Stone County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Stone County Courthouse in Mountain View | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
| Coordinates:35°52′46″N92°08′50″W / 35.879444444444°N 92.147222222222°W /35.879444444444; -92.147222222222 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | April 21, 1873 |
| Named after | rock formations in the area[2] |
| Seat | Mountain View |
| Largest city | Mountain View |
| Area | |
• Total | 609.43 sq mi (1,578.4 km2) |
| • Land | 606.59 sq mi (1,571.1 km2) |
| • Water | 2.84 sq mi (7.4 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,359 |
• Estimate (2024) | 12,785 |
| • Density | 20.375/sq mi (7.8667/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Stone County is located in theOzark Mountains in theU.S. state ofArkansas. Thecounty is named for the rugged, rocky area terrain of the Ozarks. Created as Arkansas's 74th county on April 21, 1873, Stone County has two incorporatedcities:Mountain View, thecounty seat and most populous city, andFifty-Six. The county is also the site of numerousunincorporated communities andghost towns.
Most of the county is sparsely populated forested Ozark hills; including the northern fifth of the county managed by theUnited States Forest Service as theOzark National Forest. The remainder of the county is used forpoultry,ranching, andtimber production. TheWhite River runs along the eastern boundary of Stone County. The county contains six protected areas in addition to the Ozark National Forest:Blanchard Springs Caverns within the Ozark National Forest, two Natural Areas,two Wildlife Management Areas and theOzark Folk Center, which preserves and interprets Ozark cultural heritage, especially traditional mountain folk music and crafts. Other features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums, as well as annual cultural events, preserve the history and culture of Stone County.
Stone County occupies 609.43 square miles (1,578.4 km2) and contained a population of 12,359 as of the2020 Census.[3]
Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains, one of the sixecoregions of Arkansas. The Ozarks are a mountainous subdivision of theU.S. Interior Highlands, and Stone County contains theSpringfield Plateau,Salem Plateau, and the relatively steeperBoston Mountains subsets. The county is roughly split along an east–west line near Mountain View, the centrally located county seat,[4] with areas north within the Springfield Plateau, and areas south within the Boston Mountains. Areas along theWhite River, which forms the county's northeastern boundary, aredissected bluffs of the Salem Plateau rather thanriparianfloodplains.[5] According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 609.43 square miles (1,578.4 km2), of which 606.59 square miles (1,571.1 km2) is land and 2.84 square miles (7.4 km2) (0.5%) is water.[1]
The county is located approximately 105 miles (169 km) north ofLittle Rock, 151 miles (243 km) northwest ofMemphis, Tennessee, and 278 miles (447 km) southwest ofSt. Louis, Missouri.[Note 1] Stone County is surrounded by three Ozark counties,Searcy County to the west,Baxter County to the northwest,Izard County to the northeast, and three border counties with theArkansas River Valley,Van Buren County to the southwest,Cleburne County to the south, andIndependence County (which also contains a small piece of theArkansas Delta) to the east.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 5,089 | — | |
| 1890 | 7,043 | 38.4% | |
| 1900 | 8,100 | 15.0% | |
| 1910 | 8,946 | 10.4% | |
| 1920 | 8,779 | −1.9% | |
| 1930 | 7,993 | −9.0% | |
| 1940 | 8,603 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 7,662 | −10.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,294 | −17.9% | |
| 1970 | 6,838 | 8.6% | |
| 1980 | 9,022 | 31.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,775 | 8.3% | |
| 2000 | 11,499 | 17.6% | |
| 2010 | 12,394 | 7.8% | |
| 2020 | 12,359 | −0.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 12,785 | [7] | 3.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 12,359. The median age was 49.8 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.6 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.0%White, 0.2%Black or African American, 0.8%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 5.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.2% of the population.[14]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 5,333 households in the county, of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.6% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 6,784 housing units, of which 21.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.9% were owner-occupied and 24.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.9%.[13]
As of the2010 census,[16] there were 12,394 people, 5,325 households, and 3,590 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km2). There were 6,712 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.8%White, 0.1%Black orAfrican American, 0.7%Native American, 0.4%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 0.4% fromother races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 5,325 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% weremarried couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 36.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,380, and the median income for a family was $36,765.[17] Males had a median income of $28,258 versus $25,341 for females.[18] Theper capita income for the county was $16,090. About 16.6% of families and 23.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.[19]
As of the2000 census,[20] there were 11,499 people, 4,768 households, and 3,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km2). There were 5,715 housing units at an average density of 9 units per square mile (3.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,768 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,209, and the median income for a family was $28,009. Males had a median income of $20,904 versus $16,118 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,134. About 14.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.
The county newspaper is theStone County Leader, a weekly published in Mountain View since 1952. Former newspapers include theStone County Democrat andMountain View Herald (1932–1953). Mountain View has also produced several short-lived publications, including theMountain View News (1905–1906),The Mountain View (1973–1974), andThe Ozark Times (1906–1913).
