Prairie County | |
|---|---|
| County of Prairie | |
 Prairie County Courthouse in Des Arc | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
 Arkansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:34°49′41″N91°32′12″W / 34.82806°N 91.53667°W /34.82806; -91.53667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | November 25, 1846 |
| Named after | Grand Prairie |
| Seat | Des Arc,DeValls Bluff |
| Largest city | Des Arc |
| Area | |
• Total | 676 sq mi (1,750 km2) |
| • Land | 648 sq mi (1,680 km2) |
| • Water | 28 sq mi (73 km2) 4.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,282 |
• Estimate (2024) | 7,935 |
| • Density | 12.8/sq mi (4.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Prairie County, officially theCounty of Prairie, is in theCentral Arkansas region of theU.S. state ofArkansas. Thecounty is named for theGrand Prairie, a subregion of theArkansas Delta known forrice cultivation andaquaculture that runs through the county. Created as Arkansas's 54th county in 1846, Prairie County is home to four incorporatedtowns, includingDeValls Bluff, the southern districtcounty seat, and two incorporated cities, includingDes Arc, the northern district county seat. The county is also the site of numerousunincorporated communities andghost towns. Occupying 676 square miles (175,000 ha), Prairie County is the median-sized county in Arkansas. As of the2020 Census, the county's population was 8,282.[1] Based on population, the county is the ninth-smallest county of the 75 in Arkansas.[2]
The county is crossed byInterstate 40 (I-40), a major east–westInterstate highway running fromCalifornia toNorth Carolina, as well as fourUnited States highways (U.S. Route 63 [US 63],US 70,US 79, andUS 165). ElevenArkansas state highways run in the county.[3] Prairie County is served by two public owned/public usegeneral aviation airports and sixpotable water systems.
The county at first was land given toCherokeeIndians resettled fromTennessee and was the Western band of Cherokee reservation from 1812 to 1836. Even today, an estimated 2,000 residents have some American Indian ancestry.
The town ofFredonia (Biscoe) was named for the unsuccessful 1826 attempt of Arkansas Cherokee and to create theRepublic of Fredonia by Arkansas Cherokee andTexan settlers in thenMexican Texas. The town of DeValls Bluff was the Western Cherokee's seat, and is now one of Prairie County's seats.
Prairie County suffered greatly during theAmerican Civil War.Des Arc was partly destroyed, and a local historian estimated that not more than 15 horses were left in the county by the war's end. The rest had been taken by soldiers of one army or the other.[4]
On September 5, 1913, Lee Simms became the first person to beexecuted in Arkansas by theelectric chair. He was executed for the crime of violentrape.
Stern's Medlar, a previously unknown plant species, was discovered in Prairie County as recently as 1990. It is not known to grow anywhere else in the world. The plant is critically endangered, with only 25 known specimens, all growing within a single small wood, now protected as the Konecny Grove Natural Area.
The county is located between two primary geographic regions of Arkansas:Central Arkansas and theArkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta"). The Arkansas Delta is a subregion of theMississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from theMississippi River betweenLouisiana andIllinois. The county is often described as being within theGrand Prairie, a subdivision of the Arkansas Delta known today for rice farming and aquaculture, rather than Central Arkansas or the Delta. It is this geographic feature from which the county derives its name.[5] According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 676 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 648 square miles (1,680 km2) is land and 28 square miles (73 km2) (4.1%) is water.[6]
Prior to settlement, Prairie County was large, flat grassland distinct from the swamps and bayous in the nearby Delta. Althoughcotton and otherrow crops grew well in the Prairie's silty loam soil, rice production changed the cultivation patterns in the county at the turn of the nineteenth century.[5] Although some prairie andriparian areas has been preserved in conservation areas, a large portion (44 percent) of the county remains in cultivation.[Note 1] Another large land use in Prairie County is theCache River NWR andWattensaw Wildlife Management Area (WMA), owned by theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service andArkansas Game and Fish Commission, respectively.
The county is located approximately 53 miles (85 km) east ofLittle Rock and 90 miles (140 km) west ofMemphis,Tennessee.[Note 2] Prairie County is surrounded by five other counties:White County to the north,Woodruff County to the northeast,Monroe County to the east,Arkansas County to the south, andLonoke County to the west.
