White County, Arkansas

White County, Arkansas
White County Courthouse in Searcy, Arkansas
Flag Seal
Location in the state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	October 23, 1835
Seat	Searcy
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,042.36 sq mi (2,700 km²) 1,034.03 sq mi (2,678 km²) 8.33 sq mi (22 km²), 0.80%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	77,076 75/sq mi (28.78/km²)
Website	www.whitecounty.arkansas.gov

White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 77,076. The county seat is Searcy. White County is Arkansas's 31st county, formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties and named for Hugh Lawson White, a Whig candidate for President of the United States.

White County is part of the Little Rock Combined Statistical Area. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county, though a few private establishments (such as the Searcy Country Club, and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Searcy and Beebe) can sell alcohol. The 45th and current White County Judge is Michael Lincoln of Searcy, who assumed office in January 2007.

Economy

One of the state's largest banks, First Security Bank, was established in Searcy in 1932 as Security Bank. First Security now has over $4 billion in assets and 70 locations in Arkansas.

Regional ice cream producer and distributor Yarnell Ice Cream Co. has its headquarters in the Searcy's downtown area.

Latina Imports and Latina Nursery are also located in Searcy and is one of the largest female, Hispanic owned companies in Arkansas.

History

In 1958, Odell Pollard, a since retired attorney from Searcy, exposed corrupt election practices at Bald Knob, a small city in White County. Election workers cast "absentee ballots" for some thirty pipeline construction workers and their spouses. However, these workers were outside of Arkansas at the time of the election, which had a prohibition measure on the ballot. These voters never cast absentee votes, according to their affidavits presented by Pollard to the White County prosecutor. No action was taken until after the statute of limitations had expired, at which time the charges were rendered moot. Pollard said the fraud case cause him to switch his partisan affiliaton from Democrat to Republican. From 1966-1970, Pollard was the state party chairman, and from 1973-1976 was the Arkansas Republican National Committeeman.

In 1988, White County elected virtually an entire slate of Republicans to county offices. Though such Republican sweeps had frequently occurred in northern and northwestern Arkansas, White County was the first in the Little Rock area to turn to the GOP, as the party steadily made inroads toward a two-party system.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,042.36 square miles (2,699.7 km²), of which 1,034.03 square miles (2,678.1 km²) (or 99.20%) is land and 8.33 square miles (21.6 km²) (or 0.80%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 64 U.S. Highway 67 U.S. Highway 167 Highway 5 Highway 11

Highway 13 Highway 16 Highway 31 Highway 36 Highway 87

Highway 110 Highway 124 Highway 157 Highway 258 Highway 267

Highway 305 Highway 310 Highway 320 Highway 321 Highway 323

Highway 367 Highway 385

Adjacent counties

• Independence County (north)
• Jackson County (northeast)
• Woodruff County (east)
• Prairie County (southeast)
• Lonoke County (southwest)
• Faulkner County (west)
• Cleburne County (northwest)

National and State protected areas

• Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge
• Henry Gray / Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area [1]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	929		—
1850	2,619		181.9%
1860	8,316		217.5%
1870	10,347		24.4%
1880	17,794		72.0%
1890	22,946		29.0%
1900	24,864		8.4%
1910	28,574		14.9%
1920	34,603		21.1%
1930	38,269		10.6%
1940	37,176		−2.9%
1950	38,040		2.3%
1960	32,745		−13.9%
1970	39,253		19.9%
1980	50,835		29.5%
1990	54,676		7.6%
2000	67,165		22.8%
2010	77,076		14.8%

Age pyramid White County

As of the census of 2000, there were 67,165 people, 25,148 households, and 18,408 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 27,613 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.52% White, 3.56% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 25,148 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 12.80% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,203, and the median income for a family was $38,782. Males had a median income of $29,884 versus $20,323 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,890. About 10.40% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.10% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education

Public education is provided by several public school districts including:

• Searcy School District, with six schools serving more than 4,000 students; includes Searcy High School, Searcy
• Beebe School District, with seven schools serving more than 3,200 students; includes Beebe High School, Beebe
• Riverview School District, with four schools serving more than 1,300 students; includes Riverview High School, Searcy
• Bald Knob School District, with three schools serving more than 1,300 students; includes Bald Knob High School, Bald Knob
• Rose Bud School District, with two schools serving more than 800 students; including Rose Bud High School, Rose Bud
• White County Central School District, with two schools serving more than 700 students; includes White County Central High School, Judsonia
• Pangburn School District, with two schools serving more than 700 students; includes Pangburn High School, Pangburn
• Bradford School District, with two schools serving more than 500 students; includes Bradford High School, Bradford

