Heber Springs is a city in and 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 ...
of
Cleburne 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. The population was 7,165 at the
2010 census.
Geography
Heber Springs is located near the center of Cleburne County at (35.494329, −92.039168).
Arkansas Highway 5
Highway 5 (AR 5, Ark. 5, and Hwy. 5) is a designation for three List of Arkansas state highways, state highways in Arkansas. The southern segment of runs from Arkansas Highway 7, Highway 7 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Hot Springs north to U.S. ...
bypasses the center of the city to the east, leading north to
Mountain View and south to
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 ...
(via
U.S. Route 67
U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...
).
Searcy is to the southeast via
Highway 16
Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to:
International
* Asian Highway 16
* European route E16
* European route E016
Australia
- Thompsons Road (Victoria)
- South Australia
Canada
;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway:
*Yellowhead Hi ...
.
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 , all land. The city was named for a series of natural springs that are located on the east side of town on Main Street.
Greers Ferry Lake
Greers Ferry Lake is the reservoir formed by Greers Ferry Dam, a United States Army Corps of Engineers dam in Northern Arkansas. It is located about north of Little Rock.
Geography
The reservoir consists of two lakes connected by a water-fille ...
and the
Little Red River are located just north of the city, where
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
are stocked in the Little Red and can be fished below the
Greers Ferry Dam
Greers Ferry Dam is located on the Little Red River in Cleburne County in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It impounds Greers Ferry Lake. The dam is located north of Little Rock.
Building the dam
Construction of the dam began in March 1959 and wa ...
. The lake is a major tourism draw for swimming, boating, and personal watercraft, complemented by the Little Red River and
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain ( pt, Pão de Açúcar, ) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising above the harbor, the peak is named for its resemblance to ...
along the eastern portion of the city.
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 6,969 people, 2,868 households, and 1,890 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 7,165 people, 2,793 households, and 1,851 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,159 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.90%
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 ...
, 0.23%
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 have o ...
or
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 ...
, 0.44%
Native American, 0.39%
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 ...
, 0.03%
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 ...
, 0.22% 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 0.79% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 2,793 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21, and the average family size was 2.72.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,599, and the median income for a family was $37,228. Males had a median income of $30,772 versus $19,720 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 $19,656. About 8.6% of families and 13.3% 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 17.6% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Initially named Sugar Loaf, Heber Springs was founded by
Max Frauenthal
Max Frauenthal (also Frankenthal, or Fronthall) (November 11, 1836 – March 8, 1914) was a leading merchant in post-bellum Arkansas, and was a founding father of Conway, Arkansas; Heber Springs, Arkansas; and Cleburne County, Arkansas. He is kno ...
. In 1881, Frauenthal bought land in
Van Buren County from John T. Jones. He founded the Sugar Loaf Springs Company and plotted a town site which was incorporated as "Sugar Loaf" on October 4, 1882. In 1883, Frauenthal donated land for the courthouse square, built a frame courthouse to be used by the soon-to-be-created
Cleburne County, and donated the land for Spring Park, thus securing the county seat for the new town. Frauenthal chose the name Cleburne County to honor Confederate General
Patrick Cleburne
Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( ; March 16, 1828November 30, 1864) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.
Born in Ireland, Cleburne served in the ...
, who was killed in the
Battle of Franklin in 1864. In 1910, Sugar Loaf's name was changed to Heber Springs in order to avoid confusion with another town with a post office named Sugar Loaf. Frauenthal chose the new name to honor John T. Jones's son, Dr. Heber Jones, who was a prominent physician in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, where Frauenthal had since moved.
Education
Public education for elementary and secondary students is provided by:
*
Heber Springs School District
Heber Springs School District is a public school district based in Heber Springs, Arkansas, United States. The Heber Springs School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 1,500 kindergarten through gr ...
, the school district covering the city limits, with students graduating from
Heber Springs High School
Heber Springs High School is a comprehensive public high school located in the remote town of Heber Springs, Arkansas, United States. The school provides secondary education for students in grades 9 through 12. It is one of five public high sch ...
.
Notable people
*
Everett G. Burkhalter
Everett Glen Burkhalter (January 19, 1897 – May 24, 1975), who went by Everett G. Burkhalter, was an American film studio electrician who turned to politics in 1941 and became a member of the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles City ...
, represented the 27th District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives
*
Paul Caraway
Paul Wyatt Caraway (December 23, 1905 – December 13, 1985) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army and the 3rd High Commissioner of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands. He was the son of two influential ...
, High Commissioner of the U.S. Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands
*
Mike Disfarmer
Mike Disfarmer (born Mike Meyer, 1884–1959) was an American photographer known for his portraits of everyday people in rural Arkansas from the 1920s to the 1950s. His stark, realist photographs were rediscovered in the 1970s and later came to be ...
, photographer
*
Max Frauenthal
Max Frauenthal (also Frankenthal, or Fronthall) (November 11, 1836 – March 8, 1914) was a leading merchant in post-bellum Arkansas, and was a founding father of Conway, Arkansas; Heber Springs, Arkansas; and Cleburne County, Arkansas. He is kno ...
, Civil War hero and founding father of Heber Springs
*
Laurell K. Hamilton
Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories.
Her The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times''-bestselling ''Anita Blake: Vampire H ...
, author of the "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" series and "Meredith Gentry" series
*
Johnnie Bryan Hunt
Johnnie Bryan Hunt, Sr. (February 28, 1927 – December 7, 2006), better known as J. B. Hunt, was an American entrepreneur who founded J.B. Hunt Transport Services, the largest publicly owned trucking company in the US. The company is b ...
, founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services
*
Johnelle Hunt, co-founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services
*
Tommy Land
Tommy Land (born August 18, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from Arkansas. A Republican, he was elected on November 6, 2018, as the next Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands, and assumed office in January 2019. He won re-election i ...
,
Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands is an executive position and constitutional officer within the Arkansas government which has been an elective post since 1874. Land Commissioners are elected to four year terms. The current state Land Commis ...
*
Mindy McCready
Malinda Gayle McCready (November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013) was an American country music singer. Active from 1995 until her death in 2013, she recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's '' Ten Thousand Angels'', w ...
, country music singer (Committed suicide in Heber Springs)
*
Josh Miller,
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 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 ...
from District 66, including Heber Springs
*
John Russell Payton, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 64 (Cleburne and White counties)
*
Almeda Riddle, folk singer
*
Fred Williams, NFL football player
Points of interest
The
Clarence Frauenthal House, built in 1914, is home of the
Cleburne County Historical Society.
Greers Ferry Dam
Located on the
Little Red River, the dam was dedicated in October 1963 by President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
just one month before his assassination. This event marks the only time a sitting president has visited Cleburne County.
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, Heber Springs 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.
Climate Summary for Heber Springs, Arkansas
/ref>
References
External links
City of Heber Springs official website
Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Cleburne County, Arkansas
Cities in Arkansas
County seats in Arkansas
Populated places established in 1882
1882 establishments in Arkansas