Wynne is 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 ...
and largest city of
Cross County, Arkansas
Cross County is a rural Northeast Arkansas county in the Arkansas Delta. Created as Arkansas's 53rd county on November 15, 1862, Cross County contains four incorporated municipalities, including Wynne, the county seat and most populous city. It ...
, United States. The population was 8,367 at the
2010 Census.
Nestled between the
Arkansas Delta
The Arkansas Delta is one of the six natural regions of the state of Arkansas. Willard B. Gatewood Jr., author of ''The Arkansas Delta: Land of Paradox'', says that rich cotton lands of the Arkansas Delta make that area "The Deepest of the Deep ...
and
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 ...
, Wynne is the closest city to the second-largest state park in Arkansas,
Village Creek State Park.
Early history
![Wynne AR 2012-04-07 016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Wynne_AR_2012-04-07_016.jpg)
Wynne was named for Captain Jesse Watkins Wynne, a
Texan
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 bo ...
who achieved the rank of captain in 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 ...
at the age of just 21. He was famed for leading a group of his captors up to the
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
lines, where he then marched them to headquarters as his own prisoners.
In 1867, Captain Wynne moved to
St. Francis County, Arkansas, and joined the finance company of Dennis & Beck. At that time, the Dennis & Beck company held savings for other companies and for individuals, but eventually, it became the Bank of Eastern Arkansas, and Wynne became its first president.
From 1880 to 1885, as the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad was under construction, active steamboat riverports like
Wittsburg, at that time the county seat of Cross County, were deserted for the railroads.
The location of the settlement of Wynne was first chosen in 1882, when a train derailed, leaving one boxcar without wheels and off the tracks. That boxcar was then turned upright as a building, and as a compliment to Captain Wynne, it was designated the "Wynne Station". On September 27, 1882, the Wynne Station Post Office was opened.
When the east–west railroad line was completed, it crossed the north–south line near the boxcar, and the name "Wynne Junction" became well known in the area. On May 28, 1888, the "Junction" part of the name was dropped, and the town of Wynne was formed.
By the 1890s, the railroad traffic and the resulting activity in Wynne made it a more vibrant town than the town of
Vanndale, which had been the county seat since 1886. In 1903, the county seat of Cross County was moved to Wynne.
With the advent of the
U.S. Highway System
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
in the 1920s and 30s,
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 ...
was built west from
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, through Wynne, and to points west. Also, the north–south
Arkansas Highway 1
Highway 1 (AR 1, Ark. 1, and Hwy. 1) is a north–south state highway in east Arkansas. The route of runs from US Route 278 (US 278) in McGehee north to Supplemental Route BB at the Missouri state line. One of the origina ...
was built through Wynne, making it an important highway crossroads for several decades, in addition to being a railroad town. Since the advent of the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
,
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
has largely diverted long-distance travel away from Wynne.
Geography
Wynne lies in south-central Cross County at (35.227435, -90.789435),
the boundary between two distinct geographical areas of Arkansas: the fertile farmland of the Arkansas Delta (which is a part of the larger
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain is an alluvial plain created by the Mississippi River on which lie parts of seven U.S. states, from southern Louisiana to southern Illinois (Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Lou ...
), and Crowley's Ridge, a distinct rise marking the
New Madrid Fault Line.
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 northern side of the city, leading east to
Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mario ...
and west to
Searcy.
Arkansas Highway 1
Highway 1 (AR 1, Ark. 1, and Hwy. 1) is a north–south state highway in east Arkansas. The route of runs from US Route 278 (US 278) in McGehee north to Supplemental Route BB at the Missouri state line. One of the origina ...
leads north 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 ...
and south to
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
at
Forrest City
Forrest City is a city in St. Francis County, Arkansas, St. Francis County, Arkansas, United States, and the county seat. It was named for General Nathan Bedford Forrest, who used the location as a campsite for a construction crew completing a rail ...
.
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 ...
, Wynne has a total area of , of which , or 0.12%, is water.
The town of Wynne is considered "the city with a smile" and displays this title proudly on their single overpass which is also painted in the school colors of blue and gold. However, the city is still largely segregated and has several railroad tracks that divide its residents that many have believed is due to race. Because of the lack of city funding and planning much of the West part of town has had little to no upkeep by the city. Consisting hugely of African-American residents, the West side of Wynne was once considered a staple of black business from the post Civil Rights era to well into the mid 1990s. Community staples such as Bud Davis’ Bar & Grill, Miss Anna's, Hollywood Night-Club, Club D’Essence, Woodard Funeral Home, Johnson's Funeral Home, Waits BBQ, and Smith's Grocery were all beneficial in providing a steady cash flow as well as entertainment for the African-American residents of Wynne. Youth programs thrived such as Boyz II Men/Girls 2 Women and the various black churches like Union Valley Missionary Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, St. James Church and Jones Temple COGIC all provided various scholarships for its graduating members. Around the early to mid 2000s, Wynne saw many members of the African-American community die or move to more economically developed parts of Arkansas and/or the country. This led to a drastic decline in revenue for the African-American community of Wynne that has yet to recover from.
