Pleasant Plains is a town in 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 O ...

, United States. The population was 349 at the 2010 census, up from 267 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 S ...

History

The historic

Southwest Trail The Southwest Trail was a 19th-century pioneer route that was the primary passageway for American settlers bound for Texas. History The Southwest Trail, also known as the Old Military Road, replaced the older Natchitoches Trace, which ran from t ...

, a path used by most travelers entering Arkansas early in the 1800s, entered Pleasant Plains on today's U.S. Highway 167 from

Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...

. From Pleasant Plains the Southwest Trail headed to Sunnydale via Arkansas Highway 157, en route to Center Hill and Floyd. By the 1830s more than 80 percent of the Arkansas territory's population had entered through the Southwest Trail. The route, at the time the main route to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, is also known as the Old Military Road.

Geography

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 , 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 267 people, 106 households, and 78 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 121.3/km (314.5/mi²). There were 120 housing units at an average density of 54.5/km (141.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.76%

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 ...

, 1.50% Native American, 2.25% 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 1.50% from two or more races. 4.87% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 106 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,188, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $22,344 versus $17,250 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 $11,129. About 11.4% of families and 16.0% 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 13.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 30.4% of those 65 or over.

Education

Since the 1985–86 school year, public education for elementary and secondary students has been provided by the

Midland School District Midland School District is a public school district based in Independence County, Arkansas. The district and schools' mascot and athletic emblem is the Mustang horse. The Midland Mustangs junior varsity and varsity teams compete in the 2A Clas ...

, which includes Midland Elementary School and Midland High School, all based in this community. Midland formed as a result of consolidation of the former Pleasant Plains and Floral school districts. The consolidation of the Pleasant Plains School District and the Floral School District was effective on July 1, 1985.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 Osa ...

. Retrieved on October 13, 2017.

Transportation

;Highways * U.S. Highway 167 *

Arkansas Highway 87 Highway 87 (AR 87, Ark. 87, and Hwy. 87) is a designation for four north–south state highways in Arkansas. Created during the 1926 Arkansas state highway numbering, the original alignment remains between Bradford and Pleasant Plains, though it ...

Arkansas Highway 157

References

External links

Pleasant Plains entry in Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
{{authority control Towns in Independence County, Arkansas Towns in Arkansas