Poinsett County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
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 ...
. As of the
2010 census, the population was 24,583.
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 ...
is
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
.
Poinsett County is included in the
Jonesboro–Paragould Combined Statistical Area.
History
Poinsett County was formed on February 28, 1838, and named for
Joel Roberts Poinsett
Joel Roberts Poinsett (March 2, 1779December 12, 1851) was an American physician, diplomat and botanist. He was the first U.S. agent in South America, a member of the South Carolina legislature and the United States House of Representatives, the ...
,
U.S. Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
. County business was initially conducted in the county judge's home until first court was held in
Bolivar, upon completion of a courthouse in 1839. County government was moved in 1859 to
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
, a more central locale designated as the new county seat. Poinsett County acquired its current boundaries in the years following this change, as portions were assigned to newly organized counties.
The northern portion became
Craighead County, and the south portion became
Cross County. Sunken lands were added to eastern Poinsett County during this time, including
Lepanto and
Marked Tree.
The
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
devastated the county financially. It did not recover until the railroads were constructed into the area, giving farmers a new avenue to market their crops, and the timber industry developed. The
Texas and St. Louis Railway Company completed track through
Weiner
Weiner is a surname or, in fact, the spelling of two different surnames originating in German and the closely related Yiddish language. In German, the name is pronounced , of which the rare English pronunciation is a close approximation.http ...
and the
St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railway
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
ran through the center of the county in 1882. The
Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Gulf Railroad opened service in east Poinsett County the following year. Shipping timber had become feasible and was undertaken throughout northeast Arkansas following the completion of railroads. Farmers used the railroads to ship their cotton and farm animals to new markets. Many small railroad towns boomed during this period. Despite this uplift, the county's population mostly consisted of poor sharecroppers and tenant farmers, with an elite class of white landowners.
Poinsett County was the hardest hit county by the
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The uninflated cost of the damage has been estimat ...
, which flooded thousands of fields and destroyed homes countywide. The Southern Tenant Farmers Union was founded in 1935 in
Tyronza during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. The organization was an interracial union to improve the pay and working conditions of poor sharecroppers. It met violent resistance from white planters, with union leaders and members attacked and some killed throughout its areas of organizing in Arkansas and Mississippi. The Southern Tenant Farmers Union Museum in Tyronza is operated by
Arkansas State University
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 la ...
.
Geography
According to the
U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water.
Located in Arkansas's northeast corner, the county is bisected by
Crowley's Ridge
Crowley's Ridge (also Crowleys Ridge) is a geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most prom ...
and the
L'Anguille River
L'Anguille River (pronounced "lan-GWEEL" "LANG-gill" or locally as "LANE-GEE") is a tributary of the St. Francis River, approximately 110 mi (175 km) long, in northeastern Arkansas in the United States. Via the St. Francis River, it is ...
which both pass north–south through the county. The soils in the eastern part of the county have been deposited by 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 ...
and are mostly used for cotton farming. Western Poinsett County is generally dedicated to rice fields.
Lake Poinsett State Park
Lake Poinsett State Park is a List of Arkansas state parks, Arkansas state park on Crowley's Ridge in Poinsett County, Arkansas, Poinsett County, Arkansas in the United States. The park was formed after the damming of Distress Creek to create a ...
is centrally located within the county.
Major highways
*
Interstate 555
Interstate 555 (I-555) is an Interstate Highway that connects Turrell, Arkansas, at I-55 to Jonesboro at Highway 91 (AR 91). Formerly known as U.S. Highway 63 (US 63), the highway was upgraded in the early 21st centur ...
*
U.S. Highway 49
*
U.S. Highway 63
*
Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbered ...
*
Highway 14
*
Highway 18
*
Highway 69
*
Highway 75
*
Highway 118
*
Highway 135
*
Highway 136
*
Highway 140
*
Highway 149
*
Highway 158
*
Highway 163
*
Highway 198
*
Highway 214
*
Highway 308
*
Highway 322
*
Highway 373
*
Highway 463
Adjacent counties
*
Craighead County (north)
*
Mississippi County (east)
*
Crittenden County (southeast)
*
Cross County (south)
*
Jackson County (west)
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 22,965 people, 9,526 households, and 6,710 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census,
there were 25,614 people, 10,026 households, and 7,228 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 11,051 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.98%
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 ...
, 7.13%
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 ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 0.16%
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 ...
, 0.02%
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 ...
, 0.74% 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 0.75% from two or more races. 1.43% 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 10,026 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% 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, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% 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 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,558, and the median income for a family was $32,257. Males had a median income of $26,633 versus $19,199 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 county was $13,087. About 17.60% of families and 21.20% 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 28.60% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Poinsett County generally voted Democratic until, in 2008, it voted Republican for only the third time in the past century; in the four elections since then it has also gone Republican.
Education
Public education
Early childhood, elementary and secondary education is available from four school districts listed from largest to smallest based on student population:
*
Trumann School District based in Trumann with four facilities serving more than 1,600 students.
*
Harrisburg School District based in Harrisburg with five facilities and serving more than 1,300 students.
*
East Poinsett County School District
East Poinsett County School District (EPCSD) is a public school district based in Lepanto, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Poinsett County and Mississippi County.
Poinsett County incorp ...
based in Lepanto with three facilities serving more than 750 students.
*
Marked Tree School District based in Marked Tree with three facilities serving more than 650 students.
Libraries
Poinsett County is served with central and branch libraries from two library systems, the Crowley Ridge Regional Library System and Trumann Library System.
Communities
Cities
*
Fisher
Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral.
Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland
*Elect ...
*
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
(county seat)
*
Lepanto
*
Marked Tree
*
Trumann
*
Tyronza
*
Weiner
Weiner is a surname or, in fact, the spelling of two different surnames originating in German and the closely related Yiddish language. In German, the name is pronounced , of which the rare English pronunciation is a close approximation.http ...
Town
*
Waldenburg
Census-designated place
*
Payneway
*
Rivervale Rivervale may refer to:
In Australia
* Rivervale, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
In Singapore
* Rivervale, Singapore, a precinct of the district of Sengkang located in north-eastern Singapore
In the United States
* Rivervale, Arkansas, a s ...
Unincorporated communities
*
Greenfield
Townships
* Boliver (
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
)
* Dobson
* Greenfield
* Greenwood (
Lepanto)
* Little River (
Marked Tree)
* Lunsford
* Owen (
Fisher
Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral.
Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland
*Elect ...
,
Waldenburg)
* Scott
* Tyronza (
Tyronza)
* West Prairie (
Weiner
Weiner is a surname or, in fact, the spelling of two different surnames originating in German and the closely related Yiddish language. In German, the name is pronounced , of which the rare English pronunciation is a close approximation.http ...
)
* Willis (
Trumann)
See also
*
Arkansas Highway 308 (1973–1979), former
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
southwest of Marked Tree
*
List of lakes in Poinsett County, Arkansas
There are at least 20 named lakes and reservoirs in Poinsett County, Arkansas.
Lakes
*Dead Timber Lake, , el.
*Hood Lake (Arkansas), Hood Lake, , el.
*Lost Trap Lake, , el.
* Snake Slough, , el.
* Spear Lake, , el.
Reservoirs
*Chase R ...
*
References
External links
Poinsett County, Arkansasentry on the
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas'' is a World Wide Web, web-based encyclopedia of the U.S. state of Arkansas, described by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as "a free, authoritative source of ...
{{authority control
1838 establishments in Arkansas
Populated places established in 1838
Jonesboro metropolitan area
Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area