The Stone County Historical Society has published theHeritage of Stone since 1972. Issued twice annually to members and available to the public for individual purchase, the publication covers topics relating to the history and culture of Stone County.
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution of Arkansas and theArkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are calledjustices 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 Stone County Quorum Court has nine members.[2] Presiding over quorum court meetings is thecounty judge, who serves as thechief operating 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.[21][22]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Stacey Avey | Independent |
| County/Circuit Clerk | Angie Hudspeth-Wade | Independent |
| Sheriff | Brandon Long | Republican |
| Treasurer | Kayla Meeker | Republican |
| Collector | Karen Hodges | Republican |
| Assessor | Heather Stevens | Democratic |
| Coroner | Joseph A. Blake | Republican |
| Surveyor | William "Randy" Berry | (Unknown) |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[26][27][28][29]
Additionally, the townships of Stone County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by theConstitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.[30] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[27][28]
Property tax is assessed by the Stone County Assessor annually based upon the fair market value of the property and determining which tax rate, commonly called amillage in Arkansas, will apply. The rate depends upon the property's location with respect to city limits, school district, and specialtax increment financing (TIF) districts. This tax is collected by the Stone County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15 without penalty. The Stone County Treasurer disburses tax revenues to various government agencies, such as cities, county road departments, fire departments, libraries, and police departments in accordance with the budget set by the quorum court.
Sales and use taxes in Arkansas are voter approved and collected by theArkansas Department of Finance and Administration.Arkansas's statewidesales anduse tax has been 6.5% since July 1, 2013.[31] Stone County has an additional sales and use tax of 1%, which has been in effect since May 1, 1987. Within Stone County, the City of Mountain View has had an additional 2% sales and use tax since September 1, 2005.[32] TheArkansas State Treasurer disburses state tax revenue to counties/cities in accordance with tax rules.
InCongress, Arkansas has been represented by two Republican senators (John Boozman andTom Cotton) since January 3, 2015, ending a long history of Democratic hegemony. In theHouse of Representatives, Stone County is within theArkansas 1st district, which contains the Arkansas Delta. The Arkansas 1st has been represented byRick Crawford since2010.
In theArkansas Senate, Stone County is within the 18th District, which also contains all ofCleburne andSearcy counties and parts of Faulkner,Fulton, Baxter,Marion, Van Buren, andWhite counties.[33] The 18th District has been represented byMissy Irvin (R) of Mountain View since 2011.
At the presidential level, Stone County was reliably Democratic, voting for the Democratic nominee in every election through 1948. In 1952, the county backed RepublicanDwight D. Eisenhower but then swung back to DemocratAdlai Stevenson II in 1956, opposite of national trends. The county continued to swing between parties through the rest of the 19th Century until the 2000 election. Over the past several election cycles, Stone county has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1996.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 172 | 18.96% | 728 | 80.26% | 7 | 0.77% |
| 1900 | 231 | 30.28% | 520 | 68.15% | 12 | 1.57% |
| 1904 | 233 | 43.15% | 277 | 51.30% | 30 | 5.56% |
| 1908 | 267 | 33.33% | 496 | 61.92% | 38 | 4.74% |
| 1912 | 113 | 18.46% | 337 | 55.07% | 162 | 26.47% |
| 1916 | 298 | 30.41% | 682 | 69.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 367 | 39.25% | 516 | 55.19% | 52 | 5.56% |
| 1924 | 210 | 32.31% | 386 | 59.38% | 54 | 8.31% |
| 1928 | 499 | 43.62% | 628 | 54.90% | 17 | 1.49% |
| 1932 | 261 | 18.78% | 1,100 | 79.14% | 29 | 2.09% |
| 1936 | 248 | 32.12% | 521 | 67.49% | 3 | 0.39% |
| 1940 | 406 | 38.41% | 644 | 60.93% | 7 | 0.66% |
| 1944 | 549 | 47.57% | 592 | 51.30% | 13 | 1.13% |
| 1948 | 644 | 33.56% | 1,186 | 61.80% | 89 | 4.64% |
| 1952 | 700 | 54.95% | 573 | 44.98% | 1 | 0.08% |
| 1956 | 651 | 46.14% | 756 | 53.58% | 4 | 0.28% |
| 1960 | 959 | 49.36% | 897 | 46.17% | 87 | 4.48% |
| 1964 | 942 | 40.26% | 1,374 | 58.72% | 24 | 1.03% |
| 1968 | 987 | 37.05% | 698 | 26.20% | 979 | 36.75% |
| 1972 | 1,989 | 67.38% | 958 | 32.45% | 5 | 0.17% |
| 1976 | 1,014 | 27.06% | 2,718 | 72.54% | 15 | 0.40% |
| 1980 | 1,793 | 45.11% | 1,968 | 49.51% | 214 | 5.38% |
| 1984 | 2,325 | 57.48% | 1,654 | 40.89% | 66 | 1.63% |
| 1988 | 2,186 | 55.17% | 1,728 | 43.61% | 48 | 1.21% |
| 1992 | 1,672 | 33.18% | 2,622 | 52.03% | 745 | 14.78% |
