Clark County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
_001.jpg) Clark County Courthouse in Arkadelphia | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
| Coordinates:34°05′20″N93°09′50″W / 34.088888888889°N 93.163888888889°W /34.088888888889; -93.163888888889 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | December 15, 1818 |
| Named after | William Clark |
| Seat | Arkadelphia |
| Largest city | Arkadelphia |
| Area | |
• Total | 883 sq mi (2,290 km2) |
| • Land | 866 sq mi (2,240 km2) |
| • Water | 17 sq mi (44 km2) 1.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,446 |
• Estimate (2024) | 20,920 |
| • Density | 24.8/sq mi (9.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | clarkcountyar |
Clark County is acounty located in the south-central part of theU.S. state ofArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 21,446.[1] Thecounty seat isArkadelphia.[2] The Arkadelphia, ARMicropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.
AncientIndigenous peoples occupied areas along the waterways for thousands of years prior to European exploration. Among the various cultures was theCaddoan Mississippian culture, which developed by 1000 AD and occupied certain sites in Arkansas at different times. This was the westernmost expression of theMississippian culture, which developed a vast network and numerous centers of development throughout theMississippi Valley and its tributaries. The Caddoans constructed substantial earthwork mounds in the areas of Arkansas and Texas; the largest in Arkansas isBattle Mound Site, built from 1200 to 1400 AD in what is present-day Lafayette County. Archeological evidence has established there was unbroken continuity from the Caddoan Mississippian people to the historicCaddo people and related Caddo-language speakers who encountered the first Europeans. Their descendants formed the modernCaddo Nation of Oklahoma.[3]
Settlers in the 19th century found earthworkmounds, 10 to 15 feet in height, in areas around what developed asArkadelphia, Arkansas. Some were excavated for pottery and other grave goods.[4]
At the time of European-American settlement after the United States acquired this territory in theLouisiana Purchase of 1803, the pioneers encountered three major Native American tribes: theCaddo, who lived along the banks of theCaddo River; theQuapaw on theOuachita River, for several miles below what is now Arkadelphia; and theLenape (known then as Delaware, who were driven to this area by European pressure from the mid-Atlantic East Coast) along the lower Ouachita to below present-day Camden. (This site had been named asÉcore à Fabre, after a colonial French trader Fabre.)[4]
Clark County was the third county formed by Americans in Arkansas, on December 15, 1818, together withHempstead andPulaski counties. The county is named afterWilliam Clark, then Governor of theMissouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas. On November 1, 1833, theArkansas territorial legislature createdPike County from western Clark County and part of northernHempstead County. It was named after US explorerZebulon Pike.
Arkadelphia was designated as the county seat in 1842. It became increasingly important as a hub after railroads were constructed to here that connected with numerous markets. Timber harvesting became important by the end of the century. By 1890, forest products were ranked next to agriculture in economic importance. In the 20th century, continued modern technological developments established the industry's continued importance in the county's economy.
Three of the six lynchings recorded in Clark County from 1877 to 1950[5] took place in a mass event in late January 1879. An African-American man, Ben Daniels, and three of his four sons (ranging in age from 22 to 18) were arrested as suspects in an alleged robbery and assault of a white man and held in the county jail. Daniels and two of his sons were forcibly taken out of the jail by a white mob andlynched by hanging from trees in the courthouse square, without trial. One son, believed to be Charles Daniels (22), survived for trial. He was convicted and served in prison until about 1886 or 1887.[6]
From 1920 to 1960, the county population declined, as may be seen on the table below. The cotton culture had been affected by the invasion of theboll weevil, which attacked the plants; and mechanization of agriculture, reducing the need for workers. In this period, many African-American families, who still constituted most of the farm workers, also left Arkansas and other parts of the rural South to escapeJim Crow oppression and seek better employment in Northern and Midwestern cities in theGreat Migration. In the latter part of this period, some migrated to the West Coast, where the defense industry developed during and after World War II offered higher paying jobs.
At the same time, the lumber industry declined, also causing a loss of jobs. Several companies had operated sawmills and related businesses in Clark County in the early part of the century. The founders of the lumber townGraysonia, Arkansas moved toSpringfield, Oregon, renaming their company as Roseboro Lumber. While manufacturing industries had entered the county, several had a downturn in the 1980s.
