El Dorado, founded by Matthew Rainey, is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of, Union County, on the southern border of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 18,884. El Dorado is headquarters of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission as well as Murphy USA, Deltic Timber Corporation and a DelekUS oil refinery. The city has a downtown arts district, the Murphy Arts District (MAD); a community college,

South Arkansas Community College South Arkansas Community College (SouthArk) is a public community college in El Dorado, Arkansas. South Arkansas Community College, known locally as SouthArk, is a public, comprehensive community college with an open-door policy, providing educ ...

(SouthArk); and a multi-cultural arts center, South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC). El Dorado is the population, cultural and business center of south central Arkansas. The city was the heart of the 1920s oil boom in the area. During World War II, it became a center of the chemical industry, which still plays a part in the economy, as do oil and timber.

History

Timeline

* 1829, the territorial legislature took sections of Hempstead and

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin language, Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone ...

counties to establish Union County. * 1843, Matthew Rainey founded and named El Dorado. El Dorado became the Union County seat that same year and the first Presbyterian church was organized. * 1845, First Baptist Church was organized. * 1870, El Dorado Baptist Church was founded and El Dorado was incorporated. * 1883, Albert Williams was lynched in El Dorado * 1891, the first passenger train arrives in El Dorado from Camden. * 1902, the Tucker-Parnell Feud erupts between Guy Tucker (city marshal), and a local businessman (Tom Parnell). * 1908, Washington High School opens. * 1919, Frank Livingston, a black World War I veteran accused of murder with scant evidence, was burned alive by a mob near El Dorado. * 1921, the Busey No. 1 well was completed. The start of the oil boom. El Dorado is sometimes referred to as "Arkansas' Original Boomtown." * 1922, El Dorado Oil Refinery was commissioned and the B'nai B'rith lodge was founded. * 1927, the Lion Oil-Exchange Building was completed.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.31%) is water.

Topography

El Dorado is located in the West Gulf Coastal Plain: In Arkansas, the West Gulf Coastal Plain covers the southeastern and south central portions of the state along the border of Louisiana. This Lowland area of Arkansas is characterized by pine forests and farmlands. Natural resources include natural gas, petroleum deposits and beds of

bromine Bromine is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is the third-lightest element in group 17 of the periodic table ( halogens) and is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a simi ...

flats. The lowest point in the state is found on the Ouachita River in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas.

Climate

El Dorado is located in the humid

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...

zone (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: ''Cfa'').

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 17,756 people, 7,164 households, and 4,466 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 18,884 people, 8,969 households, and 5,732 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,969 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.9%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 45.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.30% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.8%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.39% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 8,686 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. Of 8,686 households, 304 are unmarried partner households: 243 heterosexual, 19 same-sex male, and 42 same-sex female. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,045, and the median income for a family was $34,753. Males had a median income of $30,876 versus $19,211 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,332. About 20.0% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 36.3% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Venues

El Dorado, AR, Conference Center IMG 2633

The Murphy Arts District (MAD) opened in 2017 in downtown El Dorado. The district includes a music hall, outdoor amphitheater, farmer's market, musical performers, restaurant with performance stage, the largest playscape in the state, and a water park. The South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC) is a facility with three visual art galleries, a ballet studio, a theatre, educational classroom space, and an open art studio. SAAC hosts stage events and art exhibitions. The El Dorado Municipal Auditorium is a multi-purpose auditorium with a large lobby, grand hall seating, and multi-tiered sloping balcony. It has featured musical acts, entertainment shows, school productions, dance recitals and was formerly the location of the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1956. The El Dorado Conference Center is a multi-purpose facility opened in 2011, which features an assembly hall main hall, small meeting rooms, the student services for

, and bookstore, and café.

Annual events

The

Mayhaw Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit of the species of ''Crataegus'' series ''Aestivales''Phipps, J.B.; O’Kennon, R.J.; Lance, R.W. 2003. ''Hawthorns and medlars''. Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K. that are common in wetlands th ...

Festival occurs in May. The official event name is "Bugs Bands and Bikes". It coincides with a crawfish boil, a "Battle of the Bands", a bike show/one day motorcycle rally, a motorcycle parade, and pool tournament. The "SouthArk Outdoor Expo occurs in September with activities for anglers, hunters, children, and families. MusicFest occurs in October in an eight-block area, featuring over 30 acts on five stages. Winter events include the "Festival of Lights" and the "largest Christmas parade in Arkansas".

Attractions

*The Union County Courthouse, opened in 1928. *The South Arkansas Arboretum, opened in 1965, is Arkansas's only state park located within a city. It includes more than of paved trails. *The Rialto Theater, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, opened in 1929 with seating for 1,400, and presented live stage shows and films.

