Batesville is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
and largest city of
Independence County,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, United States,
80 miles (183 km) northeast of
Little Rock
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
, the state capital. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city was 10,268.
The city serves as a regional manufacturing and distribution hub for the Ozark Mountain region and
Northeast Arkansas
The geography of Arkansas varies widely. The state is covered by mountains, river valleys, forests, lakes, and bayous in addition to the cities of Arkansas. Hot Springs National Park features bubbling springs of hot water, formerly sought across t ...
.
Looking down Main street 1990
History
![Lyon tower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Lyon_tower.JPG)
Batesville is the second oldest municipality after the town of
Georgetown — and the oldest city — in the state of Arkansas. It was named for the first territorial delegate from Arkansas to the
Congress of the United States
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
,
James Woodson Bates, who settled in the town. The town has also gone by the names of Napoleon and Poke Bayou.
In early days, Batesville was an important port on the
White River and served as an entry point to the interior of northern Arkansas. Batesville played a large role in the settling of the
Ozark Mountains
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...
region and served as the central land office for northern Arkansas.
The first known settlement of the Batesville area was in 1810 near the mouth of
Polk Bayou
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
, and by 1819 the town had a ferry across the White River and about a dozen houses. The town was partially laid out in early 1821, and on March 3, 1822 a bill of assurance was recorded and executed and the town's plat was laid out. Batesville became the county seat in 1821. In January 1822, Judge Richard Searcy opened the town's first state circuit court. The town's first
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
was established in 1822, and in 1830 became the home of a county court. On 25 September 1836, shortly after Arkansas was granted its statehood,
Governor Conway incorporated Batesville Academy, the state's first academy. In the past, the area in and around the city had extensive quarries of
manganese
Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...
ore,
phosphate
In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid .
The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...
rock,
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
,
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, and
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
.
Between 1940 and 1941, Batesville had its own minor league baseball team within the
Northeast Arkansas League
The Northeast Arkansas League was the name used by a pair of American minor league baseball leagues. The first of these started operations in 1909 and continued through 1911. The second version began operations for the 1936 season. It continu ...
known as the
Batesville Pilots. The team later disbanded in 1941.
Batesville currently has only one high school within the city limits,
Batesville High School. Also, Batesville is the home of
Lyon College
, mottoeng = Perseverance Conquers All, God Willing.
, established =
, type = Private college
, president = Melissa Taverner
, city = Batesville
, state = Arkansas
, country = United States
, students = 665
, faculty = 61
, campus = Rural town ...
, a private liberal arts college affiliated with the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
, and noted for the annual Arkansas Scottish Festival each fall. In addition, the city is home to the
University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville
The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) is a public community college in Batesville, Arkansas.
History
The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) was originally opened in September of 1975 as ...
(UACCB), and
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
driver
Mark Martin
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series st ...
. It contains three National Register Historic Districts and many properties separately listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. It was listed in Norman Crampton's 1992 book ''The 100 Best Small Towns in America'', ranking at #75.
Geography
Batesville is located at (35.773488, -91.641338).
Batesville lies on the White River.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.12%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 11,191 people, 3,985 households, and 2,448 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 10,243 people, 3,777 households, and 2,383 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,146 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 4.3%
Black or African American, 0.6%
Native American, 1.5%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.3%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.40% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.00% from two or more races. 4.6% of the population were
Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 3,777 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.
The age distribution was 22.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,133, and the median income for a family was $42,634. Males had a median income of $31,068 versus $20,506 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $17,753. About 11.1% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Batesville Public Schools are part of the
Batesville School District, Arkansas
The Batesville School District is a public school district in Independence County, Arkansas, United States, based in Batesville, Arkansas.
History
Desha School District consolidated into Batesville School District on July 1, 1985. Sulphur Rock ...
. The district has one early learning center, one junior high school, one high school and three elementary schools. Students attend
Batesville High School.
Infrastructure
List of highways
*
U.S. Highway 167
U.S. Route 167 runs for from Ash Flat, Arkansas at U.S. Route 62/US Route 412 to Abbeville, Louisiana at Louisiana Highway 14. It goes through the cities of Little Rock, Arkansas, Alexandria, Louisiana, and Lafayette, Louisiana.
Some of the high ...
*
Arkansas Highway 25
Arkansas Highway 25 is a northeast–southwest state highway in north central Arkansas. The route runs from US 64 in Conway to US 63/412 in Black Rock through Greers Ferry, Batesville, and the foothills of The Ozarks.
Route description
AR ...
*
Arkansas Highway 69
Highway 69 (AR 69, Ark. 69, and Hwy. 69) is a designation for three north–south state highways in northeast Arkansas. A western route of runs south from Highway 9 at Melbourne to Highway 14/ Highway 367 in Newport. A second ro ...
*
Arkansas Highway 69 Business
Highway 69 (AR 69, Ark. 69, and Hwy. 69) is a designation for three north–south state highways in northeast Arkansas. A western route of runs south from Highway 9 at Melbourne to Highway 14/ Highway 367 in Newport. A second ro ...
*
Arkansas Highway 106
*
Arkansas Highway 233
Arkansas Highway 233 (AR 233 and Hwy. 233) is a United States state highway of consisting of three distinct segments existing in Independence County. It has no business or spur routes.
Route description
AR 233 consists of three distinct, unconn ...
*
Arkansas Highway 394
Notable people
*
Elisha Baxter
Elisha Baxter (September 1, 1827May 31, 1899) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 10th governor of Arkansas from 1873 to 1874.
Early life and career
Baxter was born in Forest City, North Carolina. He sought and obtained a ...
, thirteenth governor of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
*
Monroe L. Flinn, Illinois state representative
*
Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett (born June 5, 1988) is a former American football quarterback who is currently the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. He played college football at Arkansas, and was drafted by the New England ...
, quarterback for
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (ori ...
and NFL's
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, born in Batesville
*
Mark Martin
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series st ...
, NASCAR driver and avid Anime consumer, born and raised in Batesville
*
Mike McQueen, lived in Batesville after retiring from
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
and died in Batesville in 2017
*
James McLean, Democrat former member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...
for Independence County
*
William R. Miller, first native-born governor of Arkansas, born in Batesville 1823
*
Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player who now serves as a broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1966 to 1984, most notably as a member ...
,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player and
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
broadcaster, born in Batesville
*
Mutha's Day Out, 1990s rock band
*
Leslie Rutledge
Leslie Carol Rutledge (born June 9, 1976) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Arkansas, served as the 56th attorney general of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. She is the 21st lieutenant governor of Arkansas, since 2023. Rutledge ...
, Arkansas Attorney General
*
Sami Jo, country singer
*
Charlie Strong
Charles Rene Strong (born August 2, 1960) is an American football coach who is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Miami. He recently served as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach ...
, football head coach at
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
, former
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
coach
*
James Sturch,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of Arkansas House of Representatives for Independence County since 2015
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Batesville has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
References
External links
City of Batesville the official website of the City of Batesville
MyBatesville.org the official page of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
GuardOnline.com the online edition of the ''Batesville Daily Guard'' newspaper
Batesville Preservation Association a local organization dedicated to preservation and restoration of the area's historic buildings
Old Independence Regional Museum* Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
Batesville (Independence County)Ozark Weather & Radar
{{Authority control
1821 establishments in Arkansas Territory
Cities in Arkansas
Cities in Independence County, Arkansas
Micropolitan areas of Arkansas
Populated places established in 1821
County seats in Arkansas