Pocahontas, Arkansas
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Pocahontas is a city in
Randolph County Randolph County is the name of eight counties in the United States: *Randolph County, Alabama *Randolph County, Arkansas *Randolph County, Georgia *Randolph County, Illinois *Randolph County, Indiana *Randolph County, Missouri *Randolph County, Nort ...
,
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 Osage ...
, United States, along the Black River. According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city was 6,608. The city is 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 st ...
of Randolph County. Pocahontas has a number of historic buildings, including the Old Randolph County Courthouse built in 1871, the St. Mary's
AME Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
, and the Pocahontas
Colored ''Colored'' (or ''coloured'') is a racial descriptor historically used in the United States during the Jim Crow, Jim Crow Era to refer to an African Americans, African American. In many places, it may be considered a Pejorative, slur, though it ...
School built in 1918, the latter of which is now home to th
Eddie Mae Herron Center


History

This city was named after the Native American from
Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...
. A statue of her is located in Overlook Park along the Black River. The family of Dr. Ransom S. Bettis is given the credit for being the first settlers on the land now called Pocahontas. Dr. Bettis' daughter, Cinderella, married Thomas S. Drew, and lived on 800 acres where the town of Biggers now exists. Bettis and Drew led the founding of Pocahontas as the county seat of Randolph County. Randolph County is famous for many "firsts"; Arkansas' oldest town, Davidsonville, was established in 1815. The first Arkansas post office was built in Davidsonville in 1817, and the first state courthouse was established in 1818. The earliest land claim was in 1809 near what is now
Ravenden Springs Ravenden Springs is a town in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 119 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the ...
. The first actual term of court convened in Arkansas was in 1815 in a part of Lawrence County that was given over to Randolph County. And the country's first overland route, the Natchitoches Trail, went through parts of Randolph County. In 1835, the Territorial Legislature granted the formation of Randolph County from part of the area then called Lawrence County. The county was named after John Randolph, who was one of the first settlers in the area. Randolph County encompasses the rolling hills of the
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
to the west and rich, flat farmland of the Mississippi Delta to the east. Five rivers flow through the county, providing access to fishing and canoeing. Soybeans, rice, and other grains are the principal crops in the Delta region, while cattle ranching dominates the hill country. The poultry industry is also a vital part of the area economy. During the early part of the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Camp Shaver, located in Pocahontas, was the headquarters for Confederate forces west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. The industrial base is diversified, with products such as shoes, large truck trailers, technical components for communications, picture frames, golf bags and luggage, tool boxes, wood products and more. Pocahontas is the county seat with a population of 6,616. The other 10,407 residents of Randolph County live in rural areas and five incorporated communities - Maynard, Biggers, Reyno, Ravenden Springs and O'Kean. Local legend holds that Pocahontas was named the county seat through an act of trickery. Supposedly, at the county meeting to determine which city would receive the title, the delegation from Pocahontas brought in large quantities of alcohol and distributed them to the other delegations. When the time came to vote, the only delegation not passed out or otherwise influenced was that from Pocahontas.


Geography

Pocahontas is located at (36.263560, -90.973349). 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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.78%) is water.


Climate

The climate of the city is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The
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, notabl ...
subtype for this climate is " Cfa" (humid subtropical climate).Climate Summary for Pocahontas, Arkansas
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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 of ...
, there were 7,371 people, 2,748 households, and 1,575 families residing in the city.


2000 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 incl ...
of 2000, 6,518 people, 2,693 households, and 1,742 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 2,924 housing units averaged a density of 397.7 per square mile (153.6/km). The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 97.27% Caucasian, 1.10% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races, with about 0.89% of the population Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,693 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were not families. Around 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was distributed as 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,450, and for a family was $29,525. Males had a median income of $26,382 versus $18,750 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 $15,529. About 15.6% of families and 18.8% 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 t ...
, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Pocahontas is home to the
Pocahontas School District Pocahontas School District is a public school district based in Pocahontas, Arkansas, United States. The Pocahontas School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 2,000 pre-kindergarten through grade ...
. Public schools include Alma Spikes Elementary School, M. D. Williams Intermediate School, Pocahontas Junior High School, and Pocahontas High School. Pocahontas' school mascot is the Redskins. Pocahontas is also home to St. Paul Elementary School, a private Catholic school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. St Paul's mascot is the Sabers. Pocahontas is the home of
Black River Technical College Black River Technical College (BRTC) is a public community college in Pocahontas, Arkansas. It is named for the Black River which runs through the city. BRTC serves approximately 3,000 students annually through its degree programs, technical co ...
.


