Editing Rockport, Arkansas

{{Use American English|date=October 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | name                     = Rockport, Arkansas
 | settlement_type          = [[City]]
 | official_name            = City of Rockport
 | image_map                = Hot Spring County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Rockport Highlighted 0560020.svg
 | mapsize                  = 250x200px
 | map_caption              = Location in [[Hot Spring County, Arkansas|Hot Spring County]] and [[Arkansas]]
 | pushpin_map              = United States
 | pushpin_relief           = yes
 | pushpin_label            = Rockport
 | pushpin_label_position   = left
 | pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
 | coordinates              = {{coord|34|24|25|N|92|48|28|W|region:US-AR_type:city|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Arkansas}}
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arkansas|County]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Hot Spring County, Arkansas|Hot Spring]]
 | subdivision_type3        = [[List of Arkansas townships|Townships]]
 | subdivision_name3        = Butterfield, Fenter
 | established_title        = Founded
 | established_date         = {{start date|1837|8|31}}<!-- Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28. Washington, D.C.: National Archives. -->
 | established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
 | established_date2        = {{start date|1851|1|2}}
 | government_footnotes     = <ref name="AML">{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2016 |title=Rockport |url=http://local.arkansas.gov/local.php?agency=Rockport |publisher=Arkansas Municipal League |access-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>
 | government_type          = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–Council]]
 | leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
 | leader_name              = Darrell Hughes
 | leader_party             = [[Independent (politician)|I]]
 | leader_title1            = [[City council|Council]]
 | leader_name1             = Rockport City Council
 | 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           = 8.17
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 3.15
 | area_land_km2            = 8.17
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 3.15
 | area_water_km2           = 0.00
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
 | elevation_ft             = 348
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
 | pop_est_as_of            = 
 | pop_est_footnotes        = 
 | population_est           = 
 | population_total         = 676
 | population_footnotes     = 
 | population_density_km2   = 82.73
 | population_density_sq_mi = 214.26
 | timezone                 = [[Central Standard Time|CST]]
 | utc_offset               = −06:00
 | timezone_DST             = [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]]
 | utc_offset_DST           = −05:00
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
 | postal_code              = 72104
 | area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
 | area_code                = [[Area code 501|501]]
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = {{FIPS|05|60020}}
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 | blank1_info              = 2404640<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404640}}</ref>
 | blank2_name              = [[List of highways in Arkansas|Highways]]
 | blank2_info              = {{Unbulleted list|[[Image:I-30 (AR).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 30 (Arkansas)|Interstate 30]]|[[Image:US 270.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 270]]|[[Image:Arkansas 51.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 51|Highway 51]]}}
 | blank3_name              = Major airport
 | blank3_info              = [[Clinton National Airport|LIT]]
 | website                  = {{Official URL}}

}}
'''Rockport''' is a city in [[Hot Spring County, Arkansas|Hot Spring County]] in the [[United States|U.S.]] state of [[Arkansas]]. As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population of Rockport was 755,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0560020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rockport city, Arkansas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| accessdate=April 20, 2017}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> down from 792 in 2000.<ref name="AML" />

== History ==
Rockport is one of the oldest named places in Arkansas.<ref>[https://arkansashistory.online] Steamboats Traveled the Ouachita | Arkansas History On Line</ref> Although the present city is overshadowed by [[Malvern, Arkansas|Malvern]], Rockport served as the [[county seat]] of Hot Spring County from 1846 to 1879 and was a landmark community of Arkansas for many years both before and after that time.<ref name="EoA">{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6171 |title=Rockport (Hot Spring County) |last=Teske |first=Steven |publisher=[[Central Arkansas Library System|Butler Center for Arkansas Studies]] |date=May 28, 2014 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture]] |access-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>

=== European exploration and settlement through early statehood ===
Large [[novaculite]] boulders in the bed of the Ouachita River made the location of Rockport ideal as both a river crossing and a resting place for weary river travelers. These boulders gave the community its name. A plaque in Rockport states that Spanish explorer [[Hernando de Soto]] visited the location in 1541, although current historians are less certain about the exact route that de Soto and his group traveled while west of the [[Mississippi River]]. French hunters and trappers definitely forded the river at this location. The Hunter-Dunbar Expedition struggled to navigate the rapids here on December 3, 1804, recording their experience in a travel diary. During the 1830s, the development of the Military Road (also called the [[Southwest Trail]]) used the boulders as a ford to cross the river. Around 1847, a bridge was completed across the Ouachita River at Rockport, which is said to be the first toll bridge built in Arkansas. Over the years, it repeatedly washed away and was rebuilt.<ref name="EoA"/>

