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Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is named. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 37,930, making it the 11th most populous city in Arkansas.

The center of Hot Springs is the oldest federal reserve in the United States, today preserved as Hot Springs National Park. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess healing properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town. Incorporated January 10, 1851, the city has been home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies and gangsters such as Al Capone, horse racing at Oaklawn Park, the Army and Navy Hospital, and 42nd President Bill Clinton. One of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States, the Assemblies of God, traces its beginnings to Hot Springs.

Much of Hot Springs' history is preserved by various government entities. Hot Springs National Park is maintained by the National Park Service, including Bathhouse Row, which preserves the eight historic bathhouse buildings and gardens along Central Avenue. Downtown Hot Springs is preserved as the Central Avenue Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city also contains dozens of historic hotels and motor courts, built during the Great Depression in the Art Deco style. Due to the popularity of the thermal waters, Hot Springs benefited from rapid growth during a period when many cities saw a sharp decline in building; much like Miami's art deco districts. As a result, Hot Springs's architecture is a key part of the city's blend of cultures, including a reputation as a tourist town and a Southern city. Also a destination for the arts, Hot Springs features the Hot Springs Music Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, and the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival annually.

Settlement
Members of many Native American tribes had been gathering in the valley for untold numbers of years to enjoy the healing properties of the thermal springs.

In 1673, Father Marquette and Jolliet explored the area and claimed it for France. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ceded the land to Spain; however, in 1800 control was returned to France until the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

In December 1804, George Hunter and William Dunbar made an expedition to the springs, finding a lone log cabin and a few rudimentary shelters used by people visiting the springs for their healing properties. In 1807, a man named Prudhomme became the first settler of modern Hot Springs, and he was soon joined by John Perciful and Isaac Cates.

On August 24, 1818, the Quapaw Native Americans ceded the land around the hot springs to the United States in a treaty. After Arkansas became its own territory in 1819, the Arkansas Territorial Legislature requested in 1820 that the springs and adjoining mountains be set aside as a federal reservation. Twelve years later, in 1832, the Hot Springs Reservation was created by the United States Congress, granting federal protection of the thermal waters. The reservation was renamed Hot Springs National Park in 1921.

Civil War
The outbreak of the American Civil War left Hot Springs with a declining bathing population. After the Confederate forces suffered defeat in the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, the Union troops advanced toward the Confederate city of Little Rock. Confederate Governor Henry M. Rector moved his staff and state records to Hot Springs. Union forces did not attack Little Rock, and the government returned to the capital city on July 14, 1862.

Many residents of Hot Springs fled to Texas or Louisiana and remained there until the end of the war. In September 1863, Union forces occupied Little Rock. During this period, Hot Springs became the prey of guerrilla bands loosely associated with either Union or Confederate forces. They pillaged and burned the near-deserted town, leaving only a few buildings standing at the end of the Civil War.

Rebuilding
After the Civil War, extensive rebuilding of bathhouses and hotels took place at Hot Springs. The year-round population soared to 1,200 inhabitants by 1870. By 1873 six bathhouses and 24 hotels and boardinghouses stood near the springs. In 1873, Hot Springs became the county seat of the newly formed Garland County. Prior to 1873, the city had been a part of Hot Spring County. In 1874, Joseph Reynolds announced his decision to construct a narrow-gauge railroad from Malvern to Hot Springs; completion in 1875 resulted in the growth of visitation to the springs. Samuel W. Fordyce and two other entrepreneurs financed the construction of the first luxury hotel in the area, the first Arlington Hotel, which opened in 1875.

During the Reconstruction Era, several conflicting land claims reached the U.S. Congress and resulted on April 24, 1876, Supreme Court ruling that the land title of Hot Springs belonged to the federal government. Protests ensued. To deal with the situation, Congress formed the Hot Springs Commission to lay out streets in the town of Hot Springs, deal with land claims, define property lines, condemn buildings illegally on the permanent reservation (now the national park), and define a process for claimants to purchase land. The commission surveyed and set aside 264.93 acre encompassing the hot springs and Hot Springs Mountain to be a permanent government reservation. Another 1200 acre became the Hot Springs townsite, with 700 acre awarded to claimants. The townsite consisted of 196 blocks and 50 mi of streets and alleys. The remaining portion of the original four sections of government land consisted of hills and mountains which were mostly unoccupied, and Congress acted on the commission's recommendation in June 1880 by adding those lands to the permanent reservation.

Baseball in Hot Springs
Hot Springs has a rich baseball history. During the early 20th century, Hot Springs was known for baseball training camps. Often called the "birthplace" of Spring training baseball, Hot Springs first welcomed Major League Baseball in 1886, when the Chicago White Stockings (now the Chicago Cubs), brought their coaches and players to the city in preparation for the upcoming season. Chicago White Stockings' President Albert Spalding, the founder of A.G Spalding, and player/manager Cap Anson introduced the concept of players having training and fitness before the start of the regular season, This move gave credit to Hot Springs being called the "birthplace of spring training baseball". Both Spalding and Anson liked the city and the natural springs for their players. They first played in an area behind what is now the Garland County Courthouse on Ouachita Avenue at was called the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Many other teams followed Chicago and began training and playing games in Hot Springs.

The Cleveland Spiders, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox were among the major league teams that made Hot Springs their home for Spring training. Needing additional venues for teams to play, Whittington Park was built in 1894, followed by Majestic Park in 1908 and Fogel Field in 1912. 134 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame are documented to have trained or played in Hot Springs.

Negro league baseball teams also utilized Hot Springs for spring training. The Pittsburgh Crawfords utilized Fogel Field for spring training from 1932 to 1935. Their roster contained Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson. The Homestead Grays, held spring training at Fogel Field in 1930 and 1931. On their roster were numerous Hall of Fame players: Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Jud Wilson, Bill Foster, Judy Johnson, Smokey Joe Williams, Willie Wells and Cum Posey.

St. Patrick's Day, 1918, is nicknamed the "Day that changed Baseball Forever." Boston Red Sox' pitcher Babe Ruth hit a long Home Run into the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo that altered the course of baseball history. In the opening exhibition game against Brooklyn at Whittington Park, Ruth (coming off a 24–13 season) was a last minute replacement at first base, his first time at a position other than pitcher. Ruth hit two long home runs that day while playing the field for the first time. His first home run was a long blast that landed in a wood pile. However, his second Home run is legendary in its record setting length and eventual effect on Ruth. It was a shot that traveled an astonishing estimated 573 feet.

After that day Ruth became a hitter, switching from being just a pitcher. In Hot Springs, Ruth could be seen walking the streets, visiting the bath spas, and gambling at the nearby horse track. There is a Ruth plaque both inside and outside the Alligator Farm, as well as a home plate marker at the former Whittington Park across the street.

The Pittsburgh Pirates trained for over a decade at Whittington Park. Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner became a fixture in the city. As evidence of this, Wagner purchased and donated basketball uniforms and equipment to Hot Springs High School in 1912. The uniforms were in the Pittsburgh Pirates colors of black and gold and subsequently the high school switched permanently to those colors. Wagner also refereed a basketball game for the school that season, something he would later repeat.

In 1952, an 18-year old Hank Aaron played in the Negro American League championship for the Indianapolis Clowns against the Birmingham Black Barons at Majestic Park.

On October 22, 1953, Jackie Robinson played in an exhibition game at Majestic Park. Having broken Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, Robinson's squad played the Negro American League All-Stars that day, losing 14–9.

The First Boys of Spring is a 2015 documentary covering the history of Hot Springs Baseball spring training. The film features many Hot Springs historical items and references. Produced by Arkansas filmmaker Larry Foley, it is narrated by Hot Springs area native, actor Billy Bob Thornton. The Foley documentary is aired nationally on the MLB Network, first airing in February 2016.

