Editing Bonanza, Arkansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Bonanza, Arkansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = Sebastian County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bonanza Highlighted 0507540.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Bonanza in Sebastian County, Arkansas.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arkansas|County]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_name1        = [[Arkansas]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Sebastian County, Arkansas|Sebastian]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{Cite web |title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_05.txt |access-date=October 29, 2021 |website=Census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 7.27
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.80
|area_land_km2            = 7.22
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.79
|area_water_km2           = 0.05
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02
|elevation_ft             = 538
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 587
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 81.32
|population_density_sq_mi = 210.62
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|14|00|N|94|24|59|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 72916
|area_code                = [[Area code 479|479]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 05-07540
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2403891<ref name="gnis">{{GNIS|2403891}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = 
}}

'''Bonanza''' is a city<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bonanza |url=http://local.arkansas.gov/local.php?agency=Bonanza |access-date=September 3, 2012 |website=Local.Arkansas.gov}}</ref> in [[Sebastian County, Arkansas|Sebastian County]], [[Arkansas]], United States. It is part of the [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]]-[[Oklahoma]] [[Fort Smith metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. At the 2010 Census, the population of Bonanza was 575. According to the 2018 US Census Bureau estimates, the population of Bonanza was 564.<ref name="USCensusEst2018">{{Cite web |title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html |access-date=March 14, 2020 |website=Census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> Bonanza began as a coal mining town of the Central Coal and Coke Company.

==History== 
On October 10, 1851, [[Sebastian County, Arkansas|Sebastian County]] was created from parts of [[Arkansas]]' [[Crawford County, Arkansas|Crawford]], [[Polk County, Arkansas|Polk]], and [[Scott County, Arkansas|Scott]] counties, placing Bonanza within the boundaries. Coal was discovered near the Arkansas-Oklahoma line about 12 miles southeast of [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]]. In 1896, the Central Coal and Coke Company developed railroads in the area as part of the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]], structuring Bonanza into a [[company town]]. Mine No. 10 did not yield sufficient results, but Mine No. 12 soon had 144 workers. Mine No. 20 employed 185 workers, and Mine No. 26 employed 76 workers. When workers and their families reached a sizable number, C.C. Woodson filed a petition to incorporate, and on November 26, 1898, the town was chartered.

===Bonanza Race War===
[[File:War at Bonanza.jpg|thumb|May 2, 1904, newspaper article describing the conflict, taken from the ''Fort Smith Times''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 2, 1904 |title=War at Bonanza |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/media/bonanza-race-war-newspaper-article-8451/ |page=1 |newspaper=[[Fort Smith Times]] |via=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]}}</ref>]]
On April 27, 1904, around 200 residents congregated west of Bonanza to decide on and ultimately pass a resolution "demanding that about forty negroes employed by Central Coal and Coke Company leave town", which, if necessary, would be administered by force.<ref name="CALS">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Bonanza (Sebastian County) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/bonanza-sebastian-county-6085/ |access-date=January 16, 2015 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]] |publisher=[[Central Arkansas Library System]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 30, 1904 |title=Negroes Warned to Leave Town |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/media/bonanza-race-war-newspaper-article-8450/ |newspaper=[[Arkansas Gazette]] |via=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]}}</ref> The [[United Mine Workers of America]] responded to rumors alleging its involvement as "false and unfounded" while pledging to protect its Black workers.<ref name="CALS" />

On April 30, a gun battle between Black and white customers at a saloon escalated into a violent conflict consisting of armed white mobs directing gunfire into the homes of Black residents.<ref name="CALS" /> According to the ''[[Fort Smith Times]]'', "as many as 500 shots were fired during the night."<ref name="CALS" /> On May 7, the ''[[Arkansas Gazette]]'' reported, "No one wounded during the fusillade, but Negroes were terrorized and decided to leave", adding that "nearly all black residents had left the city" by that time.<ref name="CALS" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 7, 1904 |title=Negroes Leave Town of Bonanza |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/media/bonanza-race-war-newspaper-article-8444/ |newspaper=[[Arkansas Gazette]] |via=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]}}</ref> Bonanza residents' forceful expulsion of Black people through terror has led to the location being described as a [[sundown town]] by the [[Central Arkansas Library System]]'s ''[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]''.<ref name="CALS" />

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|3.2|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 906
|1910= 811
|1920= 516
|1930= 406
|1940= 486
|1950= 361
|1960= 247
|1970= 342
|1980= 553
|1990= 520
|2000= 514
|2010= 575
|2020= 587
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=June 4, 2015 |website=Census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 514 people, 199 households, and 151 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|161.3|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|abbr=on}}. There were 219 housing units at an average density of {{convert|68.7|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|abbr=on}}. The racial makeup of the town was 95.72% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 1.17% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.19% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.92% from two or more races. 1.95% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 199 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,809, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $30,368 versus $17,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,407. About 6.7% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Almost all of the town is in the [[Hackett Public Schools]]. A small piece of land is in the [[Greenwood School District (Arkansas)|Greenwood School District]].<ref name="CensusSchoolMap">{{Cite web |title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sebastian County, AR |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05131_sebastian/DC20SD_C05131.pdf |access-date=September 19, 2022 |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The sole comprehensive high school of the Hackett district is [[Hackett High School]].

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Arkansas}}}}
* [[List of cities in Arkansas]]
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Bonanza, Arkansas}}

{{Sebastian County, Arkansas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Sebastian County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Fort Smith metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Company towns in Arkansas]]
[[Category:African-American history of Arkansas]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence against African Americans in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in Arkansas]]
[[Category:1851 establishments in Arkansas]]