Media

;Newspapers The ''Pocahontas Star Herald'' is published weekly, on Thursdays. It began publication in 1880, and is owned by Corning Publishing. ;Radio stations Pocahontas is home to KPOC/KRLW/KIYS radio stations. The stations' "better known names" are: KPOC-FM is better known as Lite 104.1 FM; KPOC is News Sports Talk 1420 AM;
KIYS KIYS (101.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format serving the Jonesboro, Arkansas, area. The station is currently owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters. KIYS broadcast in the HD Radio format. History This format was previous ...
is Country 106.3 FM; and
KRLW KRLW (1320 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas Walnut Ridge is a city in Lawrence County, Arkansas, Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 5098 at the United States Ce ...
is Oldies 1320 AM. While the KRLW and KIYS radio stations are broadcast centrally to the Walnut Ridge/Hoxie area (a community some 15 miles away), the broadcasting site and main offices are centered with KPOC inside Pocahontas. The stations are operated by Combined Media Group Inc.


Infrastructure


Highways

* * * Highway 90 * Highway 115 * Highway 166 * Highway 251 * Highway 304


Medical care

* St. Bernards Five Rivers Medical Center * Pocahontas Medical Clinic


Airport

* Pocahontas Municipal Airport (M70)


Notable people

* William Herbert Allaire Jr.- U.S. Army general *
Larry P. Arnn Larry Paul Arnn (born October 8, 1952) is an American educator and writer. He has served as the twelfth president of private college Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, since May 2000.
, a Pocahontas native, president of
Hillsdale College Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists. Its missio ...
, Hillsdale, Mich. *
Edwin Bethune Edwin Ruthvin Bethune Jr. (born December 19, 1935), known as Ed Bethune, is an American lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C., who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas from 1979-1985. Early yea ...
, a former 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, graduated from Pocahontas High School * Drew Bowers, Arkansas Republican politician and lawyer, was born near Pocahontas in 1886. *
Linda Collins-Smith Linda F. Collins (April 17, 1962 – May 28, 2019; known as Linda Collins-Smith until her divorce) was an American businesswoman and politician who served a single term from 2015 to 2019 as a Republican member of the Arkansas Senate. On Ju ...
, Republican member of the
Arkansas Senate The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have ...
and owner of
Days Inn Days Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. It was founded in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who opened the first location in Tybee Island, Georgia. The brand is now a part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Parsippan ...
in Pocahontas. * Jim Johnston, former composer for
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
*
Billy Lee Riley Billy Lee Riley (October 5, 1933 – August 2, 2009) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. His most memorable recordings include "Rock With Me Baby", "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll"Variously spelled as "...Rock & Roll ...
, Pocahontas native and American rockabilly musician, singer *
Wear Schoonover Wear Kibler Schoonover (March 18, 1910 – May 12, 1982) was an American college football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. Playing career He was the first Arkansas Razorback, as well as the first Southwes ...
, Pocahontas native, was the first
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
athlete in any sport named to an All-American team.


References


External links


Ozark weather and radar

Randolph County Heritage Museum

Downtown Art Association of Pocahontas

Eddie Mae Herron Center
- Museum of African American History and Heritage and Community Center
Randolph County Tourism Association

Pocahontas Star Herald newspaper
* Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
Pocahontas (Randolph County)
{{authority control Cities in Randolph County, Arkansas Cities in Arkansas Arkansas placenames of Native American origin County seats in Arkansas