Today, as part of the Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail, there are 26 green plaques/markers posted throughout Hot Springs that identify the key people and locations, with an app available to provide live information.

1913 fire
On September 5, 1913, a fire broke out on Church Street a few blocks southeast of Bathhouse Row, near the Army and Navy Hospital. The fire burned southeast, away from the hospital, until the wind reversed an hour later. Racing toward the business section, it destroyed the Ozark Sanitarium and Hot Springs High School on its way across Malvern Avenue. Along the way it consumed the Public Utilities plant, which destroyed the firefighters' water supply. A wide front then was blown toward Ouachita Avenue which destroyed the Garland County Court House. The Hot Springs Fire Department fought alongside the Little Rock Fire Department, which had rushed over on a special train. Despite their efforts, numerous homes, at least a hundred businesses, four hotels, the Iron Mountain Railroad facilities, and the Crystal Theater were destroyed. A rainstorm finally quenched the blaze at Hazel Street. Although Central Avenue was ultimately protected (primarily by desperate use of dynamite), much of the southern part of the city was destroyed. Damage was estimated at $10,000,000 across 60 blocks.

Formation of the Assemblies of God
From April 2–12, 1914, several Pentecostal Christian leaders gathered in Hot Springs to form what became known as the Assemblies of God. It has since grown to become one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States, with 3,146,741 adherents, 12,849 churches, and 36,884 ministers.

Gangsters and illegal gambling

Illegal gambling became firmly established in Hot Springs during the decades following the Civil War, with two factions, the Flynns and the Dorans, fighting one another throughout the 1880s for control of the town. Frank Flynn, leader of the Flynn Faction, had effectively begun paying local law enforcement officers employed by both the Hot Springs Police Department and the Garland County Sheriff's Office to collect unpaid debts, as well as to intimidate gambling rivals. This contributed to the March 16, 1899, Hot Springs Gunfight. Of the seven Hot Springs police officers who have been killed while in service of the department, three died during that gunfight, killed by deputies of the Garland County Sheriff's Office. One part-time deputy sheriff was killed also, by the Hot Springs officers.

Along with Bathhouse Row, one of downtown Hot Springs' most noted landmarks is the Arlington Hotel, a favored retreat for Al Capone.

Hot Springs eventually became a national gambling mecca, led by Owney Madden and his Hotel Arkansas casino. The period 1927–1947 was its wagering pinnacle, with no fewer than ten major casinos and numerous smaller houses running wide open, the largest such operation in the United States at the time. Hotels advertised the availability of prostitutes, and off-track booking was available for virtually any horse race in North America.

Local law enforcement was controlled by a political machine run by long-serving mayor Leo McLaughlin. The McLaughlin organization purchased hundreds of poll tax receipts, many in the names of deceased or fictitious persons, which would sometimes be voted in different precincts. A former sheriff, who attempted to have the state's anti-gambling laws enforced and to secure honest elections, was murdered in 1937. No one was ever charged with his killing. Machine domination of city and county government was abruptly ended in 1946 with the election of a "Government Improvement" slate of returning World War II veterans led by Marine Lt. Col. Sid McMath, who was elected prosecuting attorney. A 1947 grand jury indicted several owners and promoters, as well as McLaughlin, for public servant bribery. Although the former mayor and most of the others were acquitted, the machine's power was broken and gambling came to a halt, as McMath led a statewide "GI Revolt" into the governor's office in 1948. Illegal casino gambling resumed, however, with the election of Orval Faubus as governor in 1954. Buoyed into 12 years in office by his popular defiance of federal court desegregation orders, Faubus turned a blind eye to gambling in Hot Springs. Variety explained the status of the casinos in 1959 as follows: "How do these places operate when gambling and mixed drinks are supposedly against the law? Simple. Every week the management appears in local court, pays its fine according to the amount of biz [business] done and goes back to open up."

Gambling was finally closed down in 1967 by two Republican officeholders, Governor Winthrop Rockefeller and Circuit Judge Henry M. Britt. Rockefeller sent in a company of state troopers to shutter the casinos and burn their gaming equipment. Until other forms of gambling became legal in Arkansas four decades later, Oaklawn Park, a thoroughbred horse racing track south of downtown, was the only legal gambling establishment in Hot Springs and one of only two in the state of Arkansas; the other was the Southland Greyhound Park dog track in West Memphis. Both Oaklawn and Southland remain in operation.

Army-Navy Hospital
After the Civil War, the idea of establishing an Army-Navy hospital in Hot Springs was advocated by A.S. Garnett, a former Navy surgeon with a local practice, and John A. Logan, a retired Union general turned politician who was a former patient of Garnett's. In 1884, Logan persuaded Congress to allocate $100,000 for the purpose. Erected under the supervision of Captain J.W. Jacobs, the 100-bed hospital was built of wood and brick in the "pavilion style" that required patients and clinicians to traverse long distances.

After World War I, Congress granted $1.5 million to build a new facility. Built under Captain Edward George, it could hold 500 patients and contained such cutting-edge technology as an X-ray wing and temperature-controlled morgue. The operating rooms and equipment were thought to be the finest in the country.

Yet after the United States entered World War II, the hospital was once again overwhelmed. The Army and Navy arranged to send some overflow to the nearby Arlington and Majestic hotels. The hospital also trained dentists, surgeons, and pharmacists, and housed the first enlisted medical technician school for the Women's Army Corps.The grounds contained a kitchen and living quarters for nurses and physicians. Among the famous people treated at the hospital were Helen Keller and Joe DiMaggio. The hospital was closed on April 1, 1960, likely because local demand dropped. The grounds were sold to the state of Arkansas for one dollar.

World War II
The military took over the enormous Eastman Hotel across the street from the Army and Navy Hospital in 1942 because the hospital was not nearly large enough to hold the sick and wounded coming in. In 1944, the Army began redeploying returning overseas soldiers; officials inspected hotels in 20 cities before selecting Hot Springs as a redistribution center for returning soldiers. In August 1944, the Army took over most of the hotels in Hot Springs. The soldiers from the west-central states received a 21-day furlough before reporting to the redistribution station. They spent 14 days updating their military records and obtaining physical and dental treatment. The soldiers had time to enjoy the baths at a reduced rate and other recreational activities. The redistribution center closed down in December 1945 after processing more than 32,000 members of the military. In 1946, after the war, the Eastman was demolished when the federal government no longer needed it.

21st century
In 2013, the metro was ranked by Forbes as one of the top "small places for business and careers", citing a low cost of doing business, high job growth and an educated workforce. The first cannabis dispensary in the state opened in May 2019 in the city.

Geography
Hot Springs is located in southeastern Garland County. It sits at the southeastern edge of the Ouachita Mountains and is 55 mi southwest of Little Rock. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Hot Springs has a total area of 91.0 km2, of which 90.7 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 0.35%, is water.

Natural springs
The city takes its name from the natural thermal water that flows from 47 springs on the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain in the historic downtown district of the city. About 1000000 USgal of 143 F water flow from the springs each day. The flow rate is not affected by fluctuations in the rainfall in the area. Studies by National Park Service scientists have determined through radiocarbon dating that the water that reaches the surface in Hot Springs fell as rainfall 4,400 years earlier. The water percolates very slowly down through the earth's surface until it reaches superheated areas deep in the crust and then rushes rapidly to the surface to emerge from the 47 hot springs.

Hot Springs Creek flows from Whittington Avenue, then is underground in a tunnel beneath Bathhouse Row (Central Ave). It emerges from the tunnel south of Bathhouse Row then flows through the southern part of the city before emptying into Lake Hamilton, a reservoir on the Ouachita River.

Climate
Hot Springs lies in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa). The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of 93.1 °F and an average low of 72.1 °F. The city's highest temperature was 115 °F, recorded in 1936 and 1986. The lowest temperature recorded was -11 °F in 1930.