Private education

• Harding Academy, Searcy

Cities and towns

Bald Knob Beebe Bradford Garner Georgetown Griffithville Higginson Judsonia Kensett Letona McRae Pangburn Rose Bud Russell Searcy West Point

Unincorporated communities

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Albion — north-central White County, between Four Mile Hill or "Boothill" and Pangburn, and north of Letona, along Arkansas Highway 16 and surrounding county roads
• Antioch — western White County, north of Beebe, along Arkansas Highways 31 and 267 and surrounding county roads
• Center Hill — central White County, approximately 8 miles west of Searcy, situated along Arkansas Highway 36 and 305 and surrounding county roads
• El Paso — southwestern White County, situated along Arkansas Highway 5 and U.S. Highway 64 West
• Floyd — western White County, approximately 8 miles southeast of Romance, along Arkansas Highways 31 and 305 and surrounding county roads
• Four Mile Hill or "Boot Hill" — central White County, northwest of Searcy and southeast of Albion, along Arkansas Highway 16 and surrounding county roads
• Gravel Hill — western White County, northwest of Floyd and south of Joy, situated between Arkansas Highways 31 and 36 along Gravel Hill Road and surrounding county roads
• Harmony — central White County, southwest of Center Hill, situated along Arkansas Highway 305 and surrounding county roads
• Joy — central White County, between Rose Bud and Center Hill, situated along Arkansas Highway 36 and surrounding county roads
• Liberty Valley — eastern White County, between Bald Knob and the White River, along U.S. Highway 64 East and surrounding county roads
• Opal — southwestern White County, between El Paso and Beebe, along U.S. Highway 64 West and Opal Road and surrounding county roads
• Pickens — north-central White County, between Sidon and Letona, along Arkansas Highway 310 (Pickens Chapel Road) and Pickens Road and surrounding county roads
• Plainview — northeastern White County, north of Judsonia, along Arkansas Highways 157 and 385 and surrounding county roads
• Providence — northeastern White County, north of Judsonia and northwest of Bald Knob, along Arkansas Highway 157 and 258 and surrounding county roads; site of White County Central Schools
• Romance — western White County, between Rose Bud and El Paso, along Arkansas Highways 5 and 31 and surrounding county roads
• Sidon — north-central White County, west of Pickens and north of Joy, along Arkansas Highway 310 and surrounding county roads
• Velvet Ridge — northeastern White County, north of Bald Knob, along U.S. Highway 167 and surrounding county roads
• Vinity Corner — south-central White County, south of Garner and southeast of McRae, along West Vinity Road, North Vinity Road, and other county roads southeast of Arkansas Highway 367
• Walker — southeastern White County, south of Higginson and west of Griffithville, along Arkansas Highway 11 (Walker Road) and surrounding county roads

Townships

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas and some may have incorporated towns or cities within part of their space. Townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the US Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (often referred to as "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps. The townships of White County are listed below with the town(s) and/or city that are fully or partially inside them listed in parentheses.

• Albion
• Antioch
• Bald Knob (Bald Knob)
• Big Creek (Pangburn)
• Cadron
• Cane
• Chrisp
• Clay
• Cleveland
• Coffey
• Coldwell
• Crosby
• Cypert
• Denmark
• Des Arc
• Dogwood (Griffithville)
• El Paso
• Francure (Georgetown)
• Garner (Garner)
• Gravel Hill
• Gray (most of Searcy,small part of Kensett)
• Gum Springs (part of Searcy)
• Guthrie
• Harrison (Judsonia, small part of Searcy)
• Hartsell
• Higginson (Higginson)
• Jackson
• Jefferson
• Joy
• Kensett (most of Kensett, small part of Searcy)
• Kentucky (Rose Bud)
• Liberty (Bradford)
• McRae (McRae)
• Marion (Letona)
• Marshall
• Mount Pisgah
• Red River (West Point)
• Royal
• Russell (Russell)
• Union (Beebe)
• Velvet Ridge
• Walker

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in White County, Arkansas
• White County Historical Society