Parks and recreation

City parks include: Lions Club Park and Golf Course, Mattocks Park, Mosby Park, Neel Park, Old City Park, and South Side Park. The El Dorado Recreation Complex and Pavilion has a playground, baseball and softball facility and two pavilions. It is the location of the El Dorado High School Wildcat Baseball Field and Ladycat Softball Field. Memorial Stadium is a 6,000-seat football stadium and track which hosts sports event, school teams, the Boomtown Classic, an annual college football match between in-state college football rivals.

Education

According to the 2000 Census, 22.5% of the population age 25+ had an associate degree or higher. More than 400 teachers and administrators work to meet the needs of all students regardless of age, ability, or background. Approximately 50 percent of these teachers and administrators hold advanced degrees. More than 4,600 students attend the nine El Dorado public schools in the El Dorado School District #15. A new high school with a 1500-student capacity was completed in June 2011.

Public

Elementary

There are five elementary schools in the district, divided into academies (K-4) and 1 (K-6): *Hugh Goodwin Elementary School of the Arts *Murmil Heights learning center *Northwest Elementary School of Environment *Retta Brown Elementary School of Communication and Technologies *Yocum Elementary School of Math and Science

Secondary

*Washington Middle School (5-6) *Barton Junior High School (7-8) * El Dorado High School (9-12)

Collegiate

(SouthArk), is a public two-year institution providing educational programs, services, and resources for students. SouthArk offers degrees and certificates in health sciences, industrial technologies,

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as La ...

, and business.

Private

*Maranatha Baptist Christian School (PK-12) *West Side Christians School (PK-12) *Light Brigade Christian Academy (PK-12) *Holy Redeemer School (1925–2005)

Media

El Dorado, AR News-Times building IMG 2614

Radio

Radio stations include: KMLK (urban adult contemporary), KDMS (southern gospel), KIXB (country), KMRX (contemporary hits), KAGL (classic rock), KELD (sports Talk), KELD-FM (news talk), KLBQ (classic country), KBSA ( NPR), and

KAKV AKV may refer to: * AKV, the IATA abbreviation for Akulivik Airport Akulivik Airport is located southwest of Akulivik, Quebec, Canada. Akulivik is located on the western or Hudson Bay side of the Ungava Peninsula. The airport features a run ...

Television

Television stations serving El Dorado include: KTVE ( NBC), KETZ (PBS), K20OC ( CBS-HD), KTVE-HD ( NBC-HD), K20OC ( CBS), KETZ-DT ( AETN/PBS),

KTBS KTBS-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The station is owned by the locally based KTBS, Limited liability company, LLC (owned by the Wray Properties ...

(ABC), KNOE (CBS), KARD (FOX), and

KMLU KMLU (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Columbia, Louisiana, United States, serving the Monroe, Louisiana–El Dorado, Arkansas market as an affiliate of MeTV. Owned by Legacy Broadcasting, the station maintains studios and tran ...

(MeTV).

Print

The ''El Dorado News-Times'' is one of the oldest newspapers in South Arkansas.

Infrastructure

Major highways

Future Interstate 69 * US 63

U.S. Highway 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US ...

U.S. Highway 82 * US 167

U.S. Highway 167 * Arkansas 7

Highway 7 * Arkansas 15

Highway 15

Airports

El Dorado has two airports, both owned by the city.

South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field is nine miles west of El Dorado, in Union County, Arkansas, United States. It was served by SeaPort Airlines, a service subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service program at a c ...

services private aircraft and one commercial carrier, and El Dorado Downtown Airport services local industries, and offers hanger space to small private planes.

Utilities

El Dorado water is served locally by El Dorado Water Utilities, a private company. Electricity is supplied by Entergy of Arkansas. Other utility companies serving El Dorado include Summit Utilities (natural gas), Southern Lp-Gas (liquid gas), Bcs (bottled and metered gas), Suddenlink (cable TV, internet and phone), Verizon Wireless and

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...

(residential and wireless phone service).

Health systems

The city and surrounding area is served by the Medical Center of South Arkansas, MCSA, accredited by the

Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majorit ...

, is a general acute-care hospital licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Notable people

Beryl Anthony Jr. Beryl Franklin Anthony Jr. (born February 21, 1938) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Arkansas in the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Anthony was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. He attende ...

, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Michael Aiken Michael T. Aiken (born August 20, 1932) is a sociologist and professor who served as the 6th chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and provost at the University of Pennsylvania. Education Aiken received his bachelor's f ...

, Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana * Donna Axum, 1964 Miss America *

Lou Brock Louis Clark Brock (June 18, 1939September 6, 2020) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent most of it as a left fielder for the St. Louis ...