Precipitation is weakly seasonal, with a bimodal pattern: wet seasons in the spring and fall, and relatively drier summers and winters, but plentiful rain in all months. The spring wet season is more pronounced than fall, with the highest rainfall in May. Hot Springs' precipitation is affected by the orographic effect of the Ouachita Mountains.

Demographics
Hot Springs is the principal city of the Hot Springs metropolitan area, which includes all of Garland County, registering a population of 100,180 in 2020 according to the United States Census Bureau.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 37,930 people, 16,163 households, and 8,363 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,750 people, 16,096 households, and 9,062 families residing in the city. The population density was 1086.9 PD/sqmi. There were 18,813 housing units at an average density of 572.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.86% White, 16.87% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. 3.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,096 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 16,096 households, 690 are unmarried partner households: 580 heterosexual, 78 same-sex male, and 32 same-sex female. 38.4% 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 2.12 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,040, and the median income for a family was $32,819. Males had a median income of $25,861 versus $20,155 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,961. About 13.7% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
The city has been a tourist mecca for generations due to the thermal waters and attractions such as Oaklawn Park, a thoroughbred racing facility; Magic Springs theme park; a fine arts community that has earned the city the No. 4 position among "America's Top 100 Small Arts Towns"; the Hot Springs Music Festival; and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, held each October at the historic Malco Theater, attracting numerous Academy Award-winning films and producers, Hot Springs International Women's Film Festival screening all genres of films held each year at the Historic Central Theater.

Annual cultural events
Other annual events in town include the Valley of the Vapors Music Festival, the free Hot Springs Jazz Festival in September, the free Hot Springs Blues Festival in September, the downtown Bathtub Races in the spring, the Big Barbecue Cookoff in spring and fall, the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade every March 17, and the outdoor skating rink November through January. Venues for live music are Low Key Arts, Maxine's, The Ohio Club, The Big Chill, and the Arlington Hotel among many others.

Hot Springs Arts & Film Institute's International Horror Film Festival, screens Horror, Thriller and Sci Fi films, each year the festival attracts well known celebrities and industry professionals.

Superlift Offroad Vehicle Park hosts the annual Ouachita Jeep Jamboree, an off-road adventure weekend that draws people and their 4x4's from a dozen states.

Educational institutes and conventions are important events in the spa city. Perhaps the most popular of these events is the Hot Springs Technology Institute (HSTI), drawing over 1,300 participants each June. Hot Springs is also home to the annual alternate reality game Midnight Madness, based on the movie from which it gets its name. Teams race throughout the city at night, solving clues based on difficult puzzle and physical challenges. Games last 12 hours or more, with the winning team designing the following year's game.

Sports
Hot Springs was announced as the first expansion team and fifth franchise of The Arena League. The team will begin play in 2025.

Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
Founded on Whittington Avenue in 1902, the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo features approximately 200 alligators. The zoo also contains cougars, turkeys, chickens, wild boars, turtles, bobcats, and ring-tailed lemurs. A petting zoo with goats, emus, llamas, white-tailed deer, pigs, baby alligators, and other animals allows visitors to touch and feed the animals. An alligator feeding show includes educational material about the animals.

Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park

Bathhouse Row, consisting of eight turn-of-the century historic buildings, lies within Hot Springs National Park and is managed by the National Park Service. Fordyce Bathhouse was restored in 1989 as the park's visitor center and the beginning of restoring all properties on Bathhouse Row. The series of renovations and leasing public spaces to commercial owners became a model for similar projects across the nation.

Buckstaff Bathhouse has been in continuous operation since 1912 and is one of the best-preserved structures on Bathhouse Row. The Buckstaff Bathhouse Company has completed the majority of maintenance and renovation that has occurred without outside funding. The Quapaw was restored by the NPS in 2004, and the renovated structure was leased to Quapaw Baths, LLC, which now operates a modern spa with pools and hot tubs. The Lamar was renovated into offices for park staff and Bathhouse Row Emporium, the park's official store. The Superior Bathhouse Brewery and Distillery has occupied Superior Bathhouse since 2012, using hot spring water in its beers and spirits. As of February 2014, the Maurice, Ozark, and Hale bathhouses are all available for rent from the NPS.

Atop Hot Springs Mountain in the park is the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, a 216 ft observation tower built in 1982.

Central Avenue
Along Bathhouse Row is Central Avenue, Highway 7, lined with historic buildings, businesses and tourist attractions. Today preserved by NRHP as Hot Springs Central Avenue Historic District, the district includes 77 contributing properties to the district between Prospect Street and Park Avenue. Included within this district are the 1924 Arlington Hotel, the Medical Arts Building, a 1929 Art Deco high-rise, and the Wade Building, built in 1927 in the neoclassical style.

Garvan Woodland Gardens
Founded by the daughter of a lumber and brick magnate in 1985, the 210 acre botanical garden on Arkridge Road features native Ouachita Mountains flora among rocky streams and waterfalls. Garvan also has a Japanese-themed section with several species native to Japan throughout. The garden is situated on a peninsula jutting into Lake Hamilton and began as Verna Garvan's personal garden for decades before being donated to the University of Arkansas landscape architecture department.

Historic hotels and districts
Thirteen of Hot Springs's hotels are individually listed by the NRHP within the city, with more being listed as contributing properties within other districts. Four of Hot Springs' neighborhoods are preserved as historic districts by the National Register of Historic Places, and the city also contains five historically important commercial districts in addition to the aforementioned Bathhouse Row and Central Avenue Historic District.

The city contains several historic hotels, including the Arlington Hotel, Jack Tar Hotel and Bathhouse, Mountainaire Hotel Historic District, Park Hotel, and the Riviera Hotel. During Hot Springs' heyday, several tourists visiting the city stayed at motor courts, the precursor to today's hotels. The NRHP recognizes seven of these motels as culturally and historically significant: Bellaire Court Historic District, Cottage Courts Historic District, Cove Tourist Court, George Klein Tourist Court Historic District, Lynwood Tourist Court Historic District, Parkway Courts Historic District, Perry Plaza Court Historic District, and the Taylor Rosamond Motel Historic District.

The Fordyce-Ricks House Historic District at 1501 Park Avenue includes three buildings on 37 acre formerly owned by Samuel W. Fordyce, a prominent businessman and railroad executive who moved to Hot Springs in 1876. The house and outbuildings are built as log cabins in the Adirondack style. The Pleasant Street Historic District along Malvern Avenue (colloquially "Black Broadway") contains 93 contiguous buildings associated with the city's African American community. Included within the district are the Visitors Chapel AME church and the Woodmen of Union Building, along with 69 other contributing structures. A variety of architectural styles are used, with many of the structures using brick facades. The Quapaw-Prospect Historic District contains 233 structures near downtown Hot Springs, with 139 residential houses contributing to the character of the district built between 1890 and 1950 in several architectural styles. The Whittington Park Historic District is a residential district lining Whittington Park, a long, narrow park between two one-way streets created by the National Park Service in 1897. The 1896–1960 district contains 60 single-family houses and ten other structures. Predominantly Craftsman, ranch and Queen Anne-style buildings, the district is northwest of downtown Hot Springs.

Seven districts in Hot Springs have special historical significance to the city's past economy. In addition to the aforementioned Bathhouse Row and Central Avenue Historic District, the Army and Navy General Hospital Historic District includes 31 buildings surrounding and supporting the former Army-Navy Hospital. Built in 1933, the six-story brick building built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with Art Deco detailing is the centerpiece of the district, and remains the most imposing figure on the Hot Springs skyline. The Forest Service Headquarters Historic District encompasses six structures on Winona and Indiana Streets built by the Civilian Conservation Corps as the headquarters of the Jessieville Ranger District of the Ouachita National Forest. The Hot Springs Railroad Warehouse Historic District preserves three brick buildings between the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks and Broadway. Almost entirely unaltered, the 1920s structures are associated with the railroad industry, which was extremely important to Hot Springs in the early 20th century. As the city grew during the early 20th century, commercial activity developed along Ouachita Avenue south of Bathhouse Row, today preserved as the Ouachita Avenue Historic District. Mostly consisting of brick commercial and multifamily buildings, the district maintains the character of an historic commercial area. The 1905 Peter Joplin Commercial Block building was the only building to survive the 1913 "Black Friday" fire, making it a remnant of early commercial activity on Ouachita Avenue when all contemporary structures have been destroyed.

