Prairie County, Arkansas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county Prairie County, officially the County of Prairie, is in the Central Arkansas region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for the Grand Prairie, a subregion of the Arkansas Delta known for rice cultivation and aquaculture that runs through the county. Created as Arkansas's 54th county in 1846, Prairie County is home to four incorporated towns, including DeValls Bluff, the southern district county seat, and two incorporated cities, including Des Arc, the northern district county seat. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns. Occupying Template:Convert, Prairie County is the median-sized county in Arkansas. As of the 2020 Census, the county's population was 8,282.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Based on population, the county is the ninth-smallest county of the 75 in Arkansas.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

The county is crossed by Interstate 40 (I-40), a major east–west Interstate highway running from California to North Carolina, as well as four United States highways (U.S. Route 63 [US 63], US 70, US 79, and US 165). Eleven Arkansas state highways run in the county.<ref name="pra">Template:Cite map</ref> Prairie County is served by two public owned/public use general aviation airports and six potable water systems.

History

The county at first was land given to Cherokee Indians resettled from Tennessee and was the Western band of Cherokee reservation from 1812 to 1836. Even today, an estimated 2,000 residents have some American Indian ancestry.

The town of Fredonia (Biscoe) was named for the unsuccessful 1826 attempt of Arkansas Cherokee and to create the Republic of Fredonia by Arkansas Cherokee and Texan settlers in then Mexican Texas. The town of DeValls Bluff was the Western Cherokee's seat, and is now one of Prairie County's seats.

Prairie County suffered greatly during the American Civil War. Des Arc was partly destroyed, and a local historian estimated that not more than 15 horses were left in the county by the war's end. The rest had been taken by soldiers of one army or the other.<ref>Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishers, 1890).</ref>

On September 5, 1913, Lee Simms became the first person to be executed in Arkansas by the electric chair. He was executed for the crime of violent rape.

Stern's Medlar, a previously unknown plant species, was discovered in Prairie County as recently as 1990. It is not known to grow anywhere else in the world. The plant is critically endangered, with only 25 known specimens, all growing within a single small wood, now protected as the Konecny Grove Natural Area.

Geography

Template:See also The county is located between two primary geographic regions of Arkansas: Central Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta"). The Arkansas Delta is a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from the Mississippi River between Louisiana and Illinois. The county is often described as being within the Grand Prairie, a subdivision of the Arkansas Delta known today for rice farming and aquaculture, rather than Central Arkansas or the Delta. It is this geographic feature from which the county derives its name.<ref name="eoc" >Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> 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 (4.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Bayou near Des Arc, AR.jpg

A minor bayou crosses Highway 33 and Highway 38 east of Des Arc

Prior to settlement, Prairie County was large, flat grassland distinct from the swamps and bayous in the nearby Delta. Although cotton and other row crops grew well in the Prairie's silty loam soil, rice production changed the cultivation patterns in the county at the turn of the nineteenth century.<ref name="eoc" /> Although some prairie and riparian areas has been preserved in conservation areas, a large portion (44 percent) of the county remains in cultivation.<ref group="Note">In 2015, 103.9 thousand acres of soybeans, 63.2 thousand acres of rice, 12.1 thousand acres of corn, and 3.3 thousand acres of wheat were planted in Prairie County.<ref name=AgStats>Template:Cite web</ref> Total acreage for those crops is 182,600. Prairie County has 648 square miles of land area, which is 414,720 acres based on 640 acres per square mile. Acreage for the total crops (182,600) divided by acreage for the county (414,720) is 44.0 percent.</ref> Another large land use in Prairie County is the Cache River NWR and Wattensaw Wildlife Management Area (WMA), owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, respectively.

The county is located approximately Template:Convert east of Little Rock and Template:Convert west of Memphis, Tennessee.<ref group="Note">Mileages from Prairie County to Little Rock and Memphis are based on highway miles using county seat DeValls Bluff for Prairie County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> </ref> Prairie County is surrounded by five other counties: White County to the north, Woodruff County to the northeast, Monroe County to the east, Arkansas County to the south, and Lonoke County to the west.

Climate

Prairie County has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Prairie County experiences all four seasons, although summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters are mild with little snow. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of Template:Convert and an average low of Template:Convert. Temperatures above Template:Convert are not uncommon. January is the coldest month with an average high of Template:Convert and an average low of Template:Convert. The highest temperature was Template:Convert, and the lowest temperature recorded was Template:Convert. Record snowfall in Des Arc occurred January 7, 1912, with Template:Convert.<ref name="snow" />

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Demographics

Template:US Census population

File:USA Prairie County, Arkansas age pyramid.svg

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

2020 census

Prairie County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	6,924	83.6%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	922	11.13%
Native American	19	0.23%
Asian	20	0.24%
Pacific Islander	3	0.04%
Other/Mixed	249	3.01%
Hispanic or Latino	145	1.75%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,282 people, 3,776 households, and 2,495 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census,<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 9,539 people, 3,894 households, and 2,795 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,790 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 84.83% White, 13.71% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,894 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,990, and the median income for a family was $36,131. Males had a median income of $28,413 versus $18,808 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,907. About 12.20% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over. Template:Clear

Economy

The economy of Prairie County is primarily agricultural (25.6%), followed by government employees (14.3%), and professional services (14.3%).<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>

