Union County, Arkansas

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File:Confederate soldier monument, Union County, AR IMG 2583.JPG

Confederate monument at Union County Courthouse

Union County is a county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,054.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is El Dorado. The county was formed on November 2, 1829, and named in recognition of the citizens' petition for a new county, which said that they were petitioning "in the spirit of Union and Unity." The county is directly adjacent to the south to Union Parish in the state of Louisiana. The El Dorado, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Union County.

Called by boosters the "Queen City of South Arkansas", El Dorado was at the heart of the 1920s oil boom in South Arkansas. More recently, the city has been called "Arkansas's Original Boomtown," as it emphasizes its historic assets for heritage tourism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The chemical and timber industries became important during and after World War II, and still have a place in the economy.

History

Union County was formed on November 2, 1829, from portions of Clark and Hempstead counties. Areas along the waterways were originally developed for cotton plantations in the antebellum years, and planters depended on large groups of enslaved African-American workers to generate their profits.

On January 10, 1921, Dr. Samuel T. Busey hit oil with a well about a mile south of El Dorado, leading to an oil boom that attracted thousands of workers and speculators. His first well produced for fewer than two months, but by 1923, "El Dorado boasted fifty-nine oil contracting companies, thirteen oil distributors and refiners, and twenty-two oil production companies. The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them, leading to whole neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks to be erected throughout the city. The city's population reached a high of nearly 30,000 in 1925 during the boom before dropping to 16,241 by 1930 and rising to 25,000 by 1960."<ref>Kenneth Bridges, "El Dorado (Union County)", 2017, Encyclopedia of Arkansas Culture and History; accessed April 28, 2018</ref> Oil production fell markedly in the early 1930s, in part due to companies' financial difficulties during the Great Depression. It recovered later in the decade.

During World War II, chemical plants were established in the county, but their production declined after the war. Exploitation of Arkansas forests led to growth in the timber industry in the county. Oil, chemical and timber industries are still important to the economy, although in lesser proportion.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the largest county by area in Arkansas. Union County, along with Columbia County, has the largest bromine reserve in the United States. The lowest point in the state of Arkansas, also the lowest point in all landlocked U.S. states, is located on the Ouachita River in Union County and Ashley County, where it flows out of Arkansas and into Louisiana.

Adjacent counties

Ouachita County (northwest)
Calhoun County (north)
Bradley County (northeast)
Ashley County (east)
Morehouse Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
Union Parish, Louisiana (south)
Claiborne Parish, Louisiana (southwest)
Columbia County (west)

National protected area

Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

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File:USA Union County, Arkansas age pyramid.svg

Age pyramid Union County<ref>Based on 2000 census data</ref>

2020 census

Union County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	22,904	58.65%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	12,670	32.44%
Native American	108	0.28%
Asian	273	0.7%
Pacific Islander	16	0.04%
Other/Mixed	1,329	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,754	4.49%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,054 people, 15,726 households, and 10,562 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 45,629 people, 17,989 households, and 12,646 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 20,676 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 66.15% White, 31.97% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,989 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% were married couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,809, and the median income for a family was $36,805. Males had a median income of $31,868 versus $19,740 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,063. About 14.70% of families and 18.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices 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 Union County Quorum Court has eleven members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Union County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf</ref>
Position	Officeholder	Party
County Judge	Mike Loftin	Republican
County Clerk	Mandi Fudge	Republican
Circuit Clerk	Cheryl Cochran-Wilson	Democratic
Sheriff	Ricky Roberts	Republican
Treasurer	Jody Cunningham	Republican
Collector	Karen Scott	Republican
Assessor	Michelle Barksdale	(Unknown)
Coroner	Stormey Primm	Republican

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

District 1: Mike Dumas (D)
District 2: Greg Harrison (R)
District 3: David Taylor (R)
District 4: Steven Ward (R)
District 5: Carolyn Jones (D)
District 6: Thad Mason (I)
District 7: Casey Wooten (R)
District 8: Royce DeWayne Worth (R)
District 9: Benny Vestal (R)
District 10: Ross Burton (R)
District 11: Phillip Hamaker (R)

Additionally, the townships of Columbia County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:<ref name=":1" />

Garner: Jordan Neal Braswell (R)
Jackson: Robert H. Pepper (R)