In the 1970s, the DeGray Dam and Lake were completed along the Caddo River, providing new areas in the county for tourism and recreation, which have become major components of the economy.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 883 square miles (2,290 km2), of which 866 square miles (2,240 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.9%) is water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 1,369 | — | |
| 1840 | 2,309 | 68.7% | |
| 1850 | 4,070 | 76.3% | |
| 1860 | 9,735 | 139.2% | |
| 1870 | 11,953 | 22.8% | |
| 1880 | 15,771 | 31.9% | |
| 1890 | 20,997 | 33.1% | |
| 1900 | 21,289 | 1.4% | |
| 1910 | 23,686 | 11.3% | |
| 1920 | 25,632 | 8.2% | |
| 1930 | 24,932 | −2.7% | |
| 1940 | 24,402 | −2.1% | |
| 1950 | 22,998 | −5.8% | |
| 1960 | 20,950 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 21,537 | 2.8% | |
| 1980 | 23,326 | 8.3% | |
| 1990 | 21,437 | −8.1% | |
| 2000 | 23,546 | 9.8% | |
| 2010 | 22,995 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 21,446 | −6.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 20,920 | [8] | −2.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010[13] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 21,446. The median age was 35.4 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.9 males age 18 and over.[14][15]
The racial makeup of the county was 66.8%White, 23.9%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 5.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.1% of the population.[15]
47.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 53.0% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 8,170 households in the county, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.2% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 9,977 housing units, of which 18.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.5% were owner-occupied and 36.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 16.5%.[14]
As of the2000 census,[17] there were 23,546 people, 8,912 households, and 5,819 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 27 people per square mile (10 people/km2). There were 10,166 housing units at an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.28%White, 22.02%Black orAfrican American, 0.46%Native American, 0.62%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.37% fromother races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 8,912 households, out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% weremarried couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% 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 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 20.00% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,845, and the median income for a family was $37,092. Males had a median income of $28,692 versus $19,886 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,533. About 13.50% of families and 19.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.90% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over.
An alcohol prohibition (dry) county since 1943, Clark County voted in 2011 to make the county wet, allowing countywide retail alcohol sales.[18]
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 Clark County Quorum Court has eleven members. 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.[19][20]
Republicans hold every county-wide office except the Sheriff and Collector, and have a seven-to-four super-majority on the Quorum Court. Most positions regularly go unopposed with only one candidate making the general election ballot.[21][22][23] Democrats picked up one seat in 2022 by flipping District 2.[24]
| Office | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Troy Tucker | Republican |
| County Clerk | Tracey Pruitt | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Brian Daniel | Republican |
| Sheriff/Collector | Jason Watson | Democratic |
| Treasurer | Karen Arnold | Republican |
| Assessor | Mona Vance | Republican |
| Coroner | Tim Welch | Republican |
| Constable (Caddo Township) | George Hawthorn | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 7 Republicans and 4 Democrats. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
| District | Justice of the Peace | Party | District description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Bledsoe | Democratic | North-east Arkadelphia, includingOuachita Baptist University |
| 2 | Michael L. Ankton | Democratic | Most of southern Arkadelphia |
| 3 | Vanilla Nelson Hannah | Democratic | North-central Arkadelphia, includingHenderson State University |
| 4 | Llewellyn Terry Sr. | Democratic | Stretches from central Arkadelphia to south-east Arkadelphia |
| 5 | Jimmy King | Republican | North-west Arkadelphia |
| 6 | Stuart Thomas | Republican | North-central Clark County, including part of Hollywood, with an arm reaching north-west into parts of Alpine and Fendley |
| 7 | Jenna Scott | Republican | North-east Clark County, including Caddo Valley and Joan |
| 8 | Garry (B.J.) Johns | Republican | North-west Clark County, including Amity and parts of Alpine and Fendley |
| 9 | Andrea Angle | Republican | Starts just south of Okolona and stretches south-east, including Burtsell, most of Gurdon, and part of Beirne |
| 10 | Wayne Baumgardner | Republican | Stretches from central Clark County to its western border with Pike County, including Okolona, Boswell, and part of Hollywood |
| 11 | Tracy Ellis Drake | Republican | South-east Clark County, including Whelen Springs, Barringer, Kansas, Vaden, and part of Gurdon, with an arm reaching north to Curtis and Gum Springs |
John Kerry was the last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election, in2004.John McCain andMitt Romney defeatedBarack Obama by single-digit margins here, andDonald Trump beat former Arkansas First LadyHillary Clinton by a nine-point margin. Four years later, Trump defeatedJoe Biden by a margin of over 14 points, the largest margin for a Republican sinceRichard Nixon defeatedGeorge McGovern by over 20 points in 1972.Mike Ross was the last Democrat to win the county in a gubernatorial election, in2014.Conner Eldridge was the last Democrat to win the county in a US Senate election, in2016.