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 8,314 people, 3,104 households, and 2,052 families residing in the city.
2000 census
According to 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 8,615 people, 3,245 households, and 2,323 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,476 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.91%
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 ...
, 22.32%
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 ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.48%
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 ...
, 0.27% 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 0.88% from two or more races. 1.03% 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 3,245 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.
The age distribution of the population shows 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 woman age 18 and over, there were 80.4 men.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,125, and the median income for a family was $35,714. Males had a median income of $30,506 versus $20,567 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 $15,800. About 17.9% of families and 21.4% 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 30.7% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Wynne has a public school system that consists of four different schools. The first school is Wynne Primary School which is for children in grades Kindergarten through second grade. The second school is Wynne Intermediate School which is for children in grades 3–5. The third school is Wynne Junior High School which is for grades 6–8. The fourth school,
Wynne High School is for grades 9–12.
Wynne also has a branch of the
East Arkansas Community College
East Arkansas Community College (EACC) is a public community college in Forrest City, Arkansas. EACC provides higher education at its main campus in Forrest City as well as one satellite location in Wynne, Arkansas?Wynne.
EACC is accredited by t ...
located on Falls Boulevard.
The
New Hope School was one of the original buildings constructed to serve students of District 25. It was donated in 2007 to the Cross County Historical Society where it was restored to its original appearance. In 2008, it was added to the
U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Notable people
*
Cortney Lance Bledsoe
Cortney Lance Bledsoe (born May 14, 1976) is an American writer, poet, and book reviewer. He has published eight books and hundreds of short stories, poems, essays, short plays, and reviews in many literary journals and anthologies. Bledsoe ha ...
, poet, writer, and book reviewer, born in Wynne in 1976
*
Jessica Andrews
Jessica Danielle Andrews (born December 29, 1983) is an American country music singer. At age 15 in mid-1999, she made her debut on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts with the single "I Will Be There ...
, country music singer
*
Ronald R. Caldwell,
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 ...
Arkansas state senator from District 23; a Wynne real estate businessman
*
Clay Ford
Clarence V. Ford, known as Clay Ford (September 24, 1938 – March 18, 2013), was an attorney and Republican politician from Gulf Breeze in Santa Rosa County near Pensacola, Florida, who from 2007 until his death represented District 2 in th ...
(1938–2013), Republican former member of the
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
from 2007 until his death; 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 1975 to 1976; born in Wynne
*
Carlos Norman Hathcock II, (May 20, 1942 – February 22, 1999) a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills, and the real life basis for the 1993 Tom Berenger film, Sniper.
*
Rick Husky, television producer
*
James Luker, Arkansas state legislator and mayor of Wynne
*
James Levesque "Bex" Shaver, Sr., ninth
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of Arkansas.
*
William L. Spicer, chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party from 1962 to 1964, lived in Wynne during his early years
*
Hugh "Bones" Taylor, who played wide receiver with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
from 1947 to 1954, and was honored as one of th
70 Greatest Redskinsin 2002. Taylor was later the head coach of the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
in 1965, and was an assistant with the
New York Titans,
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, and the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
.
*
DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is a former American football running back and professional wrestler. He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He st ...
, a former Wynne Yellowjacket, is a retired running back who played in the NFL from 2006 to 2016.
Notable places
*Cross County Courthouse
*Cross County Library
*Cross County Museum
*Historic Downtown Wynne
*Jesse Wynne Park
*Village Creek State Park
Media
Newspapers
''The Wynne Progress'' is the main newspaper in the city of Wynne. The Wynne, Arkansas ''Progress'' is in the Memphis, Tennessee DMA. It serves both Wynne and Cross County. It has been in publication for over 100 years. ''The Wynne Progress'' is published weekly.
Radio stations
KWYN is the main broadcasting station in the city of Wynne. They operate
92.5 FM The following radio stations broadcast on FM frequency 92.5 MHz:
Argentina
* Boreal in Capilla del Señor, Buenos Aires
* LRM749 in Santa Fe, Santa Fe (is has 92.3 FM assigned)
* FM 92.5 in Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Santa Fe
* LRI757 FM92 ...
which is primarily country music and
1400 AM
The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 1400 kHz. 1400 kHz is defined as a Class C (local) frequency in the coterminous United States and such stations on this frequency are limited to 1,000 watts. U.S. stations outside t ...
which is primarily news and sports. These stations are part of the East Arkansas Broadcasters, Incorporated.
Gallery
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 012.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 026.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 019.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 027.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 025.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 018.jpg
File:Wynne AR helicopter display 002.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 031.jpg
File:Wynne AR 2012-04-07 020.jpg
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, Wynne 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.
References
External links
City of Wynne official website 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: ...
Cross County Historical Society"Wynne (Cross County)" ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture''
New Hope School Museum
{{authority control
Cities in Cross County, Arkansas
Cities in Arkansas
County seats in Arkansas