Prairie County has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa). Prairie County experiences all four seasons, although summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters are mild with little snow. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of 92 °F (33.3 °C) and an average low of 73 °F (22.8 °C). Temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are not uncommon. January is the coldest month with an average high of 48 °F (8.9 °C) and an average low of 31 °F (−0.6 °C). The highest temperature was 109 °F (42.8 °C), and the lowest temperature recorded was −5 °F (−21 °C). Record snowfall in Des Arc occurred January 7, 1912, with 18 inches (46 cm).[9]
| Climate data for Des Arc | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 82 (28) | 88 (31) | 93 (34) | 98 (37) | 105 (41) | 109 (43) | 109 (43) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 87 (31) | 79 (26) | 109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48 (9) | 53 (12) | 63 (17) | 72 (22) | 81 (27) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 91 (33) | 84 (29) | 74 (23) | 62 (17) | 51 (11) | 72 (22) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31 (−1) | 35 (2) | 43 (6) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) | 69 (21) | 73 (23) | 71 (22) | 63 (17) | 51 (11) | 43 (6) | 34 (1) | 52 (11) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5 (−21) | −4 (−20) | 15 (−9) | 28 (−2) | 37 (3) | — | 55 (13) | 48 (9) | 34 (1) | 23 (−5) | 13 (−11) | −2 (−19) | −5 (−21) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.5 (89) | 4.1 (100) | 4.8 (120) | 5.2 (130) | 5.1 (130) | 3.2 (81) | 3.1 (79) | 2.4 (61) | 3.9 (99) | 4.5 (110) | 5.0 (130) | 5.2 (130) | 50 (1,259) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.5) |
| Source 1: The Weather Channel[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Database[9] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,097 | — | |
| 1860 | 8,854 | 322.2% | |
| 1870 | 5,604 | −36.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,435 | 50.5% | |
| 1890 | 11,374 | 34.8% | |
| 1900 | 11,875 | 4.4% | |
| 1910 | 13,853 | 16.7% | |
| 1920 | 17,447 | 25.9% | |
| 1930 | 15,187 | −13.0% | |
| 1940 | 15,304 | 0.8% | |
| 1950 | 13,768 | −10.0% | |
| 1960 | 10,515 | −23.6% | |
| 1970 | 10,249 | −2.5% | |
| 1980 | 10,140 | −1.1% | |
| 1990 | 9,518 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 9,539 | 0.2% | |
| 2010 | 8,715 | −8.6% | |
| 2020 | 8,282 | −5.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 7,935 | [11] | −4.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,924 | 83.6% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 922 | 11.13% |
| Native American | 19 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 20 | 0.24% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 249 | 3.01% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 145 | 1.75% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 8,282 people, 3,776 households, and 2,495 families residing in the county.
As of the2000 United States census,[19] there were 9,539 people, 3,894 households, and 2,795 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 6/km2 (16/sq mi). There were 4,790 housing units at an average density of 3/km2 (7.8/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 84.83%White, 13.71%Black orAfrican American, 0.36%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 0.28% fromother races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 3,894 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% weremarried couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,990, and the median income for a family was $36,131. Males had a median income of $28,413 versus $18,808 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,907. About 12.20% of families and 15.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.
The economy of Prairie County is primarily agricultural (25.6%), followed by government employees (14.3%), andprofessional services (14.3%).[20]
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 Prairie County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county 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 | Lawrence Holloway | Republican |
| County Clerk/Circuit Clerk | Gaylon Hale | Republican |
| Sheriff | Rick Parson | (Unknown) |
| Treasurer | Tabitha Gates | (Unknown) |
| Collector | Troy Geisler | (Unknown) |
| Assessor | Karan Skarda | (Unknown) |
| Coroner | Byrum Kelly | Independent |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9Republicans.[26][27]
Incumbents are:
Additionally, the townships of Prairie 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.[28]
The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[29]
Since the late 20th century, the majority-white Prairie County has traditionally supportedRepublican Party presidential candidates, except when an alternative from anotherSouthern state has been present. The county supportedArkansas GovernorBill Clinton by a wide margin, as well asGeorgiaGovernorJimmy Carter,AlabamaGovernorGeorge Wallace (running as an independent), andTexas nativeLyndon Johnson. Following Clinton, the county has turned increasingly Republican, supportingDonald Trump 72.7% in 2016.[30]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 633 | 35.50% | 1,145 | 64.22% | 5 | 0.28% |
