Craighead County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 111,231. The county has two

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

s — Jonesboro and Lake City. Craighead County is Arkansas's 58th county, formed on February 19, 1859, and named for state Senator Thomas Craighead. It is one of several

dry counties In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties no ...

within the state of Arkansas, in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is largely prohibited. Craighead County is included in Jonesboro–Paragould Combined Statistical Area.

History

Craighead County was part of the territory claimed for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

on April 9, 1682, by

René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name ( Renée being the feminin ...

, who laid claim to all of the land drained by the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

and its tributaries. LaSalle's claim was named

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

in honor of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

, King of

. The

Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762) The Treaty of Fontainebleau, signed on November 3, 1762, was a secret agreement of 1762 in which the Kingdom of France ceded Louisiana to Spain. The treaty followed the last battle in the French and Indian War in North America, the Battle of Signa ...

was signed between France and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and ownership of the

territory west of the

was transferred to the Spanish crown as a result of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

and Craighead County became a Spanish possession. Spain controlled the territory encompassing the county until October 1, 1800, when

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

forced Spain to return the lost territories to France under the

Third Treaty of San Ildefonso The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was a secret agreement signed on 1 October 1800 between Spain and the French Republic by which Spain agreed in principle to exchange its North American colony of Louisiana for territories in Tuscany. The terms we ...

. Napoleon maintained grandiose plans to establish a vast French Empire in

but the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

prevented him from transferring troops or settlers to the acquired territories. Fear was high in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

that Napoleon would attempt to close the

American trade The United States is among the top three global importers and exporters. The regulation of foreign trade is constitutionally vested in the United States Congress. After the Great Depression, the country emerged as among the most signific ...

. President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

inquired about purchasing an area near the mouth of the river to ensure that it would stay open to American goods.

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, needing money, offered to sell the

the entire territory of Louisiana for $23,213,568. The treaty was finalized in 1803 and the land that would become Craighead County became the possession of the

. Craighead County remained in the

Louisiana Territory The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. The territory was formed out of t ...

until the State of Louisiana was admitted to the Union. At that time the territory that includes modern day Arkansas was attached to the

Missouri Territory The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southe ...

. In 1813, the area was included in a new political subdivision known as Arkansas County which was a political subdivision of the Arkansas District of the Territory of Missouri. In 1815 the county was further subdivided and Lawrence County was formed with its seat at Davidsonville. This new county included most of what is now northern Arkansas. The modern Craighead county lay partially within Arkansas County and partially within Lawrence County. Residents of the Missouri Territory soon began petitioning Congress for admission to the Union. Their request did not include the District of Arkansas and Arkansas residents petitioned for separate territorial status for their district. In 1819 the Arkansas Territory was formed. In 1838, Poinsett County was formed and included most of present-day Craighead County. This situation persisted until 1850 when residents of the area complained about the distance to the Poinsett County seat. In 1858, State Senator William A. Jones campaign platform included a promise to seek the formation of a new county for the area. His election was successful and helped push legislation for the formation of the new county. The new county was to be formed from lands taken from Greene,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, and Poinsett counties, and it was to be named "Crowley County" in honor of

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 p ...

which runs through the center of the county. Senator Thomas Craighead represented Mississippi County, and opposed the bill because the farmland it took from Mississippi County (commonly known as the Buffalo Island area) was a major source of property taxes for the county. One day while Senator Craighead was away from the floor, Senator Jones amended the bill to change the county's name to "Craighead County". The Senate, thinking it was a compromise, approved the bill as amended; by the time Senator Craighead returned, the bill had already left the Senate, and he took no further action. Craighead County was officially formed February 19, 1859; in gratitude, the citizens then named the main county seat Jonesboro, for Senator Jones. (Some sources say the name was actually proposed by Senator Craighead in a resolution.) Lake City, just across the St. Francis River from the Buffalo Island area, was added as a second county seat in 1883. In the early 20th century,

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

, Greene, and Craighead counties had

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...

policies forbidding African Americans from living in the area.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water.

is the county's most prominent geological feature.

Major highways

* * * * * * * * Highway 1 * Highway 1 Business * Highway 18 * Highway 18 Spur * Highway 69 * Highway 91 * Highway 135 * Highway 139 * Highway 141 * Highway 148 * Highway 158 * Highway 226 * Highway 230 * Highway 349 * Highway 351 * Highway 463

Airport

The region is served by the Jonesboro Municipal Airport.

