Sulphur Springs, also known as White Sulphur Springs, is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Spring

Township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

, Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,032.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 66 people living in the CDP. The racial makeup of the CDP was 48.5% White, 42.4% Black, 7.6% Asian and 1.5% from two or more races. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 82 people, 28 households, and 19 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 35.0/mi² (13.5/km). There were 43 housing units at an average density of 18.4/mi² (7.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 50.0%

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 ...

and 50.0%

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 ...

. There were 28 households, out of which 57.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% 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, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.53. In the town the population was spread out, with 42.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 6.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 127.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $14,375, and the median income for a family was $14,583. Males had a median income of $25,938 versus $13,750 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 town was $9,037. There were 39.1% of families and 38.4% of the population living 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 42.9% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

History

Until 1819, the area west of Pine Bluff in what is now Jefferson and Grant counties was a mostly unpopulated wilderness. In that year, the

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

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 ...

rivers flooded the Delta area east of Pine Bluff, covering all of southeast Arkansas except for some of the absolute high points. This western area was very hilly, and had mostly small streams which did not flood. Shortly after the flood, the George Brummitt family moved from Desha County to what became White Sulphur Springs. He bought 40 acres on what is now the site of White Sulphur Springs Camp from the

Federal Government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

with a

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

land bounty and patented an additional 360 acres around the circumference of the spring property. Many others saw the wisdom of settling on higher ground, including Brushrod Lee, who settled about a mile west near several springs and built a

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

known as Lee Springs. Lee was a doctor and with the establishment of his large house and medical practice, the community became a destination for folks from all over the state to come and drink and bathe in the waters from the two sets of springs. Pine Bluff residents and others made summer homes in the area. In 1855 the burgeoning community applied for a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

for the town under the name of Sulphur Springs, but since there already was a town by that name in the northwestern part of the state, they chose the name White Sulphur Springs instead. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, White Sulphur Springs became a mobilization point for troops in the region. The Confederate hospital was moved to White Sulphur Springs from Pine Bluff in 1862, and many died and were buried at Camp White Sulphur Springs Confederate Cemetery. In September 1863 the U.S. Army burned the town, leaving nothing. Most residents abandoned or sold their land and left the area. According to

records, almost none of those who lived at the springs in 1860 were there in 1870 when a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

minister named Benjamin Watson moved to the area, became a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, and founded a church and school which was later known as Watson Chapel. It was 25 years after the American Civil War before the springs became the site of a real town again with the building of a hotel by two men, one black and one white. Unfortunately they were burned out twice, possibly by prohibitionists or racists. The two eventually rebuilt the town but it never recovered its former glory. After the war, residents continued to bury their dead in the Camp White Sulphur Springs Confederate Cemetery, with only a few of the grave sites being marked.

Education

Sulphur Springs is served by the Watson Chapel School District.SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Jefferson County, AR
" U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 31, 2017. Watson Chapel High School is the zoned high school. Previously it had its own elementary school, Sulphur Springs Elementary School. In the 1969-1970 school year it had 75 students, all white. At the time African-American students were not permitted to attend, and had to go to Coleman Elementary School, with older students going to Coleman High School.

References

External links

Sulphur Springs, Jefferson County, Arkansas
at '' Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture''
Watson Chapel Public Library
at Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System (pineblufflibrary.org) {{Authority control Census-designated places in Arkansas Census-designated places in Jefferson County, Arkansas Census-designated places in Pine Bluff metropolitan area