Editing Marked Tree, Arkansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Marked Tree, Arkansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Marked Tree Commercial Historic District.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = mt flag.jpeg
|image_seal               = city_seal.jpeg
|image_map                = File:Poinsett County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Marked Tree Highlighted 0544210.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Marked Tree in Poinsett 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        = [[Poinsett County, Arkansas|Poinsett]]
|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           = 15.05
|area_total_sq_mi         = 5.81
|area_land_km2            = 14.95
|area_land_sq_mi          = 5.77
|area_water_km2           = 0.10
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.04
|elevation_ft             = 203
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 2286
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 152.92
|population_density_sq_mi = 396.05
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|31|30|N|90|25|31|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 72365
|area_code                = [[Area code 870|870]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 05-44210
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2405025<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405025}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = 	
}}
'''Marked Tree''' is a city in [[Poinsett County, Arkansas]], United States, along the [[St. Francis River]], at the mouth of the [[Little River (St. Francis River tributary)|Little River]]. The population was 2,286 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is included in the [[Jonesboro, Arkansas]], [[metropolitan statistical area]].

Geologically, the area marks the southern end of the [[New Madrid Fault]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==History==
The city got its name from a tree located on the bank of the St. Francis River until 1890 that had been [[Trail blazing|blazed]] to mark a section of the river where Native Americans could walk about {{convert|120|yd}} across land to reach the Little River and avoid paddling {{convert|12|mi|abbr=on}} upstream.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/colorful-names/ |title=Colorful Names |publisher=Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism |access-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124055328/http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/colorful-names/ |archive-date=November 24, 2013 }}</ref> Marked Tree has been noted on lists of [[Place names considered unusual|unusual place names]].<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>

In 1896, ''[[The Commercial Appeal]]'' reported that around eight years prior, the town had been a place where "[[sundown town|no negroes were allowed to live in Marked Tree]], and a delegation of citizens was organized to drive them out."<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 3, 1896 |title=Dan Cantrell Was Captured |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-dan-cantrell-was-c/158760250/ |access-date=2024-11-10 |page=5 |newspaper=[[The Commercial Appeal]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Geography==
Marked Tree is located on the St. Francis River at the intersection of [[US Route 63]] and Arkansas Highways [[Arkansas Highway 140|140]], [[Arkansas Highway 149|149]], and [[Arkansas Highway 308|308]]. The south end of the Marked Tree Floodway lies just west of the city.<ref>''Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, Second edition, 2004, p. 37 {{ISBN|0899333451}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (0.85%) is covered by water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 352
|1910= 2026
|1920= 1318
|1930= 2276
|1940= 2685
|1950= 2878
|1960= 3216
|1970= 3229
|1980= 3201
|1990= 3100
|2000= 2800
|2010= 2566
|2020= 2286
|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" style="text-align:right"
|+Marked Tree racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0544210&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 30, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,433
| 62.69%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 680
| 29.75%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 1
| 0.04%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 106
| 4.64%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 66
| 2.89%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,286 people, 922 households, and 585 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[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> of 2000,  2,800 people, 1,126 households, and 731 families were residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|1,208.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The 1,234 housing units averaged 532.7 per square mile (205.4/km<sup>2</sup>).  The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the city was 50.36% White, 47.07% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 1.25% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races.  About 2.07% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 1,126 households,  29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were not families. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was distributed as 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,591, and for a family was $30,197. Males had a median income of $26,305 versus $19,602 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,867.  About 25.6% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 47.4% of those under age 18 and 28.0% of those age 65 or over.

== Education ==
Public education for early childhood, elementary, and secondary-school students is provided by the [[Marked Tree School District]]. Until 1966, a dual system of education was provided with one set of schools for White children, and a different set for Blacks. The first school for Blacks was built in 1938, and was named [[George Washington Carver High School (Marked Tree, Arkansas)|George Washington Carver]] from 1952 until it was closed in 1966.<ref name="Lord Done" />

As of 2018, the Marked Tree School District consists of:
* Marked Tree Elementary School, serving prekindergarten through 6th grade
* [[Marked Tree High School]], serving grades 7 through 12

==Notable people==
*[[Fannie Lewis]], [[Cleveland, Ohio]]'s longest-serving councilwoman, was from Marked Tree.<ref name="Lord Done">{{cite news |last1=Schwarz |first1=Ted |title=I'll Get My Rest When the Lord Is Done With Me Here |url=https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/ill-get-my-rest-when-the-lord-is-done-with-me-here/Content?oid=1520629 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |date=August 13, 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Marked Tree, Arkansas}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070324210307/http://www.crittendencountyarkansas.org/ Crittenden County Open Portal Website]
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070114112944/http://www.markedtreearkansas.org/index.htm

{{Poinsett County, Arkansas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Poinsett County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Jonesboro metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in Arkansas]]