Lake Catherine and Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are two reservoirs of the Ouachita River south of Hot Springs created for hydroelectric power generation and recreational uses. Both created by Arkansas Power & Light (AP&L), Lake Catherine formed following the construction of Remmel Dam in the 1920s. Following a donation of over 2000 acre, the state created Lake Catherine State Park in 1935. Today, the park features fishing and water recreation as well as camping to visitors. Lake Hamilton was created following the construction of Carpenter Dam in the 1930s. Built during the Great Depression, the power produced by the dam is credited with allowing AP&L to survive the difficult economic times. Following construction, resorts, businesses, and homes have been built along the lake, in contrast to Lake Catherine. Due to the economic importance of the dam to Hot Springs, Carpenter Dam was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Fishing is popular on Lake Hamilton, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission operates a fish hatchery to stock the lake with bass and other species.

Oaklawn Park

Oaklawn Park has been operating since 1904. (A second horse racing park was once within the city limits, but was eventually closed.) Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, his half-brother Roger, and Billy Bob Thornton, all Hot Springs natives, have frequented Oaklawn Park. The meet, held from December through May each year, is sometimes called the "Fifth Season". In mid-April, its final week sees the "Racing Festival of the South", concluding with the Arkansas Derby, which has drawn many Triple Crown contenders. In 2015, American Pharoah won the Derby and another race at Oaklawn before going on to win the first Triple Crown in three decades. In 2018, the track commemorated the horse's victories by installing a life-sized bronze sculpture by James Peniston.

Sister city

 * 🇯🇵 Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan (established in 1993)

Additional

 * Low Key Arts

Government
Hot Springs operates under the council-manager form of city government, one of the two most common forms of local government in the United States, and common in smaller municipalities. The city is divided into six districts, which elect a city director to the seven-member board of directors. As a body, the board is the prime executive branch of Hot Springs government whose duties include making policy, creating a budget, and passing resolutions and ordinances. The seventh member is a mayor elected at-large by Hot Springs. The mayor presides over city functions in an official capacity and manages the municipal government, without legislative authority. City director elections are held every four years, but are staggered such that elections for three districts coincide with the election of the President of the United States and four occur in November of "off years".

Education
Hot Springs public primary and secondary education includes five school districts, ultimately leading to graduation from five different high schools. The vast majority of Hot Springs is included in the Hot Springs School District, which leads to graduation from Hot Springs High School. Sections of southeastern Hot Springs are within the Lakeside School District, leading to graduation from Lakeside High School, located southeast of town Some eastern sections of Hot Springs are in the Cutter–Morning Star School District, leading to graduation from Cutter–Morning Star High School. The a few pieces to the north are within the Fountain Lake School District, leading to graduation from Fountain Lake High School. In small pieces in the west, students are to be enrolled in Lake Hamilton School District, which leads to graduation from Lake Hamilton High School.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA), an advanced statewide program within the University of Arkansas System and National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology, is also located in Hot Springs. A two-year residential program, ASMSA was established in 1993 and is available to students from across the state following acceptance. Hot Springs Christian School is the only private provider of K–12 education in Hot Springs. The only accredited post-secondary educational opportunity in Hot Springs is at National Park College. Created from a merger between Garland County Community College and Quapaw Technical Institute, the college enrolls approximately 3,000 students annually in credit programs. Champion Baptist College, an unaccredited four-year Christian vocational college associated with Gospel Light Baptist Church, is also located in Hot Springs. Champion Baptist College was issued a Letter of Exemption from Certification by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to offer church-related courses and grant church-related degrees.

Hot Springs previously had a Catholic grade school for black children, St. Gabriel School; it closed in 1968.

Media
The Hot Springs newspaper is the Sentinel-Record, originally part of the Clyde E. Palmer chain, since renamed WEHCO Media. It is published daily.

The Thrifty Nickel, a classified advertising publication, is published from offices at 670 Ouachita Avenue. The Little Rock edition is also published from this office. Thrifty Nickel ceased publication in March 2020.

Seven AM radio stations and fifteen FM stations broadcast from the area.

In addition, most of the Little Rock radio stations provide at least secondary coverage of the city.

Hot Springs is part of the Little Rock television market.

Major highways
U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 270 bypass the downtown to the south on the four-lane Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. U.S. Route 70 Business passes through the center of Hot Springs as Grand Avenue, Summer Street, Albert Pike Road, and Airport Road, while U.S. Route 270 Business enters from the east as Malvern Avenue, joins US 70 Business along Grand Avenue and Summer Street, and exits to the west as Albert Pike Road. US-70 leads east 31 mi to Benton and west-southwest 32 mi to Glenwood, while US-270 leads southeast 20 mi to Malvern and west-northwest 36 mi to Mount Ida.

Arkansas Highway 7 passes through the center of Hot Springs as Central Avenue and Park Avenue. It leads north across the Ouachita Mountains 71 mi to Russellville on the Arkansas River, and south 35 mi to Arkadelphia.

Arkansas Highway 128 (Carpenter Dam Road) branches off US-270 Business in southeastern Hot Springs, leading south 4 mi to Red Oak.

Interstate 30 passes to the southeast of Hot Springs, with the closest access 17 mi to the southeast via US-270. I-30 can also be reached 24 mi to the east via US-70.

Aviation
Hot Springs is served by Memorial Field Airport. Major air transport is available through Little Rock National Airport, approximately 55 mi from Hot Springs.

Public transportation
Within Hot Springs, three fixed-route buses are operated by the city's Intracity Transit. Primary service includes the Central Avenue corridor (Route 1- blue line), Albert Pike corridor (Route 2 - red line), and Hot Springs National Park and the northeast part of the city (Route 3 - green line). All routes are based at the city's Transportation Depot in downtown Hot Springs, and operate six days a week; Sundays and six annual holidays are excluded.

Notable people

 * Steve Barton, actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, stage director and teacher
 * Bobby Bones, radio personality born in Hot Springs
 * Ruth Coker Burks, AIDS activist, humanitarian, and caregiver
 * Alan Clark, state senator from Garland, Hot Spring, Saline, and Grant counties, businessman in Hot Springs
 * Bill Clinton, governor of Arkansas and 42nd president of the United States, boyhood home
 * Roger Clinton Jr., musician, actor and half-brother of former US President Bill Clinton, born in Hot Springs on July 25, 1956
 * Donald L. Corbin, Arkansas Supreme Court justice and state representative, born in Hot Springs
 * Timothy C. Evans Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court
 * Gauge, pornographic actress born in Hot Springs
 * Henry Glover, songwriter
 * Cliff Harris, NFL Dallas Cowboys free safety, played quarterback at Hot Springs High School until his senior year, when he moved to Des Arc
 * Flora Harrod Hawes, youngest female postmaster in Hot Springs
 * V. E. Howard, Church of Christ minister who founded the International Gospel Hour in Texarkana, Texas; pastor in Hot Springs early in his career
 * Alan Ladd, actor born in Hot Springs in 1913
 * Marjorie Lawrence, Metropolitan Opera diva, resident for many years
 * John Little, football player
 * Arch McDonald, baseball broadcaster born in Hot Springs
 * Sid McMath, progressive reform governor of Arkansas 1949–1953, trial lawyer, and decorated U.S. Marine general
 * Joan Meredith, actress born in Hot Springs
 * Bobby Mitchell, NFL Hall of Fame running back born in Hot Springs
 * James Rector, born in Hot Springs, won a silver medal at the Olympics and was the first Olympian from Arkansas
 * Earl T. Ricks and I. G. Brown, decorated World War II aviators, Hot Springs natives who served as reform mayor and sheriff, respectively (1947–49), before resuming Air Force careers
 * Paul Runyan, golfer born in Hot Springs; went on to win two PGA championships and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
 * Laurie Rushing, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 26 since 2015; real estate broker
 * Bill Sample, Republican member of both houses of the Arkansas General Assembly since 2005; businessman in Hot Springs
 * George Luke Smith, served in the U.S. House from Louisiana's 4th congressional district, relocated to Hot Springs, where he engaged in the real estate business and died in 1884
 * Billy Bob Thornton, actor, director and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, born in Hot Springs
 * Inez Harrington Whitfield, botanical watercolor artist active in Hot Springs 1901-1951