By that time, the settlement was already populated. Its most famous citizen was politician Lorenzo Gibson, who built a house on a bluff overlooking the river and who became, in 1837, Rockport's first [[postmaster]]. Other early settlers were Colonel A. R. Givens, Henry Miller, and Samuel Emerson, who is credited with laying out the city and opening its first hotel. Three doctors and a lawyer also made their homes in Rockport while Arkansas was still a [[Arkansas Territory|territory]]. Hot Spring County was formed in 1829, with its county seat at Hot Springs (Garland County), but the seat of county government was moved to Rockport in 1846. At that time, the city already had a [[gristmill]], a shop where wagons were built, stores, and residences. A [[Methodism|Methodist]] church was meeting in a private home as early as 1815; its first building, a log structure, was erected in 1836. Rockport [[Baptists|Baptist]] Church began holding services in 1849 and also housed Rockport's first school. New Hope Baptist Church was established in 1859.<ref name="EoA"/>

=== American Civil War through the Gilded Age ===
A new county courthouse was dedicated in 1860, just a few months before the outbreak of the Civil War. The Hot Spring County Hornets were the first of several military units to form in Rockport. A skirmish was fought at Rockport on March 25, 1864. Federal forces under General [[Frederick Steele]] camped near the nearly abandoned city, building a [[pontoon bridge]] to cross the river on the following day.<ref name="EoA"/>

Following the war, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad offered to build tracks through the area with a depot in Rockport, but their offer was declined by city leaders. As a result, the tracks were located farther south, and the city of Malvern was established. That same year, 1873, a major fire devastated Rockport, destroying the county courthouse among other structures. Also that year, [[Garland County, Arkansas|Garland County]] was created, greatly reducing the size and population of Hot Spring County. As a result of all three events, county leaders decided to build a new courthouse in Malvern, and the county government was moved there in 1879. The population of Rockport began to decline. The Ouachita Falls Lumber Company was a major employer in Rockport at the time, but lumber companies and brick factories in Malvern increasingly drew jobs to the newer city.<ref name="EoA"/>

=== Early twentieth century through the modern era ===
After several false starts due to financial difficulties, developers managed to complete a plan to build an iron bridge across the Ouachita River to replace the older wooden bridge that had been washed away. The structure itself was begun on August 10, 1900, and completed on November 6 of the same year, with a dedication ceremony and community meal on November 8. The bridge was put on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1992, only to be removed after it was damaged by storms and flooding in 1987 and 1990. The last vestiges of the wreckage were salvaged from the Ouachita River in 2004.<ref name="EoA"/>

During the Arkansas Centennial Celebration in June 1936, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] visited the State of Arkansas. After morning events in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas|Hot Springs]] and lunch with businessman Harvey Couch, the president and his party attended a service at the Methodist church in Rockport, which was followed by a parade. After the parade, the group traveled to [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]] for additional festive observances.<ref name="EoA"/>

== Geography ==
Rockport is located in northeastern Hot Spring County and is bordered to the south by the city of [[Malvern, Arkansas|Malvern]], the [[county seat]]. [[Interstate 30]] passes through Rockport, with access from Exit 98 ([[U.S. Route 270]] east). According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Rockport has a total area of {{convert|8.8|sqkm|order=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
|1960= 162
|1970= 158
|1980= 231
|1990= 388
|2000= 792
|2010= 755
|2020= 676
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Rockport racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0560020&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)
| 580
| 85.8%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 25
| 3.7%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 2
| 0.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 2
| 0.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 61
| 9.02%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 6
| 0.89%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 676 people, 303 households, and 235 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]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 792 people, 324 households, and 238 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|97.4|/km2|/mi2|abbr=on}}. There were 348 housing units at an average density of {{convert|42.8|/km2|/mi2|abbr=on}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.44% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 2.40% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.26% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.63% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1.14% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] ethnicity of any race.

There were 324 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,250, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $21,146 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,299. About 2.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

== Education ==
Almost all of Rockport is served by the [[Malvern School District]], while a small portion is in the [[Magnet Cove School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05059_hot_spring/DC20SD_C05059.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hot Spring County, AR|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=September 17, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st05_ar/c05059_hot_spring/DC10SD_C05059_001.pdf 2010 map]</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Arkansas}}
* [[List of cities and towns in Arkansas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Hot Spring County, Arkansas]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas |url=https://archive.org/details/biographicalhistpjlf00good |location=Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis |publisher=[[Goodspeed Publishing|Goodspeed Publishing Co.]] |date=1889 |page=[https://archive.org/details/biographicalhistpjlf00good/page/323 323] |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
* {{cite book |last=Bolton |first=S. Charles |date=1998 |editor-last=West |editor-first=Elliott |editor-link=Elliott West |title=Arkansas, 1800-1860: Remote and Restless |series=Histories of Arkansas |location=Fayetteville |publisher=[[University of Arkansas Press]] |isbn=1-55728-518-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/arkansas1800186000bolt}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
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* {{official website}}
* {{osmrelation-inline}}
* {{Ballotpedia|Rockport,_Arkansas|Rockport, Arkansas}}
<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please follow the [[WP:EL]] guideline where possible and consider discussing on the talk page. Thank you. -->

{{Hot Spring County, Arkansas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockport, Arkansas}}
[[Category:1837 establishments in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Hot Spring County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Former county seats in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1837]]