Arkansas City is a town in Desha 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. The population was 366 at the 2010 census. The town 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 ...

of Desha County. Arkansas City's historic Commercial District, located at Desoto Avenue and Sprague Street, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

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 the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. It sits entirely in the Delta Lowlands sub-region of 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 ...

. File:Desha County Arkansas Courthouse.jpg, Desha County Courthouse

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 376 people, 174 households, and 140 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 589 people, 231 households, and 161 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 279 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 55.01%

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 ...

, 43.80%

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, and 1.19% from two or more races. 3.23% 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 231 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% 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, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,014, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $17,188 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 $14,523. About 25.3% of families and 31.8% 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 41.6% of those under age 18 and 37.6% of those age 65 or over.

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 ...

serves Arkansas City. Previously the

Arkansas City School District The Arkansas City School District was a school district of Arkansas City, Arkansas. Its territory is now in the McGehee School District. The district had two schools, Arkansas City Elementary School and Arkansas City High School. The athletic ...

served Arkansas City. The district had two schools, Arkansas City Elementary School and Arkansas City High School. In 2004 the

Arkansas Legislature The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 10 ...

approved a law that forced school districts with fewer than 350 students apiece to consolidate with other districts.Dumas inherits Gould district’s deficit
."

Arkansas News Stephens Media LLC was a Las Vegas, Nevada, diversified media investment company. It owned stakes in the California Newspapers Partnership and the ''Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette''. The company had been expanding its interactive Internet ...

. May 11, 2005. Retrieved on March 7, 2011. On July 1, 2004, the Arkansas City district merged into the McGehee district.Consolidation/Annexations of LEA's (1983-2010)
."

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 March 6, 2011. After the acquisition, the McGehee district continued to operate the Arkansas City campus as a K-6 school. By October 2005 the district no longer operated the Arkansas City facility.

Notable person

* John H. Johnson, founder of an international media and cosmetics empire that includes ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...

'' and '' Jet''.

History, 1800s and 1900s

From 1879, Arkansas City grew into a thriving river city for the next forty years. It had a natural harbor for steamboats and two railways, as well as fourteen salons and three sawmills. An opera house was moved to Arkansas City in 1891. The building was also used as an unofficial "town hall"; at other times it became a ballroom, and citizens danced to music of groups from Memphis, Tennessee. The city then had several churches and two doctors. Until the flood of 1927, Arkansas City was an important commercial and cultural center and one of the most important ports on the Mississippi River. The flood of 1927 devastated the city. More than 2,000 people had to be rescued. The harbor closed and made the railroads unnecessary. The city never fully recovered from this tragedy.
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas , Arkansas City (Desha County)

References

External links

ArkansasCityUSA.com
{{authority control Towns in Arkansas Towns in Desha County, Arkansas County seats in Arkansas Buildings and structures in Desha County, Arkansas Arkansas populated places on the Mississippi River