| 1996 | 1,526 | 34.36% | 2,227 | 50.15% | 688 | 15.49% |
| 2000 | 2,623 | 53.97% | 2,043 | 42.04% | 194 | 3.99% |
| 2004 | 3,188 | 57.45% | 2,255 | 40.64% | 106 | 1.91% |
| 2008 | 3,534 | 66.38% | 1,598 | 30.02% | 192 | 3.61% |
| 2012 | 3,776 | 70.53% | 1,356 | 25.33% | 222 | 4.15% |
| 2016 | 4,113 | 73.21% | 1,203 | 21.41% | 302 | 5.38% |
| 2020 | 4,616 | 77.74% | 1,180 | 19.87% | 142 | 2.39% |
| 2024 | 4,808 | 79.73% | 1,089 | 18.06% | 133 | 2.21% |
Two incorporated cities are located within the county. The largest city and county seat, Mountain View, is relatively centrally located in the oddly-shaped county. Mountain View's population in 2010 was 2,748, marking the first decennial decline since the 1960 Census. Fifty-Six has maintained a stable population under 200 since incorporation.[4]
Stone County has dozens of unincorporated communities and ghost towns within its borders. This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to settle in small clusters rather than incorporated towns. For example, communities likeNewnata had a post office and dozens of buildings at some point in their history. Other communities are simply a few dwellings at a crossroads that have adopted a common place name over time. Some are officially listed as populated places by theUnited States Geological Survey, and others are listed as historic settlements.
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, theUnited States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Stone County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[35][36]
Mountain View Airport is the only public owned/public use airport in Stone County. Also known as Harry E. Wilcox Memorial Field, the facility is a small, ruralgeneral aviation airport with 5,650 annual operations.[37] Stone County also contains one private airfield.[4] The nearest commercial service airport isClinton National Airport in Little Rock.
Stone County is not served by anyInterstate highways norUnited States highways; the nearest access to the Interstate system isInterstate 40 (I-40) inConway. Tenstate highways serve the traveling public in the county, varying from short connector routes to long highways traversing the entire county.Highway 5 andHighway 9 are major north–south highways across the Ozarks; each crosses through the county through Mountain View. The two routes briefly form aconcurrency, or overlap, between Mountain View and Allison.
Highway 14 is a major east–west highway across northern Arkansas, it crosses the county and connects Mountain View and Fifty-Six via an overlap with Highway 5 and Highway 9.Highway 87 connects the communities more directly along a winding alignment.Highway 66 has its eastern terminus in Mountain View, and runs west toLeslie inSearcy County, connecting Mountain View toUS Highway 65 (US 65).Highway 263 connects several unincorporated communities in southwestern Stone County.Highway 382 serves as an access for Ozark Folk Center State Park.Highway 58,Highway 74, andHighway 110 pass through the county for a few miles on their way to other destinations.
The county also contains theSylamore Scenic Byway, anArkansas Scenic Byway andNational Forest Scenic Byway.
Entergy Arkansas is the sole provider of electricity in almost all of Stone County, with exceptions in the northern tip (served byNorth Arkansas Electric Cooperative), south of Mountain View (First Electric Cooperative) and the southwest corner (Petit Jean Electric Cooperative).[38]
TheArkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Stone County contains six community water systems: the City of Fifty-Six Water Department, the City of Mountain View Water Department, Pleasant Grove Water Association, Richwoods Water Association, Sylamore Valley Water Association, and the West Stone County Water Association. Mountain View has the largest direct retail population served (7,295, all in Stone County), followed by West Stone County (4,634, including customers served in adjacent counties), Pleasant Grove Water Association (2,315), and Richwoods Water Association (1,436), with the remaining systems under 600 retail population served.[39] Of the water systems serving Stone County, only Fifty-Six uses groundwater, the Gunter Sandstone Aquifer, though also purchasing water fromBig Flat, which pumps from the same aquifer.[40] The City of Mountain View uses the White River,[41] and the remaining systems purchasing treated water from Mountain View.[42][43][44][Note 2]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material fromWoods, A.J., Foti, T.L., Chapman, S.S., Omernik, J.M.; et al.Ecoregions of Arkansas(PDF).United States Geological Survey.Archived(PDF) from the original on August 2, 2021.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs).{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)Places adjacent to Stone County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofStone County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
35°52′46″N92°08′50″W / 35.87944°N 92.14722°W /35.87944; -92.14722
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