Government and Politics

File:Prairie County Courthouse, De Valls Bluff, AR 001.jpg

The Prairie County Courthouse in DeValls Bluff is the seat of county government in the southern district of the county

Template:See also 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 Prairie County Quorum Court has nine 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 encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Prairie County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf</ref>
Position	Officeholder	Party
County Judge	Lawrence Holloway	Republican
County Clerk/Circuit Clerk	Gaylon Hale	Republican
Sheriff	Rick Parson	(Unknown)
Treasurer	Tabitha Gates	(Unknown)
Collector	Troy Geisler	(Unknown)
Assessor	Karan Skarda	(Unknown)
Coroner	Byrum Kelly	Independent

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Incumbents are:

District 1: Bill Calhoun (R)
District 2: Zach Payne (R)
District 3: Ronald Eans (R)
District 4: Jordan Smith (R)
District 5: Gary King (R)
District 6: Rick Stallings (R)
District 7: Levi Childress (R)
District 8: Bobby Willeford (R)
District 9: Paul Hooks (R)

Additionally, the townships of Prairie 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>Template:Cite web</ref>

Belcher-Tyler: Jeffrey Uhiren (R)
Calhoun: Gary Carter (R)
Center: Joe Ryan Mills (R)
Des Arc: Michael McIntosh (R)
Hazen: Mike Corley (R)

Politics

Since the late 20th century, the majority-white Prairie County has traditionally supported Republican Party presidential candidates, except when an alternative from another Southern state has been present. The county supported Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton by a wide margin, as well as Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, Alabama Governor George Wallace (running as an independent), and Texas native Lyndon Johnson. Following Clinton, the county has turned increasingly Republican, supporting Donald Trump 72.7% in 2016.<ref name="pol" />

In Congress, Arkansas has been represented by two Republican senators (John Boozman and Tom Cotton) since January 3, 2015, ending a long history of Democratic hegemony. In the House of Representatives, Prairie County is within the Arkansas 1st district with many other agricultural Delta counties on the eastern side of the state. The Arkansas 1st has been represented by Rick Crawford since 2010.

In the Arkansas Senate, Prairie County is within the 10th District, which also covers all of Cross, Jackson, Monroe, and Woodruff Counties and parts of Arkansas, Lee, Lonoke, Poinsett and St. Francis Counties. It is represented by Republican Ronald Caldwell of Wynne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was previously in the 28th District, which covered portions of Arkansas, Lonoke, Monroe, White, and Woodruff counties. The district was represented by Jonathan Dismang, a Beebe Republican, from January 2013 until redistricting in 2023. In the Arkansas House of Representatives, Prairie County is split between the 60th and 61st districts. District 60, which covers western parts of Prairie County and also contains portions of Lonoke county, is represented by Republican Roger Lynch of Lonoke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> District 60, which covers eastern parts of Prairie County and also contains portions of Arkansas, Jackson, Monroe, and Woodruff counties, is represented by Republican Jeremiah Moore of Clarendon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prairie County was previously in District 13, which was represented by David Hillman of Almyra from 2013 to 2023.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref> Hillman switched to the Republican Party shortly after winning reelection in November 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Clear

Education

Public education in Prairie County is primarily provided by two districts:

Des Arc School District, with three schools serving more than 600 students PreK-12 in northern Prairie County; includes Des Arc High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hazen School District, with two schools serving more than 500 students in southern Prairie County; includes Hazen High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, the DeValls Bluff School District was consolidated into the Hazen district.

Communities

Cities

Des Arc (County seat)

DeValls Bluff (County seat)

Belcher
Bullard
Calhoun
Center
Des Arc
Hazen (Hazen)
Hickory Plain
Lower Surrounded Hill (Fredonia (Biscoe))
Roc Roe (Ulm)
Tyler
Union
Upper Surrounded Hill
Wattensaw (DeValls Bluff)
White River (Des Arc)

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Infrastructure

Aviation

Prairie County contains two public owned/public use general aviation airports. Both were built during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces, and turned over to local municipalities following the war. Both are predominantly used for agricultural (spraying) operations.

The Hazen Municipal Airport is located west of Hazen along US 70. For the twelve-month period ending April 30, 2014, the facility saw 32,000 general aviation operations.<ref>Template:FAA-airport. Federal Aviation Administration. Accessed December 18, 2016.</ref> The Stuttgart Municipal Airport is located in southern Prairie County near the Arkansas County line. For the twelve-month period ending July 31, 2014, the facility saw 35,000 general aviation operations, 3,000 military operations, and 2,500 air taxi operations.<ref>Template:FAA-airport. Federal Aviation Administration. Accessed December 18, 2016.</ref>

Major highways

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Utilities

Template:See also The Arkansas Department of Health is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Prairie County contains six community water systems: Biscoe Waterworks, Des Arc Waterworks, DeValls Bluff Waterworks, East Prairie County Public Water Authority (PWA), Hazen Waterworks, Southeast [White County] PWA, and Ulm Waterworks. Des Arc Waterworks has the largest retail population (3,882), followed by Hazen (1,600), and East Prairie County PWA (699).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All community water systems in Prairie County use groundwater as their source of raw water, except Ulm, which purchases all water from Grand Prairie Regional Water<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the small portion served by Southeast White County PWA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>