Fredonia (Biscoe) is a city in Prairie 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 O ...

, United States. The population was 363 at the 2010 census. Local myth claimed the town's name "Fredonia" was for the

Republic of Fredonia Fredonia may refer to: Places Colombia * Fredonia, Antioquia, a town and municipality United States * Fredonia, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Fredonia, Arizona, a town * Fredonia (Biscoe), Arkansas, a city * Fredonia, Indiana, an un ...

movement of

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially ...

in the 1820s by a group of Arkansas

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

people settled near

Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...

. The settlers backed by white Southerners from the U.S. wanted to establish an independent

Native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

nation but the dream ended in an armed conflict by Mexican troops. "Biscoe" was the town's official name for most of its history, being written in parentheses. It was founded in the 1810s by several thousand Cherokee settlers from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

in a piece of land set aside for the Western band of Cherokee, who lost their sovereignty when Arkansas became a state in 1836. The town has an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

majority from a

history of slavery The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of e ...

in the antebellum era and agricultural labor afterwards.

Geography

Fredonia (Biscoe) is located at (34.821777, -91.409205). 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 t ...

, the town has a total area of 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²), all land.

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 476 people, 176 households, and 130 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 197.6/km² (509.3/mi²). There were 202 housing units at an average density of 83.9/km² (216.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 41.39%

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 o ...

, 58.19%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.42% from two or more races. There were 176 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.26. In the town the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,406, and the median income for a family was $23,571. Males had a median income of $22,344 versus $14,063 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 town was $9,641. About 23.4% of families and 27.0% 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 34.3% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is provided from the

Hazen School District Hazen School District is a school district in Prairie County, Arkansas, headquartered in Hazen. In addition to Hazen, it includes DeValls Bluff, Fredonia (Biscoe), and Ulm. The mascot is the hornet, and it has two schools: Hazen High Schoo ...

, which operates Hazen High School.

References

{{authority control Cities in Prairie County, Arkansas Populated places established in the 1810s 1810s establishments in Arkansas Territory Cities in Arkansas