McGehee is a city in
Desha County
Desha County ( ) is a county located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, with its eastern border the Mississippi River. At the 2010 census, the population was 13,008. It ranks 56th of Arkansas's 75 counties in terms of populati ...
,
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 4,219 at the
2010 census.
History
The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of the railroad dates back to 1870 when a railroad was constructed from
Pine Bluff southeast through
Varner, to
Chicot County
Chicot County ( ) is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,800. The county seat is Lake Village. Chicot County is Arkansas's 10th county, formed on October 25, 1 ...
.
In April 1923, the
Gulf Coast Lines
The Gulf Coast Lines was the name of a railroad system comprising three principal railroads, as well as some smaller ones, that stretched from New Orleans, Louisiana, via Baton Rouge and Houston to Brownsville, Texas. Originally chartered as sub ...
and the
International-Great Northern were acquired, forming the
Missouri Pacific Lines.
Important in the history of the town of McGehee is the McGehee family which came to the area from
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in 1857. Benjamin McGehee, his wife, Sarah, a son, Abner, and daughters Laura and Mary settled on land that is now a part of McGehee. Abner McGehee, son of Benjamin and Sarah McGehee, purchased of land on July 1, 1876, on which the town of McGehee was later to be located.
When the railroad came into McGehee in 1878 and continued south and southwest, people began to move into the area. Abner McGehee constructed a large
commissary
A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop.
In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...
building and entered the mercantile business to accommodate the new arrivals.
One of the first buildings in the area was a
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
. The lumber cut in this mill was used to build
shotgun-type rent houses.
A post office was established in the McGehee commissary, and in 1879 Abner McGehee became the first postmaster. The post office was named McGehee and served between 400 and 500 people.
An order of incorporation was signed March 5, 1906. The first meeting of the town council was held July 21, 1906.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the outskirts of McGehee was the site of an American
detention camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
used to house
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and
Japanese-American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asia ...
civilians who had previously lived on the
U.S. West Coast
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
.
Today the economy of the area is largely dependent upon
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. The railroad has been largely replaced by the
trucking industry
Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations e ...
which hauls farm products from the gins and grain bins of the area to their destination. From a population of 400 in 1879, McGehee has grown into a community of about 5,000 citizens. Port facilities on the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
are being developed, and the present highway system is rebuilt to accommodate increased traffic.
But the city maintains its connections with the railroads, with both the
North Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad
The North Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad (NL&AR) operates more than 62 miles of track, extending from McGehee, Arkansas to Lake Providence, Louisiana. The NL&AR owns about 24 miles of the track, while about 41 miles are leased from the Lake Prov ...
and the
Arkansas Midland Railroad directly serving McGehee, and the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
indirectly serving it through interchange with the Arkansas Midland.
Geography
U.S. Route 278
U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is a parallel route of US 78. It currently runs for from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Wickes, Arkansas at US 71/ US 59, passing through five states in the process. Landmarks along its route includ ...
passes through the center of town, leading west to
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
and intersecting U.S. Routes
65 and
165
Year 165 ( CLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Orfitus and Pudens (or, less frequently, year 918 ''Ab urbe condita'' ...
on the southeast side of town. US 65/165 leads north to
Dumas. The three highways lead south together for before splitting; US 65 and 278 continue south to
Lake Village, while US 165 turns southwest and leads to
Montrose.
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 ...
, McGehee has a total area of , all land.
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 3,849 people, 1,641 households, and 1,147 families residing in the city.
2000 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 2000, there were 4,570 people, 1,836 households, and 1,259 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,044 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.72%
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 ...
, 41.51%
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 ...
, 0.57%
Native American, 0.24%
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 ...
, 0.04%
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 0.70% from two or more races. 1.49% 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 1,836 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% 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, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,909, and the median income for a family was $25,270. Males had a median income of $31,429 versus $19,464 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 $14,191. About 26.7% of families and 30.0% 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 42.2% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the McGehee Post Office. As of April 2020, the current mayor of McGehee is Jeff Owyoung.
Education
The
McGehee School District
McGehee School District is a public school district headquartered in McGehee, Arkansas. The school district encompasses of land, in Drew and Desha counties.
History
In July 1993 the Desha-Drew School District dissolved, with portions going ...
operates two public schools, including McGehee Elementary School (PK through grade 6) and
McGehee High School
McGehee High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. McGehee serves more than 500 students in grades 7 through 12. McGehee is one of two public high schools in Desha County and is the sol ...
(grades 7 through 12). The mascot and athletic emblem is the ''Owl'' with red and white serving as the school colors.
Notable people
*
Oliver Keith Baker, experimental particle physicist and astrophysicist, born in McGehee
*
Ben F. Gross, first African-American mayor of
Milpitas
Milpitas (Spanish for "little milpas") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in Silicon Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 80,273. The city's origins lie in Rancho Milpitas, granted to Californio ranchero José Marí ...
*
Caldwell Jones
Caldwell "Pops" Jones (August 4, 1950 – September 21, 2014) was an American professional basketball player.
Jones was drafted out of Albany State College by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA draft. He played three seaso ...
, professional basketball player, was native of McGehee
*
Seth J. McKee
Seth Jefferson McKee (November 6, 1916 – December 26, 2016) was a United States Air Force general who served as Commander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command/Commander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command from 1969 to 1973.
Early ...
, United States Air Force general, born in McGehee.
*
Charles Robert McPherson
Charles Robert McPherson (January 7, 1926 – September 22, 2020) was the senior pastor of the great Riverside Church in Denver.
Early life
Born in McGehee, Arkansas, McPherson is the oldest son of Dr. Charles Robert (George) McPherson and Al ...
, senior pastor of the great Riverside Baptist Church, born in McGehee in 1926.
*
Robert B. Stobaugh (1927–2017), chemical engineer and economist, was born and raised in McCehee.
References
External links
City of McGehee official website(from the
Institute of Southern Jewish Life
The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) is a non-profit Jewish organization serving a thirteen-state southern region. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, the ISJL provides programming throughout the South.
Overview
Mission: ...
)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcgehee, Arkansas
Cities in Desha County, Arkansas
Cities in Arkansas
Populated places established in 1878
1878 establishments in Arkansas