, member of Baseball Hall of Fame *

Albert H. Crews Albert Hanlin "Al" Crews Jr. (born March 23, 1929), (Col, USAF, Ret.), is a former American chemical and aeronautical engineer, and U.S. Air Force astronaut. Early life and education He was born on March 23, 1929, in El Dorado, Arkansas. He grad ...

, astronaut and

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

officer * Charlie Daniels, politician * Glenn D. Daniels, 1936-1992, founder of

Country Music Television Country Music Television (CMT) is an American pay TV cable channel, network owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched on March 5, 1983, as Country Music Television, CMT was the first nationally available channel ...

* Candice Earley, actress *

Michael G. Fitzgerald Michael G. Fitzgerald (December 19, 1950 – February 14, 2006) was a film historian and author. Fitzgerald was a native of El Dorado, Arkansas. His best known work was 1977's ''Universal Pictures: A Panoramic History in Words, Pictures, an ...

, film historian and author *

David Frizzell David Frizzell (born September 26, 1941) is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country musician, Lefty Frizzell. His career started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the 1980s. Biography Frizzell wa ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer *

Lefty Frizzell William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that char ...

, country music singer, born in

Corsicana Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-business ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, reared in El Dorado * Daniel Gafford, NBA power forward for the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

Hogan Gidley John Hogan Gidley is an American political aide who served as White House Deputy Press Secretary from 2019 to 2020 in the Donald Trump administration. In July 2020, Gidley became the press secretary of President Donald Trump's reelection camp ...

, White House Deputy Press Secretary from 2019–2020 * Glen Ray Hines, professional football player * Lamar Hunt, businessman, owner of Kansas City Chiefs, member of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

E. Fay Jones Euine Fay Jones (January 31, 1921 – August 30, 2004) was an American architect and designer. An apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright during his professional career, Jones is the only one of Wright's disciples to have received the AIA Gold Medal (19 ...

, architect and student of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

* Shara Nova, lead singer of

My Brightest Diamond My Brightest Diamond is the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova. The band has released five studio albums and a remix album, five studio EPs and four remix EPs, and made several tours across the United States. Histo ...

* Qui Nguyen, playwright and founder of New York-based

Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company is an Obie Award and Caffe Cino Award winning NYC downtown theatre company first established in 2000, with a mission towards the creation and production of theatrical events based in stage combat and dark comedy with ...

, screenwriter of Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon * Kevin Payne, NFL

strong safety Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their du ...

for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

Charles Portis Charles McColl Portis (December 28, 1933 – February 17, 2020) was an American author best known for his novels '' Norwood'' (1966) and the classic Western '' True Grit'' (1968), both adapted as films. The latter also inspired a film sequel and ...

, author of ''

True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * True Grit (novel), ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** True Grit (1969 film), ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** True Grit (2010 film), ''Tr ...

'' * William Ragsdale, actor *

Albert Rust Albert Rust (April 4, 1870) was an American politician and slaveholder, who served as a delegate from Arkansas to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1862. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representa ...

, U.S. Representative *

Adam Setliff Adam Setliff (born December 15, 1969) is a retired discus thrower from the United States, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics (1996 and 2000), finishing 12th and 5th respectively. He set his personal best (69.44 m) ...

, two-time Olympic discus thrower *

Dorothy Geneva Styles Dorothy Geneva Styles (December 13, 1922 - February 12, 1984) was an American composer, mathematician, organist, and poet. Styles was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, to Minnie A. Shelnut and Alfred Alexander Styles. She demonstrated musical talent a ...

, composer, mathematician, and poet *

Reece Tatum Reece "Goose" Tatum (May 31, 1921 – January 18, 1967) was an American Negro league baseball and basketball player. In 1942, he was signed to the Harlem Globetrotters and had an 11-year career with the team. He later formed his own team known a ...

, basketball player for

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of ...

Dave Whitlock Dave Whitlock (born July 2, 1966) is a Canadian former race car driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. He drove and owned the #39 Dickies Dodge Charger for his own team Whitlock Motorsports. He used to drive in the Castrol Super Series (Past ...

light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

professional prizefighter who fought Floyd Patterson in September 1955 * Travis Williams, NFL running back * Josh Wilson, contemporary Christian musician * Viper, rapper and record producer

References

External links

*

(from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life) *Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
El Dorado (Union County)
{{DEFAULTSORT:El Dorado, Arkansas 1843 establishments in Arkansas Cities in Arkansas Cities in Union County, Arkansas County seats in Arkansas Micropolitan areas of Arkansas Planned cities in the United States Populated places established in 1843