Parkin is a city in Cross 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, along the St. Francis River. The population was 1,105 at the 2010 census, down from 1,602 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

. Due to the recent population loss, a large segment of the downtown area has many abandoned and boarded-up buildings. The town has recently become known as a

speed trap Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside 'speed camera' ...

Geography

Parkin is located in eastern Cross County at (35.265392, -90.554880), on the east bank of the St. Francis River just south of the mouth of the Tyronza River.

U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

passes through the community, leading east to Earle and west to

Wynne Wynne is a surname of Welsh origin. This is a list of notable people with the surname, sorted by profession: Art, literature, and music * Bill Wynne (1922–2021), American photographer and writer * David Wynne (composer) (1900–83), Wels ...

, the Cross County seat. 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.

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 794 people, 312 households, and 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 1,602 people, 603 households, and 404 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 657 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 10.40%

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 ...

, 88.54%

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 ...

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, 0.06%

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 ...

, 0.06%

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 ...

, 0.19% 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 0.31% from two or more races. 0.69% 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 ...

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 603 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% 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 33.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.30. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $18,669, and the median income for a family was $25,893. Males had a median income of $22,667 versus $16,413 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 $11,050. About 27.7% of families and 36.1% 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 48.7% of those under age 18 and 26.8% of those age 65 or over.

Parkin Archeological State Park

Parkin Archeological State Park Parkin Archeological State Park, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an archeological site and state park in Parkin, Cross County, Arkansas. Around 1350–1650 CE an aboriginal palisaded village existed at the site, at the confluence of ...

, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

site and state park in the north part of Parkin.

Churches

Churches in Parkin include: *First

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

- notable for the chimes that ring and play hymns throughout the day. *First

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

*Gladden Baptist Church

Speed Trap

Parkin has become known as a notorious speed trap for vehicles traveling along Route 64. This has been a problem for many years, with reports stemming back to 2007. A common practice for the police officer is to issue "Inattentive Driving Citations", breaking Parkin's City Ordinance 269. This results in a fine over $275 instead of a normal speeding ticket, and this money goes straight to the city, as they use the city ordinance. This results in over 30% of the city's income each year (handing out over 2500 Ordinance 269 violations).

Education

Parkin Municipal Complex in Parkin, Arkansas

The Wynne School District serves Parkin; it operates Wynne High School. The former Parkin School District merged into the Wynne district on September 7, 2005.ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls
"

Arkansas Department of Education 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 ...

. Retrieved on May 23, 2018.

Notable people

Dave Burnette David Lynn Burnette (born March 24, 1961) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Central Arkansas. Early years Burnette atten ...

, former NFL player * Harvey Locke Carey, lawyer and politician born in Parkin in 1915 *

Bette Greene Bette Jean Greene (née Evensky; June 28, 1934 – October 2, 2020) was the author of several books for children and young adults, including '' Summer of My German Soldier'', ''The Drowning of Stephan Jones'', and the Newbery Honor book '' Philip ...

, author *

Dave Hanner Dave "Hawg" Hanner, born Joel David Hanner, (May 20, 1930 – September 11, 2008) was an American football player, coach and scout who spent nearly all of his 42-year career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. Early years ...

, NFL defensive tackle and assistant coach *

Isaiah Harris Isaiah "Lefty" Harris (July 2, 1925 – September 18, 2001) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Negro league baseball who played for the Memphis Red Sox from 1949 to 1956. Early life and career Harris was born in Parkin, Arkansas a ...

, Negro league baseball pitcher * Little Mack Simmons, Blues Singer * Lee Shot Williams, Blues Singer * Harry Kelley, Major League Baseball player *

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...

singer, guitarist, and harmonica player who learned harmonica while living in Parkin. * Christopher Grace Founder, Inventor, Creator, CEO ShowKard.com MyCard, PhoneKard and ChrisKard. * OT Sykes, Black Dentist & Blues Singer aka The Singing Dentist.

References

External links

Parkin Archeological State Park

Gallery

File:Parkin AR 2012-03 022.jpg, Water plant File:Parkin AR 2012-03 019.jpg, Water tower File:Parkin AR 2012-03 015.jpg, Downtown File:Parkin AR 2012-03 013.jpg, Post office File:Parkin AR 2012-03 012.jpg, Former city hall File:Northern Ohio School in Parkin, Arkansas.jpg, Northern Ohio School {{authority control Cities in Cross County, Arkansas Cities in Arkansas