Craighead County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Craighead County Courthouse, Jonesboro | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
 Arkansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°50′25″N90°42′27″W / 35.8403°N 90.7075°W /35.8403; -90.7075 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | February 19, 1859 |
| Named after | Thomas Craighead |
| Seat | Jonesboro (western district); Lake City (eastern district) |
| Largest city | Jonesboro |
| Area | |
• Total | 713 sq mi (1,850 km2) |
| • Land | 707 sq mi (1,830 km2) |
| • Water | 5.5 sq mi (14 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 111,231 |
• Estimate (2024) | 115,852 |
| • Density | 157/sq mi (60.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Craighead County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 111,231.[1] The county has twocounty seats —Jonesboro andLake City.[2] Craighead County is Arkansas's 58th county, formed on February 19, 1859, and named for state SenatorThomas Craighead. It is one of severaldry counties within the state of Arkansas, in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is largely prohibited.
Craighead County is included inJonesboro–Paragould Combined Statistical Area.
Craighead County was part of the territory claimed forFrance on April 9, 1682, byRené Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who laid claim to all of the land drained by theMississippi River and its tributaries. LaSalle's claim was namedLouisiana in honor ofLouis XIV, King ofFrance.
TheTreaty of Fontainebleau (1762) was signed between France andSpain and ownership of theLouisiana territory west of theMississippi River was transferred to the Spanish crown as a result of theSeven Years' War and Craighead County became a Spanish possession.
Spain controlled the territory encompassing the county until October 1, 1800, whenNapoleon Bonaparte forced Spain to return the lost territories to France under theThird Treaty of San Ildefonso. Napoleon maintained grandiose plans to establish a vast French Empire inLouisiana but theRoyal Navy prevented him from transferring troops or settlers to the acquired territories.
Fear was high in theUnited States that Napoleon would attempt to close theMississippi River toAmerican trade. PresidentThomas Jefferson inquired about purchasing an area near the mouth of the river to ensure that it would stay open to American goods.Napoleon, needing money, offered to sell theUnited States 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 theUnited States.
Craighead County remained in theLouisiana Territory until the State of Louisiana was admitted to the Union. At that time the territory that includes modern day Arkansas was attached to theMissouri Territory.
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 andLawrence 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 SenatorWilliam 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 fromGreene,Mississippi, and Poinsett counties, and it was to be named "Crowley County" in honor ofCrowley's Ridge which runs through the center of the county.
SenatorThomas 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,Greene, and Craighead counties hadsundown town policies forbidding African Americans from living in the area.[3]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 713 square miles (1,850 km2), of which 707 square miles (1,830 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (0.8%) is water.[4]Crowley's Ridge is the county's most prominent geological feature.
The region is served by theJonesboro Municipal Airport.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 3,066 | — | |
| 1870 | 4,577 | 49.3% | |
| 1880 | 7,037 | 53.7% | |
| 1890 | 12,025 | 70.9% | |
| 1900 | 19,505 | 62.2% | |
| 1910 | 27,627 | 41.6% | |
| 1920 | 37,541 | 35.9% | |
| 1930 | 44,740 | 19.2% | |
| 1940 | 47,200 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 50,613 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 47,303 | −6.5% | |
| 1970 | 52,068 | 10.1% | |
| 1980 | 63,239 | 21.5% | |
| 1990 | 68,956 | 9.0% | |
| 2000 | 82,148 | 19.1% | |
| 2010 | 96,443 | 17.4% | |
| 2020 | 111,231 | 15.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 115,852 | [5] | 4.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2016[10] 2020 census[11] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 79,137 | 71.15% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 18,331 | 16.48% |
| Native American | 270 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 1,684 | 1.51% |
| Pacific Islander | 54 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 5,028 | 4.52% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 6,727 | 6.05% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 111,231 people, 41,409 households, and 27,829 families residing in the county.
As of the2000 United States census,[14] there were 82,148 people, 32,301 households, and 22,093 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 inhabitants per square mile (45/km2). There were 35,133 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile (19/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.27%White, 7.78%Black orAfrican American, 0.33%Native American, 0.60%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.93% fromother races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 2.12% of the population wereHispanic orLatino 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% weremarried couples 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. Theper capita income for the county was $17,091. About 11.60% of families and 15.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.