title: Hot Springs, Arkansas


text:
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

Hot Springs Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Garland and Saline counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As it is situated in two counties, it is also part of two metropolitan statistical areas. The portion in Garland County is within the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the portion extending into Saline County is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,807 at the 2010 census. It is the largest gated community in the United States.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 55.7 sqmi, of which 53.5 sqmi is land and 2.2 sqmi (3.92%) is water.

Climate
Hot Springs Village ("HSV") has four distinct seasons. Winter freezes usually begin in mid November and may occur into April. Temperatures over 100 degrees may start as early as June and may occur into September. Typically, the area will see several days of snow during the winter and minimum temperatures of 15 degrees or higher. Rainfall is usually plentiful in spring and sparse in summer.

A low-end EF2 tornado struck the town on March 14, 2024. Many homes and trees were damaged.

Government and politics
Hot Springs Village has more than 26,000 acres, much of it wooded. HSV is governed by the HSV Property Owners' Association (POA), a private, tax-exempt property owners association. A general manager and a seven-member volunteer board of directors, who are elected in staggered three-year terms, comprise POA leadership. Day-to-day operation of the POA is handled by an average of 475 employees assigned to one of six departments: Administration, Golf, Planning and Inspection, Public Safety, Public Works, and Recreation.

In addition to the Planning and Inspection Department, HSV's Architectural Control Committee's responsibility is to ensure that all building plans conform to architectural policy and building codes of the Village and to issue permits for new homes, landscaping, and remodeling. The ACC ensures that green belt areas, roadways, lakes, and other common areas are protected for general character, appearance and use by Hot Springs Village property owners.

Hot Springs Village has a Declaration and Covenants and Restrictions with which all property owners must comply. The POA has an information and regulations booklet detailing rules for recreational amenities. All HSV common property and amenities are owned by the property owners as a whole and maintained, regulated and operated by the POA:
 * Eleven recreation lakes plus an isolated water-supply lake. The largest, Lake Balboa, is 944 acres.
 * Two beaches, two full-service marinas, including boat rentals
 * Two lake-side, covered pavilion complexes for group picnics for up to 300 people
 * Nine golf courses (some of which are top-rated in Arkansas)
 * The only 5-star tennis association in Arkansas (includes 10 clay courts)
 * Indoor swimming complex
 * Outdoor swimming pool (opened 2020)
 * One of the largest bridge clubs in the United States (listed in the "Top 100 " most active duplicate bridge clubs of the ACBL).
 * Coronado Fitness Center, a large, extensively equipped fitness center
 * More than 30 mi of hiking trails
 * Coronado Community Center, with more than 18000 sqft of meeting rooms, including a 3600 sqft library with over 15,000 catalogued items (plus paperbacks),
 * Ponce de Leon Community Center, with more than 11000 sqft, plus the 650-seat Woodlands Auditorium for the performing arts. The center's Casa de Carta is home to one of the largest Duplicate Bridge clubs in the U.S., with more than 800 members. Ponce de Leon's Ouachita Activities Building has large and small meeting rooms.
 * DeSoto Club Events Center, available for rent by POA members and non-members
 * An RV camping park and RV and boat storage areas
 * A family recreation area, including miniature golf and indoor/outdoor activities
 * Lawn bowling, bocce ball and pickleball courts
 * A public-safety department providing police and fire protection
 * Four fire stations and an ambulance headquarters
 * Animal/wildlife control

Law enforcement and crime
According to neighborhoodscout.com, the CDP has a crime rate of 4 crimes per square mile, significantly lower than the Arkansas average of 21 crimes per square mile. The organization had also determined that the risk of becoming a victim in Hot Springs Village was 1 in 81 compared to the state average of 1 in 28.

2020
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,861 people, 7,279 households, and 5,045 families residing in the CDP.

2010
As of the census of 2010, the CDP's racial demographics were 97.9% white (96.0 non-Hispanic, 1.1% White Hispanic), 1.3% Black or African-American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0.5 belonging to other races. 1.5 of the CDP's residents were Hispanic of any race.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,397 people, 4,295 households, and 3,221 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 221.4 PD/sqmi. There were 5,121 housing units at an average density of 135.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.98% White, 0.94% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,295 households, out of which 6.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 2.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.22. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 6.6% under the age of 18, 1.7% from 18 to 24, 8.0% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 56.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 67 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $48,958. Males had a median income of $35,236 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,492. About 1.6% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Hot Springs Village is located in Fountain Lake and Jessieville school districts. Fountain Lake School District operates Fountain Lake High School.

Culture and society
The private-membership Diamante Country Club has a golf course and clubhouse. Country club members bought the club from the previous owners, ClubCorp and Cooper Communities Inc., early in 2018. A weekly local newspaper, the Hot Springs Village Voice, is delivered every Tuesday.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Hot Springs Village, Arkansas


text:
Lake Hamilton, Arkansas

Lake Hamilton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,135 at the 2010 census. It is named after Lake Hamilton, one of the area's man-made lakes.

Geography
Lake Hamilton is located in southern Garland County on the south side of Lake Hamilton, an impoundment on the Ouachita River. The CDP includes two large islands in the lake as well. The community is bordered to the north, across the lake, by the city of Hot Springs. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.9 km2, of which 5.0 km2 is land and 4.9 km2, or 49.48%, is water.

Arkansas State Highway 7 passes through the community, bridging the lake via the two islands. Highway 7 leads north 7 mi to the center of Hot Springs and south 28 mi to Arkadelphia.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,084 people, 962 households, and 704 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,609 people, 762 households, and 483 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 814.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,181 housing units at an average density of 597.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.65% White, 0.87% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 762 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 15.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $45,250. Males had a median income of $30,455 versus $16,765 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,992. About 8.1% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is in the Lakeside School District. Lakeside High School is the comprehensive high school of the district.

The census-designated place is not in the Lake Hamilton School District.

title: Lake Hamilton, Arkansas


text:
Lonsdale, Arkansas

Lonsdale is a town in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 103 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Lonsdale is located in eastern Garland County on Highway 171, south of U.S. Route 70. It is 17 mi east of Hot Springs and 14 mi west of Benton.. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 118 people, 49 households, and 34 families residing in the town. The population density was 287.0 PD/sqmi. There were 53 housing units at an average density of 128.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.46% White, and 2.54% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 49 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% 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 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,500, and the median income for a family was $26,000. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,572. There were 14.7% of families and 22.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including 35.9% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Education
Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is provided by the Benton School District and Fountain Lake School District, which leads to graduation from Benton High School and Fountain Lake High School.

title: Lonsdale, Arkansas


text:
Mountain Pine, Arkansas

Mountain Pine is a city in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 770 at the 2010 United States Census. It is located immediately southeast of Lake Ouachita below the Blakely Mountain Dam. The city consists of five defined neighborhoods, Pinewood (north), South Mountain Pine, a business district (city hall, bank, post office, store), Cozy Acres (southwest) and Mountain View/Timberland area.