| 1900 | 496 | 36.44% | 856 | 62.89% | 9 | 0.66% |
| 1904 | 648 | 49.28% | 639 | 48.59% | 28 | 2.13% |
| 1908 | 812 | 41.13% | 1,103 | 55.88% | 59 | 2.99% |
| 1912 | 376 | 31.70% | 647 | 54.55% | 163 | 13.74% |
| 1916 | 655 | 38.17% | 1,061 | 61.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 842 | 45.64% | 962 | 52.14% | 41 | 2.22% |
| 1924 | 386 | 32.68% | 730 | 61.81% | 65 | 5.50% |
| 1928 | 613 | 37.82% | 1,000 | 61.69% | 8 | 0.49% |
| 1932 | 158 | 8.27% | 1,743 | 91.21% | 10 | 0.52% |
| 1936 | 282 | 17.56% | 1,321 | 82.25% | 3 | 0.19% |
| 1940 | 336 | 23.86% | 1,069 | 75.92% | 3 | 0.21% |
| 1944 | 465 | 29.34% | 1,117 | 70.47% | 3 | 0.19% |
| 1948 | 260 | 15.49% | 1,020 | 60.79% | 398 | 23.72% |
| 1952 | 871 | 34.28% | 1,664 | 65.49% | 6 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 917 | 37.58% | 1,504 | 61.64% | 19 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | 734 | 27.85% | 1,680 | 63.73% | 222 | 8.42% |
| 1964 | 1,476 | 44.59% | 1,812 | 54.74% | 22 | 0.66% |
| 1968 | 693 | 19.35% | 875 | 24.43% | 2,014 | 56.23% |
| 1972 | 2,186 | 71.46% | 873 | 28.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 813 | 22.28% | 2,836 | 77.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 1,855 | 47.63% | 1,928 | 49.50% | 112 | 2.88% |
| 1984 | 2,407 | 62.10% | 1,437 | 37.07% | 32 | 0.83% |
| 1988 | 1,947 | 53.25% | 1,688 | 46.17% | 21 | 0.57% |
| 1992 | 1,154 | 29.17% | 2,366 | 59.81% | 436 | 11.02% |
| 1996 | 1,025 | 28.67% | 2,211 | 61.85% | 339 | 9.48% |
| 2000 | 1,862 | 53.09% | 1,563 | 44.57% | 82 | 2.34% |
| 2004 | 2,030 | 56.02% | 1,562 | 43.10% | 32 | 0.88% |
| 2008 | 2,223 | 65.75% | 1,048 | 31.00% | 110 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2,153 | 68.55% | 880 | 28.02% | 108 | 3.44% |
| 2016 | 2,505 | 72.74% | 814 | 23.64% | 125 | 3.63% |
| 2020 | 2,786 | 79.71% | 654 | 18.71% | 55 | 1.57% |
| 2024 | 2,628 | 82.13% | 524 | 16.38% | 48 | 1.50% |
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, Prairie County is within theArkansas 1st district with many other agricultural Delta counties on the eastern side of the state. The Arkansas 1st has been represented byRick Crawford since2010.
In theArkansas Senate, Prairie County is within the 10th District, which also covers all of Cross, Jackson, Monroe, and Woodruff Counties and parts of Arkansas, Lee, Lonoke, Poinsett and St. Francis Counties. It is represented by RepublicanRonald Caldwell ofWynne.[31] It was previously in the 28th District, which covered portions of Arkansas, Lonoke, Monroe, White, and Woodruff counties. The district was represented byJonathan Dismang, aBeebe Republican, from January 2013 until redistricting in 2023. In theArkansas House of Representatives, Prairie County is split between the 60th and 61st districts. District 60, which covers western parts of Prairie County and also contains portions of Lonoke county, is represented by RepublicanRoger Lynch ofLonoke.[32] District 60, which covers eastern parts of Prairie County and also contains portions of Arkansas, Jackson, Monroe, and Woodruff counties, is represented by RepublicanJeremiah Moore ofClarendon.[33] Prairie County was previously in District 13, which was represented byDavid Hillman ofAlmyra from 2013 to 2023.[34] Hillman switched to the Republican Party shortly after winning reelection in November 2016.[35]
Public education in Prairie County is primarily provided by two districts:
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 Prairie County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[38][39]
Prairie County contains two public owned/public usegeneral aviation airports. Both were built duringWorld War II by theUnited States Army Air Forces, and turned over to local municipalities following the war. Both are predominantly used for agricultural (spraying) operations.
TheHazen Municipal Airport is located west of Hazen along US 70. For the twelve-month period ending April 30, 2014, the facility saw 32,000 general aviation operations.[40] TheStuttgart Municipal Airport is located in southern Prairie County near the Arkansas County line. For the twelve-month period ending July 31, 2014, the facility saw 35,000 general aviation operations, 3,000 military operations, and 2,500air taxi operations.[41]
TheArkansas Department of Health is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Prairie County contains six community water systems: Biscoe Waterworks, Des Arc Waterworks, DeValls Bluff Waterworks, East Prairie County Public Water Authority (PWA), Hazen Waterworks, Southeast [White County] PWA, and Ulm Waterworks. Des Arc Waterworks has the largest retail population (3,882), followed by Hazen (1,600), and East Prairie County PWA (699).[42] All community water systems in Prairie County use groundwater as their source of raw water, except Ulm, which purchases all water from Grand Prairie Regional Water[43] and the small portion served by Southeast White County PWA.[44]
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Geographic data related toPrairie County, Arkansas atOpenStreetMap 
Places adjacent to Prairie County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofPrairie County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county of counties | |
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