to name the major streets of Searcy for those of downtown Old Philadelphia near Independence Hall; Race, Arch, Market, Vine, Spring, and the tree-honoring streets of Cherry, Spruce, Locust and Pine." In 1957, Searcy named Moore Avenue after this 19th-century founder.
Perhaps coincidentally, Spring Street (along with downtown Searcy's Spring Park) also suggests some reference to earlier days of settlement in the Searcy area, when the community was known as White Sulphur Springs. As early as 1834, local springs with purported therapeutic properties initially drew visitors to the area, similar to the popular attraction to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
During the American Civil War the Battle of Whitney's Lane was fought near Searcy, though the exact site is disputed. Searcy Landing, on the Little Red River, is the final resting place for some unfortunate Yankee soldiers.
Despite losing many factory jobs, Searcy has recently experienced an economic revitalization, driven in large part by the leasing of much of the area's mineral rights by Natural Gas companies. Some residents, however, have noted concerns about the environmental impact of these extensive drilling projects (Hambrick "Natural State No More").

Education

★ Harding University

★ ASU Searcy, a technical campus of Arkansas State University Beebe

★ Searcy High School

★ Harding Academy

★ Riverview High School

★ Morris School for boys

★ Ahlf Junior High School

★ Southwest Middle School

★ McRae Elementary

★ Sidney Deener Elementary

★ Westside Elementary

Geography

Searcy is located at (35.247043, -91.733706).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 38.3 km² (14.8 mi²). 38.1 km² (14.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.54%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,928 people, 6,822 households, and 4,495 families residing in the city. The population density was 497.2/km² (1,287.4/mi²). There were 7,405 housing units at an average density of 194.5/km² (503.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.24% White, 6.60% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,822 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 23.4% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,321, and the median income for a family was $41,334. Males had a median income of $32,445 versus $21,142 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,553. About 11.7% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

★ Hambrick, Pat. "Natural State No More." 1 Sept. 2007. The Daily Citizen (Searcy). Online Edition. [2] accessed 2 Sept. 2007.

★ Muncy, Raymond Lee. ''Searcy, Arkansas: A Frontier Town Grows up with America''. Harding Press: Searcy, 1976.

See also The Daily Citizen (Searcy), the local newspaper.

External links

★ City of Searcy government website

★ Searcy Chamber of Commerce official website

★ City of Searcy Arkansas Lifestyle Guide

★ Searcy information site from the Development Information Network of Arkansas, a project of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock

★ Searcy information page from The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture

★ Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Searcy (White County)

★ [3]