Mountain Pine was founded as a company town in the late 1920s by Dierks Lumber and Coal Company, which operated a vast lumber mill on the town's east side. The mill was closed in 2006 by then-owners Weyerhaeuser, and later dismantled.

Geography
Mountain Pine is located near the center of Garland County. It is 11 mi northwest of Hot Springs.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mountain Pine has a total area of 4.6 sqkm, of which 0.03 sqkm, or 0.75%, is water.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mountain Pine has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 585 people, 284 households, and 147 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 772 people, 308 households, and 221 families residing in the city. The population density was 445.4 PD/sqmi. There were 353 housing units at an average density of 203.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 71.37% White, 23.45% Black or African American, 1.94% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 0.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 308 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,804, and the median income for a family was $22,344. Males had a median income of $22,206 versus $16,058 for females. About 39.8% of families were below the poverty level.

Ełementary and secondary education
Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is provided by:

 * Mountain Pine School District, which leads to graduation from Mountain Pine High School

Transportation
Mountain Pine is connected by Arkansas Highway 192, which connects to Arkansas Highway 7 between Hot Springs Village and Jessieville, and by Arkansas Highway 227, which connects to U.S. Route 270 in Hot Springs.

Notable person
Bobby Bones was born in Mountain Pine. He hosts a Nashville morning radio show called The Bobby Bones Show.

title: Mountain Pine, Arkansas


text:
Piney, Garland County, Arkansas

Piney is a census-designated place (CDP) in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,699 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.5 km$2$), of which 6.5 square miles (16.9 km$2$) is land and 0.6 square mile (1.5 km$2$) (8.27%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,238 people, 1,977 households, and 1,129 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,988 people, 1,617 households, and 1,193 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 609.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,868 housing units at an average density of 285.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.03% White, 2.26% Black or African American, 1.15% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. 3.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,617 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,827, and the median income for a family was $34,780. Males had a median income of $26,078 versus $20,709 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,055. About 12.4% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Most of the CDP is in the Lake Hamilton School District while another portion is in the Mountain Pine School District.

title: Piney, Garland County, Arkansas


text:
Rockwell, Arkansas

Rockwell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,780 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.2 sqmi, of which 3.1 sqmi is land and 1.1 sqmi (25.17%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,548 people, 1,910 households, and 1,287 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,024 people, 1,274 households, and 931 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 956.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,549 housing units at an average density of 489.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.12% White, 0.83% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,274 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,366, and the median income for a family was $53,241. Males had a median income of $39,175 versus $30,035 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,647. About 2.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is in the Lake Hamilton School District.

title: Rockwell, Arkansas


text:
Leola, Arkansas

Leola is a town in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 501 at the 2010 census. It is the southernmost municipality within the Central Arkansas region.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 515 people, 179 households, and 143 families residing in the town. The population density was 591.2 PD/sqmi. There were 213 housing units at an average density of 244.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 84.66% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 12.82% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 14.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 179 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $32,778. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $17,292 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,844. About 8.6% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions
Cox Creek Lake is a man made lake, created by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by damming Cox Creek, a tributary of the Saline River. The Lake covers an area of approximately 254 acres outside Leola's city limits. Camping is permitted, tent or R.V. for a fee, it also includes a boat ramp and a fishing pier.

History
In 1864, the Camden Expedition (part of a larger military operation, the Red River Campaign), under the command of General Frederick Steele, marched his union troops along the Old Camden Road that passed through Leola after his supplies were depleted and Gen. Kirby's Confederates were on his rear flank as they approached the Jenkins' Ferry on the Saline River. A bloody battle of Jenkins' Ferry ensued. The Union troops barely crossed the Saline River, when they did, they burned the pontoon bridge and resulted in a victory in retreated as the Union marched back to Union controlled Little Rock via Prattsville and Old Belfast along the Old Camden Road.

In the late summer of 1921, Winters Syndicate drilled down over 1,920 feet exploring for oil in the Leola area. The Belmont Oil Company planned to develop oil fields in Leola, too. However, no oil was discovered.

Ray Thornton (1928-2016) attended public school in Leola. Thornton is a former U.S. Representative, lawyer, Arkansas Supreme Court justice, university president, and currently is the Public Service Fellow for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Thornton played "a key role in fashioning the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon concerning the Watergate cover-up." Thornton was a party in the Supreme Court of the United States case, U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, that ruled that Arkansas and other states attempts at placing term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, unconstitutional.

Education
The Sheridan School District operates area public schools. On July 1, 1987, the Leola School District was annexed and consolidated into the Sheridan School district.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Leola has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

title: Leola, Arkansas


text:
Poyen, Arkansas

Poyen is a town in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 290 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Central Arkansas region.

Geography
Poyen is located in western Grant County. U.S. Route 270 passes through the center of town, leading east 14 mi to Sheridan, the county seat, and west 10 mi to Malvern.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 272 people, 106 households, and 82 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,105.6 PD/sqmi. There were 112 housing units at an average density of 455.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.23% White, 1.84% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 1.47% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 106 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $27,813 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,835. About 2.8% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.6% of those 65 or over.

Education
Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is provided by the Poyen School District, which leads to graduation from Poyen High School.

Notable person
Country music singer Justin Moore is a native and currently resides in Poyen, Arkansas.

title: Poyen, Arkansas


text:
Prattsville, Arkansas

Prattsville is a city in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 305 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Central Arkansas region.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 km$2$ (1.7 mi2), all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 282 people, 115 households, and 83 families residing in the town. The population density was 66.0/km$2$ (170.6/mi2). There were 128 housing units at an average density of 30.0/km$2$ (77.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.65% White and 0.35% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 115 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,679, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,544. About 9.8% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.4% of those 65 or over.

History
Prattsville, then part of Saline County, was first settled by Elder Joab Pratt, a Baptist preacher, accompanied by several other families, with the surnames of Mayfield, Pumphrey, McDaniel, and Cobb, all arrived by wagon train from Bibb County, Alabama in 1841. Mr. Pratt is the source of the town's name. Mr. Pratt operated Pratt's Ferry close to where modern day Highway 270 crosses the Saline River and served as the postmaster for Lost Creek Post Office in 1846. Mr. Pratt founded Philadelphia Baptist Church soon after settling in the area south of the modern day city limits.

A section of the pre-statehood wagon road, the Old Camden Trail, was a highly traveled road throughout the nineteenth century that connected Little Rock and Camden. The Old Camden Trail was one of only five main roads in Arkansas during the 1800s and served early settlers of Prattsville. It is still marked on current maps in the town and has a historical marker north of Prattsville in the pioneer Village of Belfast, unfortunately the historic road has been gated and access to the marker blocked. During the Civil War, as part of Gen. Frederick Steele's Camden expedition, part of the larger Red River Campaign, attempted to cross the Saline River at Pratt's Ferry with his troops to get his nearly supply-less Union Army back to Little Rock along the Old Camden Road, however the water there was too high, and Gen. Steele and his troops turned south to cross at Jenkins Ferry, where his Union Army were engaged by Confederate Troops in what is called the Battle of Jenkins Ferry. Gen. Steele's Camden expedition cost the Union army countless men and badly needed supplies. Gen. Steele and the Union Army escaped and made a retreat back to Little Rock along the Old Camden Trail.

Education
The Sheridan School District operates area public schools. The Prattsville School District merged into the Sheridan district on July 1, 1994.

Notable Prattsvillians
David Delano Glover (January 18, 1868 – April 5, 1952) was born and attended public school in Prattsville. He was a U.S. Representative from Arkansas. He served six terms from March 4, 1929, to January 3, 1935. He was admitted to the bar in 1910.

Robert W. Glover, David Delano Glover's brother and a Missionary Baptist pastor, served in both houses of the Arkansas Legislature (1905–1912) from Sheridan. He lived briefly as a child in Prattsville. In 1909, he introduced the resolution calling for the establishment of four state agricultural colleges.

