Editing Gurdon, Arkansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Gurdon, Arkansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Gurdon depot.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Train depot in Gurdon, June 2008
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = File:Clark County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Gurdon Highlighted 0529200.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Gurdon in Clark 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        = [[Clark County, Arkansas|Clark]]
|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|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 6.46
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.49
|area_land_km2            = 6.28
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.42
|area_water_km2           = 0.18
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.07
|elevation_ft             = 203
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1840
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 292.93
|population_density_sq_mi = 758.76
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|55|0|N|93|9|2|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 71743
|area_code                = [[Area code 870|870]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 05-29200
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2403775<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403775}}</ref>
|website                  = 
}}

'''Gurdon''' is a city in [[Clark County, Arkansas|Clark County]], [[Arkansas]], United States. The population was 1,840 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=2020 Census |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Gurdon_city,_Arkansas?g=160XX00US0529200 |url-status=live |archive-url= |access-date= |website=US Census}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Gurdon hoohoo trainside plaque.jpg|thumb|left|Hoo Hoo Cats on a monument dedicated to the [[Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo]] in Gurdon; listed on [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Clark County, Arkansas|National Register of Historic Places]], April 2009]]

The town was founded in the late 19th century as a [[railroad town]] for the timber industry on the [[St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway]] (now the [[Union Pacific Railroad]]).  Originally settled in 1873, the city was incorporated in 1880.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cities and Towns, Gurdon|url=http://www.arkansas.com/places-to-go/cities-and-towns/city-detail.aspx?city=Gurdon|website=Arkansas.com|access-date=July 30, 2016}}</ref> The town's name derives from railroad executive [[Henry Gurdon Marquand]]'s middle name.

Gurdon is the birthplace of the [[Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo]], in 1892.

==Geography==
Gurdon is located in southern Clark County. [[U.S. Route 67]] passes through the city, leading northeast {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Arkadelphia, Arkansas|Arkadelphia]], the county seat, and southwest {{convert|16|mi}} to [[Prescott, Arkansas|Prescott]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|6.6|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|6.4|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.2|km2|disp=flip}}, or 2.88%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Gurdon city, Arkansas |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0529200 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212183337/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0529200 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2014 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1890= 802
|1900= 1045
|1910= 1284
|1920= 1469
|1930= 2172
|1940= 2045
|1950= 2390
|1960= 2166
|1970= 2075
|1980= 2707
|1990= 2199
|2000= 2276
|2010= 2212
|2020= 1840
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Gurdon racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0529200&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 10, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|763
|41.47%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|711
|38.64%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|8
|0.43%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|1
|0.05%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|77
|4.18%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|280
|15.22%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,840 people, 1,016 households, and 695 families residing in the city.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 2,212 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 50.1% White, 37.9% Black, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.4% from some other race and 1.4% from two or more races. 14.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

===2000 census===
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 2,276 people, 934 households and 625 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|908.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,077 housing units at an average density of {{convert|429.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 60.24% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 35.76% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.13% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.12% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.66% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 934 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01.

27.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The [[median household income]] was $26,446, and the median family income was $33,564. Males had a median income of $25,479 versus $18,158 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,043  About 14.1% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==

===Public education===
Elementary and secondary education is provided by the [[Gurdon School District]], which leads students to graduate from [[Gurdon High School]]. The school's mascot is the ''Go-Devil'' with purple and gold as the school colors.

===Public libraries===
Gurdon is supported by the Cabe Public Library, which is a branch library of the Clark County Library System.

==Gurdon Light==
The town is especially known for the "[[Gurdon Light]]", a series of unexplained phenomena which occur in a wooded area by railroad tracks. Viewers have reported a light or lights hovering in mid-air.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-13-vw-15646-story.html | title=Arkansas' Towns of Funny Names : There's Evening Shade, Greasy Corner, Stump City, Hope | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 13, 1985 | access-date=July 14, 2014 | author=Hillinger, Charles}}</ref> Local folk legend explains the light appearances as a deceased railwayman's lantern. Scientific work on the origin of the lights has proven inconclusive. The light has been featured on local media and on the TV show ''[[Unsolved Mysteries]]''.

[[File:Gurdon 5M8.jpg|thumb|Lowe Field, April 2011]]

==Notable people==
* [[Daniel Davis (actor)|Daniel Davis]], actor, grew up in Gurdon.
* [[Tav Falco]], a musical performer and actor was raised in Gurdon.
* [[Adrienne Nelson]], jurist, grew up in Gurdon.
* [[Sailor Art Thomas]], professional wrestler
* [[Jimmy Witherspoon]], a blues artist, was born in 1923 in Gurdon
* [[Harold L. Walters]], composer
* [[BuZ blurr|Russell Butler]], artist best known as buZ blurr, lived in Gurdon.

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

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Gurdon, Arkansas}}
* [http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=849 "Gurdon, Clark County"], ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090515104502/http://gurdonchamberofcommerce.com/  Gurdon Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.thegurdontimes.com ''The Gurdon Times''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529020211/http://www.thegurdontimes.com/ |date=May 29, 2014 }}

{{Clark County, Arkansas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Clark County, Arkansas]]