Adjacent counties

* Greene County (north) * Dunklin County,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

(northeast) * Mississippi County (east) * Poinsett County (south) * Jackson County (west) * Lawrence County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 111,231 people, 41,409 households, and 27,829 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 82,148 people, 32,301 households, and 22,093 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 35,133 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.27%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.78%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.33% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.93% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 2.12% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 32,301 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 14.00% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,425, and the median income for a family was $40,688. Males had a median income of $30,366 versus $21,109 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $17,091. About 11.60% of families and 15.40% 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 ...

, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the

Constitution of Arkansas The Constitution of Arkansas is the Constitution, primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Arkansas delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the Politics and government of Arkansas, state government. Arkansas' original ...

and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Craighead County Quorum Court has thirteen members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions. In addition to the countywide offices, the Eastern District of Craighead County elects a deputy clerk and deputy sheriff. The eastern district officials as of the 2024 elections are: * Deputy Clerk: Lesia Couch (R) * Deputy Sheriff: Chris Kelems (R) The composition of the Quorum Court after the 2024 elections is 12 Republicans and 1 Democrat. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Brad Noel (R) of Jonesboro * District 2: Garrett Barnes (D) of Jonesboro * District 3: Barry Forrest (R) of Jonesboro * District 4: Linda Allison (R) of Jonesboro * District 5: Rick Myers (R) of Jonesboro * District 6: Darrell Cook (R) of Jonesboro * District 7: Richard Rogers (R) of Jonesboro * District 8: David Tennison (R) of Jonesboro * District 9: Josh Longmire (R) of Jonesboro * District 10: Steve Cline (R) of Bono * District 11: Dan Pasmore (R) of Jonesboro * District 12: Terry Couch (R) of Caraway * District 13: Kevin D. Williams (R) of Jonesboro Additionally, the townships of Craighead County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the

. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: * District 2: Roger Watkins (R) * District 3: Michael Hames (Independent) * District 7: Danny Williford (R) * District 9: Scott A. Davis (R) * District 10: Jerry Allison (R) * District 11: Chris W. Ayers (R) * District 13: Dan Walker (R) Craighead County has voted Republican in the majority of presidential elections since 1960; prior to that it was solidly Democratic.

Education

Public schools

Craighead County consists of eight public school districts with numerous secondary and elementary schools including: * Bay School District, including Bay High School (Bay) * Brookland School District, including Brookland High School (Brookland) * Buffalo Island Central School District, including Buffalo Island Central High School (Monette) * Greene County Technical School District (its high school, Greene County Technical High School, is in another county) * Jonesboro School District, including Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro) * Nettleton School District, including Nettleton High School (Jonesboro) * Riverside School District, including Riverside High School (Lake City) * Valley View School District, including Valley View High School (Jonesboro) *

Westside Consolidated School District Westside Consolidated School District #5 is a public school district headquartered in unincorporated Craighead County, Arkansas, near Jonesboro.

, including Westside High School (near Jonesboro)

Private schools

* Ridgefield Christian School (Jonesboro) PK-12 * Blessed Sacrament School (Jonesboro) KG-6 * Concordia Christian Academy (Jonesboro) PK-6 * First Presbyterian Preschool & Kindergarten (Jonesboro) PK-KG * Montessori School of Jonesboro (Jonesboro) PK-KG

Postsecondary education

Arkansas State University Arkansas State University (A-State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System and the second-largest university in the st ...

* Arkansas State University Newport - Jonesboro Technical Campus

Communities

Cities

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...

* Brookland *

Caraway Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...

Cash In economics, cash is money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins. In book-keeping and financial accounting, cash is current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-i ...

* Jonesboro (county seat) * Lake City (county seat) * Monette

Towns

* Black Oak *

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Census-designated places

* Bowman

Other unincorporated communities

* Childress * Gibson * Goobertown * Herman *

Lester Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name. People Given name * Lester Bangs (1948–1982), American music critic * Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect * Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from ...

* Lunsford * Otwell

Townships

Craighead County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large

* Big Creek (

) * Black Oak ( Black Oak) (

) * Brookland ( Brookland) * Buffalo ( Monette) * Gilkerson (part of Jonesboro) * Greenfield (small part of Jonesboro) * Herndon * Jonesboro (largest portion of Jonesboro) * Lake City ( Lake City) * Lester * Little Texas (small part of

) * Maumelle (

, part of Jonesboro) * Nettleton (part of Jonesboro) * Powell * Prairie * Promised Land (

) * Taylor * Texas (majority of

)

References

{{authority control 1859 establishments in Arkansas Jonesboro metropolitan area Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area Populated places established in 1859 Sundown towns in Arkansas