As of 2023, Clark County is split between districts 89 and 90 in theArkansas House of Representatives and fully contained within District 3 in theArkansas Senate.[27][28] All three seats are held by Republicans Justin Gonzales, Richard Womack, and Steve Crowell, respectively.[29][30]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 833 | 29.49% | 1,910 | 67.61% | 82 | 2.90% |
| 1900 | 753 | 35.54% | 1,232 | 58.14% | 134 | 6.32% |
| 1904 | 732 | 44.74% | 722 | 44.13% | 182 | 11.12% |
| 1908 | 1,007 | 43.48% | 1,206 | 52.07% | 103 | 4.45% |
| 1912 | 376 | 21.78% | 1,051 | 60.89% | 299 | 17.32% |
| 1916 | 678 | 25.56% | 1,975 | 74.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 1,020 | 40.06% | 1,507 | 59.19% | 19 | 0.75% |
| 1924 | 483 | 25.29% | 1,223 | 64.03% | 204 | 10.68% |
| 1928 | 913 | 33.37% | 1,817 | 66.41% | 6 | 0.22% |
| 1932 | 183 | 5.66% | 3,037 | 93.88% | 15 | 0.46% |
| 1936 | 193 | 8.92% | 1,962 | 90.71% | 8 | 0.37% |
| 1940 | 311 | 13.36% | 2,008 | 86.29% | 8 | 0.34% |
| 1944 | 637 | 24.30% | 1,981 | 75.58% | 3 | 0.11% |
| 1948 | 383 | 15.27% | 1,750 | 69.75% | 376 | 14.99% |
| 1952 | 1,679 | 36.13% | 2,963 | 63.76% | 5 | 0.11% |
| 1956 | 1,973 | 40.76% | 2,809 | 58.04% | 58 | 1.20% |
| 1960 | 1,357 | 26.70% | 3,295 | 64.82% | 431 | 8.48% |
| 1964 | 1,884 | 31.21% | 4,127 | 68.36% | 26 | 0.43% |
| 1968 | 1,642 | 22.96% | 2,733 | 38.22% | 2,776 | 38.82% |
| 1972 | 4,173 | 59.96% | 2,741 | 39.38% | 46 | 0.66% |
| 1976 | 1,816 | 21.42% | 6,641 | 78.32% | 22 | 0.26% |
| 1980 | 2,743 | 29.97% | 6,122 | 66.89% | 288 | 3.15% |
| 1984 | 4,185 | 47.27% | 4,638 | 52.39% | 30 | 0.34% |
| 1988 | 3,389 | 41.69% | 4,675 | 57.50% | 66 | 0.81% |
| 1992 | 2,403 | 26.93% | 5,767 | 64.64% | 752 | 8.43% |
| 1996 | 2,112 | 26.00% | 5,281 | 65.02% | 729 | 8.98% |
| 2000 | 3,776 | 43.77% | 4,661 | 54.03% | 189 | 2.19% |
| 2004 | 4,144 | 44.99% | 4,990 | 54.17% | 77 | 0.84% |
| 2008 | 4,608 | 50.67% | 4,267 | 46.92% | 219 | 2.41% |
| 2012 | 4,343 | 51.65% | 3,811 | 45.32% | 255 | 3.03% |
| 2016 | 4,404 | 51.65% | 3,620 | 42.46% | 502 | 5.89% |
| 2020 | 4,616 | 54.99% | 3,438 | 40.95% | 341 | 4.06% |
| 2024 | 4,526 | 59.11% | 2,959 | 38.64% | 172 | 2.25% |
Note: Unlike most Arkansas counties, Clark County has only one township. That township encompasses the entire county.
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 Clark County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[46][47]
Places adjacent to Clark County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofClark County, Arkansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
34°05′20″N93°09′50″W / 34.08889°N 93.16389°W /34.08889; -93.16389
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
.svg)