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 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.[15][16]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Marvin Day | Republican |
| County Clerk | Mary Dawn Marshall | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | David Vaughn | Republican |
| Sheriff | Marty Boyd | Republican |
| Treasurer | Terry McNatt | Republican |
| Collector | Wes Eddington | Republican |
| Assessor | Hannah Towell | Republican |
| Coroner | Toby Emerson | Republican |
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:[19][20]
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:[19][20]
Additionally, the townships of Craighead 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.[21] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[19]
Craighead County has voted Republican in the majority of presidential elections since 1960; prior to that it was solidly Democratic.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 372 | 20.85% | 1,248 | 69.96% | 164 | 9.19% |
| 1896 | 329 | 14.79% | 1,890 | 84.98% | 5 | 0.22% |
| 1900 | 489 | 26.07% | 1,326 | 70.68% | 61 | 3.25% |
| 1904 | 559 | 32.48% | 1,051 | 61.07% | 111 | 6.45% |
| 1908 | 711 | 27.73% | 1,653 | 64.47% | 200 | 7.80% |
| 1912 | 269 | 13.10% | 1,259 | 61.30% | 526 | 25.61% |
| 1916 | 543 | 21.72% | 1,957 | 78.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 1,058 | 32.64% | 2,079 | 64.15% | 104 | 3.21% |
| 1924 | 812 | 29.06% | 1,711 | 61.24% | 271 | 9.70% |
| 1928 | 1,958 | 47.55% | 2,132 | 51.77% | 28 | 0.68% |
| 1932 | 606 | 11.96% | 4,412 | 87.09% | 48 | 0.95% |
| 1936 | 710 | 17.46% | 3,335 | 82.02% | 21 | 0.52% |
| 1940 | 935 | 21.94% | 3,300 | 77.43% | 27 | 0.63% |
| 1944 | 1,474 | 29.05% | 3,582 | 70.60% | 18 | 0.35% |
| 1948 | 759 | 14.85% | 3,238 | 63.37% | 1,113 | 21.78% |
| 1952 | 4,199 | 41.16% | 5,975 | 58.57% | 28 | 0.27% |
| 1956 | 4,035 | 40.11% | 5,876 | 58.41% | 149 | 1.48% |
| 1960 | 5,258 | 48.97% | 4,898 | 45.61% | 582 | 5.42% |
| 1964 | 5,163 | 38.13% | 8,334 | 61.55% | 44 | 0.32% |
| 1968 | 5,047 | 32.50% | 3,738 | 24.07% | 6,742 | 43.42% |
| 1972 | 11,312 | 65.94% | 5,843 | 34.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 6,213 | 30.98% | 13,840 | 69.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 11,010 | 51.31% | 9,231 | 43.02% | 1,215 | 5.66% |
| 1984 | 14,047 | 62.87% | 8,035 | 35.96% | 261 | 1.17% |
| 1988 | 11,887 | 54.99% | 9,083 | 42.02% | 645 | 2.98% |
| 1992 | 9,104 | 35.57% | 13,931 | 54.43% | 2,561 | 10.01% |
| 1996 | 9,210 | 37.47% | 13,284 | 54.04% | 2,088 | 8.49% |
| 2000 | 12,158 | 48.33% | 12,376 | 49.20% | 623 | 2.48% |
| 2004 | 15,818 | 53.08% | 13,665 | 45.85% | 318 | 1.07% |
| 2008 | 18,881 | 60.97% | 11,294 | 36.47% | 793 | 2.56% |
| 2012 | 20,350 | 64.20% | 10,527 | 33.21% | 823 | 2.60% |
| 2016 | 22,892 | 64.35% | 10,538 | 29.62% | 2,143 | 6.02% |
| 2020 | 25,558 | 66.37% | 11,921 | 30.95% | 1,032 | 2.68% |
| 2024 | 25,152 | 67.54% | 11,210 | 30.10% | 880 | 2.36% |
Craighead County consists of eight public school districts with numerous secondary and elementary schools including:[23]
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 Craighead County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[24][25]
On the survey fromBird's Point, Mo., toJonesboro, Ark., I had a Negro cook. As Negroes were not allowed to live in Clay, Greene and Craighead Counties, Ark., my cook was a curiosity to the children. The women used to bring the children to camp to see him.
Places adjacent to Craighead County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofCraighead County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
35°50′25″N90°42′27″W / 35.84028°N 90.70750°W /35.84028; -90.70750
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