Jackson T. Stephens (1923–2005), born on a farm near Prattsville during the Great Depression, co-founded Stephens, Inc., the largest trading company outside of Wall Street, located in Little Rock. He donated millions of dollars to worthy causes, including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus, the Delta Project, the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated with classmate Jimmy Carter, First Tee of Arkansas, the Prattsville Community Center, and others. His personal art collection, of which he donated a portion of to the Arkansas Arts Center, has been recognized as one of the most important art collections in the country. He served as chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, overseeing The Masters golf tournament. He is interred at Philadelphia Cemetery in Prattsville.

Wilton "Witt" R. Stephens (1907–1991) was born in Prattsville and was the older brother of Jack Stephens. He began his career selling belt buckles and Bibles door to door in the late 1920s. During the Great Depression, Witt purchased municipal bonds for ten cents on the dollar, confident that the bonds would be redeemable under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Reconstruction Finance Corporation. He sold the bonds at a profit to make a small fortune in the worst economic climate in American history. He went on to invest in natural gas, oil, and gold mining industries. After World War II, he was known as the "kingmaker" due to his influential power over the state's political branches. He served two terms in his father's State House seat starting in 1961. The Grant County Museum building is named in his honor. He is interred in Philadelphia Cemetery in Prattsville.

Ray Thornton (1928–) was a resident of Prattsville and is the nephew of Jack and Witt Stephens. Thornton is a former U.S. Representative, lawyer, Arkansas Supreme Court justice, university president, and currently is the Public Service Fellow for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Thornton played "a key role in fashioning the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon concerning the Watergate cover-up." Thornton was a party in the Supreme Court of the United States case, U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, which ruled Arkansas's and other states' attempts at placing term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate unconstitutional.

title: Prattsville, Arkansas


text:
Sheridan, Arkansas

Sheridan is a city and county seat of Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The community is located deep in the forests of the Arkansas Timberlands. It sits at the intersection of US Highways 167 and 270. Early settlers were drawn to the area by the native timber, which is still a very important part of Sheridan's economy, although the city has diversified into several other industries. Sheridan's history also includes a college, Missionary Baptist College, until its closure in 1934, and a series of conflicts during the Civil Rights Movement. Located at the southern end of the Central Arkansas region, Sheridan has been experiencing a population boom in recent years, as indicated by a 49% growth in population between the 1990 and 2010 censuses. The population as of the 2010 census was 4,603.

Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood
In 1818–1824, the land that Sheridan currently occupies was the site of a Quapaw reservation. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Quapaw were removed from the land and pushed further west. By 1833 most of the natives had been moved westward and the land was ceded to the United States.

Eponym
Sheridan was named after Lieutenant-General Philip Sheridan, who served as the 8th Commanding General of the United States Army from 1883 to 1888.

Settlement through the Gilded Age
The first white settler was Dr. Richard C. Rhodes, a native of North Carolina.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a railroad passed through Sheridan south into Dallas County. The railroad, owned by E. S. McCarty, carried freight and passengers for hire.

From 1917 to 1934, Missionary Baptist College operated in Sheridan. The college suffered from financial troubles due to the Great Depression. The college provided local residents with courses, not only in theology, but in Latin, Greek, physiology, ecclesiology, and expression. A 1920 bulletin issued by the college wrote that its goal was "to teach and emphasize the very principles for which the real Baptists of Arkansas stand and for which true Baptists have stood for almost nineteen centuries . . . this is no preacher manufacturing establishment [that] the Lord alone has the prerogative of calling men to preach the gospel." The revamped Missionary Baptist Seminary thereafter opened in Little Rock.

Mid-twentieth century
In 1943, Jewell Williams, a Jehovah's Witness, was convicted in the Mayor's Court for selling Bibles without a permit under Sheridan City Ord. No. 50. and fined $10. On a trial de novo, he obtained the same result. Williams joined other members of his faith and appealed similar convictions occurring across the state to the Arkansas Supreme Court in Berry v. City of Hope, challenging the city ordinance as unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The court agreed and held the ordinances unconstitutional.

The "Mighty 1090" KAAY radio station sponsored the Rebel Springs Rock Festival of 1973 5 mi east of Sheridan on Highway 270 that included ZZ Top as a headliner. Tickets were $4 before the show and lasted three days, July 4–6, 1973. The National Guard was sent out to maintain "peace". Local property owners attempted to get a court-ordered injunction to halt the festival from talking place, on the legal theory of nuisance, but to no avail.

In 1954, Sheridan's school board voted to comply with the Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs Board of Education. Sheridan had operated an elementary school for Black children and bused its Black high school students to schools in other counties The protests were so severe that the school board reversed itself the following night. Then, local sawmill owner Jack Williams told his Black employees that they could accept his offer to buy out their homes and give them to the employees, and all move 25 miles west to the town of Malvern. Black residents had no choice, for Williams told them that "if a family refused to move, he would evict them and burn down their home." This left Sheridan as a sundown town, and instead of becoming "one of the most racially progressive towns in Arkansas if its initial school board decision had stood, instead became one of its most backward." Loewen's research describes the fact that "no Sheridan resident lifted a voice to protest the forced buyout of its black community" and a "reputation for bigotry when their high school played interracial teams in athletic contests."

Demographics
Sheridan is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,920 people, 1,884 households, and 1,235 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census of 2010, there were 4,603 people, 1,841 households, and 1,238 families residing in the city. The population density was 1150.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,007 housing units at an average density of 501.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.0% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,841 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.6 years. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,305, and the median income for a family was $64,123. Males had a median income of $46,438 versus $31,580 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,969. About 3.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 3,872 people, 1,509 households, and 1,050 families residing in the city. The population density was 978.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,685 housing units at an average density of 426.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.34% White, 0.96% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,509 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,207, and the median income for a family was $43,953. Males had a median income of $32,216 versus $22,891 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,184. About 7.0% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Sheridan is provided public education from the Sheridan School District, including the Sheridan High School.

Sheridan had a segregated school for African-Americans until the Brown v. Board decision. At the time, Sheridan had around 199 African American residents out of the town's total population of 1,898. On May 21, 1954, the local school board voted unanimously to integrate its 21 African-American students into its high school to avoid the $4,000 it would have cost the school board to send them to Jefferson County. The white parents became upset and called another vote the next night. At that vote, the board voted unanimously to keep the local school segregated. Community members in the area, still not happy, petitioned and forced four school board members to step down.

Next, Jack Williams, the largest employer of African-Americans in the area, told Black families that they could accept his offer to buyout their homes and move them, or he would burn their houses down. After the departure of the last African-American student from the city limits, the city bulldozed the African-American school; the remnants of the school were buried and the city no longer had a duty to integrate their schools. This incident is recounted by former resident James Seawood on storycorps.

In March 2014, Sheridan High School principal Rodney Williams ordered the removal of student profiles from the student yearbook, rather than publish one of an openly gay student. In response, a human rights organization held a rally on the State Capitol steps, and the principal received a petition with 30,000 signatures asking Williams to reverse the decision.

Arts and culture
Sheridan hosts an annual event based on the area's deep roots in the timber industry called Timberfest, which includes a lumberjack competition and live music around the courthouse square. The White River Kid, starring Antonio Banderas and Randy Travis, was filmed during a mock Timberfest during the summer of 1998, with many of the local residents appearing as extras.

Tourism
The Grant County Museum, located on Shackleford Road in Sheridan, preserves and interprets the history and culture of the county for residents and visitors. The museum features exhibits detailing the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, a segment of the Union's failed Red River Campaign during the Civil War, as well as a large World War II vehicle collection. Other exhibits include pioneer life and settlement in Grant County, and the flora and fauna native to the county. The Heritage Square is also on the museum grounds, featuring ten relocated and restored buildings. Just 5.8 miles north of Sheridan is the B-17 Crash Memorial where a replica B-17 was constructed to honor nine airmen who died in a plane crash at this location in 1943.

Media
Bales and Cleveland started the first newspaper in the Grant County area, titled The Sheridan Spy. The first issue was dated September 1, 1881. In 1882, the Hon. J.S. Williams, who a year later became a state senator, bought the Sheridan Spy and renamed it The Sheridan Headlight, which is still published today. The short lived Grant County News was started in 1916 by William GoForth.

Utilities
Sheridan's water system began when a private entity began installing water lines in the 1930s. This system was eventually purchased by the city, which now allows the Sheridan Water and Sewer Department to operate the system independently of city funds. Today, Sheridan is capable of treating groundwater obtained from five wells at a rate of 4.5 million gallons (17 million liters) per day (MGD/MLD). Sheridan's wastewater treatment facility is located at the end of Gatzke Drive and discharges treated effluent to Big Creek in accordance with the permit granted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The facility utilizes a three-cell pond stabilization system followed by a holding pond and is designed for a flow of 0.67 MGD (2.5 MLD).

Notable people

 * Ken Bragg, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Sheridan since 2013
 * Buck Fausett, Major League Baseball player
 * David Delano Glover, representative for Arkansas's 6th congressional district from 1929 to 1935
 * Ray Hamilton, football player in the National Football League
 * John Little McClellan, lawyer and politician, representative and senator for Arkansas
 * Earl Smith, baseball player who played for Giants and Pirates.
 * Eddie Joe Williams, State Senate Majority Leader, formerly mayor of Cabot, Arkansas
 * John Little McClellan, lawyer and politician, representative and senator for Arkansas
 * Jami Cook, Police Officer, First Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety

title: Sheridan, Arkansas


text:
Tull, Arkansas

Tull is a town in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 448 at the 2010 census, up from 358 in 2000. It is part of the Central Arkansas region.

Geography
Tull is located in northwestern Grant County and is bordered to the north and northwest by the Saline County line. The northwest border of the town follows the Saline River, a south-flowing tributary of the Ouachita River. Tull is 16 mi northwest of Sheridan, the Grant County seat, and 10 mi south of Benton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.9 sqkm, of which 0.04 sqkm, or 0.40%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 358 people, 155 households, and 110 families residing in the town. The population density was 40.4/km$2$ (104.6/mi2). There were 167 housing units at an average density of 18.9/km$2$ (48.8/mi2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.16% White, 0.56% Native American, and 0.28% from two or more races. 3.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 155 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% 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 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $41,406. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $29,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,017. About 10.1% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Tull is in the Bauxite School District, and is zoned to Bauxite High School.

title: Tull, Arkansas


text:
Delaplaine, Arkansas

Delaplaine is a town in Greene County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 116 at the time of the 2010 census.

History
A French trading post may have operated at the current site of Delaplaine prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The name is French for "of the plain," and was written as three words (De La Plaine) for many years. When the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway constructed a line through the area in the 1870s, a stop known as "Grey's Station" was established, named for one of the few female postmasters in the state at the time, Lizzie Grey. The town reverted to the name "Delaplaine" in 1875. Delaplaine incorporated in 1912.

Geography
Delaplaine is located in northwestern Greene County at 36.23278°N, -90.72583°W (36.232701, -90.725807). Arkansas Highway 90 passes through the town, leading northeast, then east, 31 mi to Rector, and southwest, then northwest, 21 mi to Pocahontas. Arkansas Highway 34 leads southeast from the center of town 16 mi to Oak Grove Heights. Paragould, the Greene County seat, is 23 mi to the southeast via Highways 34 and 135. Highway 34 joins Highway 90 to the southwest from Delaplaine and leads 17 mi to Walnut Ridge. Arkansas Highway 304 leads west from Delaplaine on a more direct route of 16 mi to Pocahontas.

Delaplaine is 4 mi south of the Black River, and about 2 mi north of the Cache River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Delaplaine has a total area of 2.9 km2, all land.

Demographics
At the time of the 2010 United States Census, there were 116 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 0.9% from two or more races.

At the time of the 2000 United States Census, there were 127 people, 49 households, and 36 families living in the town. The population density was 115.0 PD/sqmi. There were 56 housing units at an average density of 50.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 89.76% White, and 10.24% from two or more races.

There were 49 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,000, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $15,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,076. Of the 0.8% of the population living below the poverty line, there were no families, children under the age of 18, nor seniors over the age of 64.

Education
Delaplaine is served by the Greene County Tech School District (GCT district) and its schools in Paragould, Arkansas, including Greene County Tech High School.

For many years, Delaplaine was home to the Delaplaine School District, which included Delaplaine (in the rural northwest of Greene County), O'Kean (in the rural southeast of Randolph County), and the town of Peach Orchard in Clay County. In 2003, the Arkansas Legislature, supported by then-Governor Mike Huckabee, passed Act 60, an act that required every school district in the state that had a daily enrollment of less than 350 students to be consolidated with another school district. As a result, on July 1, 2004, the Delaplaine School District was consolidated with the GCT district. Delaplaine High School and Delaplaine Elementary School initially remained open under the jurisdiction of the GCT district, to serve students in the former Delaplaine district area, however, they were later closed in 2007. Delaplaine mayor Larry Myrick stated that the community lost children with families after the school stopped operations.

Notable person(s)

 * Jimmie Lou Fisher, former Arkansas State Treasurer and 2002 Democratic nominee for governor

 * Gary Wayne Harpole, Co-owner of Halsey Thrasher Harpole and Current board of trustees for Arkansas state university

title: Delaplaine, Arkansas


text:
Lafe, Arkansas

Lafe is a town in Greene County, Arkansas, United States on Crowley's Ridge. The population was 448 at the 2010 census, up from 385 in 2000.

History
The first settler of Lafe was Herman Toelken, a German immigrant who had been living in New Haven, Missouri, and was seeking new opportunities in an unsettled area. Toelken began cutting railroad ties for the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern (later Missouri Pacific) railroad in order to save enough money to purchase land and send for his family.

When Toelken was settled he began advertising in a Minneapolis German newspaper seeking other German Lutherans to come to the area. Several families responded to this advertisement, and an assortment of German immigrant families followed him from Franklin County, Missouri.

On December 9, 1889, an application was made to the US Postal Service for the establishment of a post office for "Newberry, Arkansas", so named due to a sawmill operator of the same name who had set up in the area. The name "Newberry" was denied by the Postal Service, so the postmaster combined the names of his daughters and reapplied with the name "Loulyma", which was accepted. Mail arrived addressed to "Loulyma" and freight arrived addressed to "Newberry". In 1901 a new postmaster named Lafayette Mueller took over and sought to settle the name permanently by resubmitting a new name. Townspeople elected to name the town "Lafe" in honor of the new postmaster, and the name was officially changed on May 21, 1902.

Geography
Lafe is located in the valley of Big Creek on the western side of Crowley's Ridge, with Big Creek flowing northwest towards the Black River. Arkansas Highways 135 and 34 intersect in Lafe; Highway 135 leads north 14 mi to U.S. Route 62 east of Corning and south 11 mi to Paragould, the Greene County seat, while Highway 34 leads east 8 mi to Marmaduke.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Lafe has a total area of 5.4 sqkm, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 458 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White, 0.2% from some other race and 0.4% from two or more races. 1.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 385 people, 137 households, and 110 families living in the town. The population density was 71.1 /km2. There were 153 housing units at an average density of 28.3 /km2. The racial makeup of the town was 89.09% White, 2.34% Native American, and 8.57% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 137 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $32,125. Males had a median income of $25,313 versus $16,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,234. About 15.0% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Marmaduke School District serves Lafe. On July 1, 1984, the Lafe School District merged into the Marmaduke district.

title: Lafe, Arkansas