Earle, Arkansas

Earle, Arkansas
City
Clockwise from top: Crittenden County Historical Museum, Earle welcome sign, downtown Earle along US 64B, "Home of the Bulldogs" water tower
Location of Earle in Crittenden County, Arkansas.
Coordinates: 35°16′24″N90°27′51″W / 35.27333°N 90.46417°W / 35.27333; -90.46417
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Crittenden
First settled	1860's
Incorporated	March 25, 1905
Named for	Josiah Francis Earle (1828–1884)
Government
• Mayor	Jaylen Smith (D)
Area [1]
• Total	3.25 sq mi (8.41 km2)
• Land	3.25 sq mi (8.41 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	210 ft (60 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,831
• Density	563.91/sq mi (217.70/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72331
Area code	870
FIPS code	05-20320
GNIS feature ID	2403528 [2]

Earle is a city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,831. ^[3]

Geography

Earle is located in western Crittenden County. U.S. Route 64 passes through the northern part of the city, bypassing the downtown area. US 64 leads west 19 miles (31 km) to Wynne and 28 miles (45 km) east to Memphis, Tennessee.

Earle has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all land. ^[4]

History

Early history

The city of Earle originally started as two neighboring communities started in the 1860s, Earle and Norvell. ^[5] Norvell was originally settled in July 1872 by local doctor James Throgmorton. ^{[6] [ failed verification ]} Earle was a train stop established in the late 1880s on land owned by Josiah Francis Earle, a former Confederate soldier and Klansman. The train stop was established after his death in 1884. ^[7]

Reconstruction period

In 1888, a branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, & Southern Railway was built south of Earle. The line still exists as a part of the Union Pacific Railroad. ^{[8] [ page needed ]} The town had two lumber company-owned railroads connect to it in the early 1900s, the Crittenden Railroad and the Tyronza Lumber Company Railroad. ^[9]

Early 20th century

Originally, the Earle post office was located within Norvell. The move caused some controversy in the two communities, and in 1904 an altercation took place between the former and then current men who owned the land the post office sat on. John Watt, who formally controlled the post office, shot the current owner, W.M. Brown. Watt was later acquitted of the Brown's murder. ^[5]

From its formal incorporation in 1905 to the 1940s, Earle was one of the largest towns in Crittenden County. Referred to by locals as the "Pearl of the St. Francis," for many years the town was a center of industry and an important transportation hub for the Arkansas Delta. ^[10]

One of the more notable residents of Earle was George Berry Washington. Born into slavery in 1864, Washington established a thriving business as a landlord, and through this enterprise provided a means of income for hundreds of Black Arkansans. In 1928, the widow and family of local figure George Berry Washington had a monument, known as "the Angel in the Field", built to honor Washington's life. ^[11]

In 1918, an African-American man named Elton Mitchell was eviscerated with a knife and hanged from a tree after he refused to work for a white landowner for free. ^[12]

The old Missouri Pacific Depot in Earle. Constructed in 1922, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Modern era

A merger of Norvell and Earle was proposed as early as 1913. In 1978, the two towns were formally merged. ^[5]

2008 tornado

Main article: May 1–2, 2008 tornado outbreak

On May 2, 2008, WMC-TV reported that a tornado which was reported to be large and very dangerous affected the Earle area causing major damage in parts of the town and some injuries. There were reports of people missing or unaccounted for. Homes were reportedly destroyed, while businesses and the high school were damaged. The tornado was later confirmed on the same day as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with winds near 150 to 160 mph. ^{[13] [14]}

The 2022 Earle mayoral election resulted in a historic victory for Jaylen Smith, who at 18 years old became the youngest Black person to be elected mayor in any U.S. city. ^[15]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	1,542		—
1920	2,091		35.6%
1930	2,062		−1.4%
1940	1,872		−9.2%
1950	2,375		26.9%
1960	2,391		0.7%
1970	3,146		31.6%
1980	3,517		11.8%
1990	3,393		−3.5%
2000	3,036		−10.5%
2010	2,414		−20.5%
2020	1,831		−24.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [16] 2010 [17] 2020 [18]

2020 census

Earle city, Arkansas – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010 [17]	Pop 2020 [18]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	396	195	16.40%	10.65%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,975	1,570	81.81%	85.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1	1	0.04%	0.05%
Asian alone (NH)	9	5	0.37%	0.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	1	0.00%	0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	17	32	0.70%	1.75%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	16	27	0.66%	1.47%
Total	2,414	1,831	100.00%	100.00%

2000 census

In the 2000 census, ^[19] there were 3,036 people, 1,074 households, and 727 families living in the city. The population density was 932.9 inhabitants per square mile (360.2/km²)

A railroad bridge in Earle, Arkansas

. There were 1,247 housing units at an average density of 383.2 per square mile (148.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 23.45% White, 75.23% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,074 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.54.

36.6% of people were under the age of 18. 9.4% were aged from 18 to 24. 24.0% were aged from 25 to 44. 17.0% were aged from 45 to 64. 13.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,344. The median income for a family was $22,775. Males had a median income of $26,510 versus $18,011 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,260. About 40.2% of families and 45.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.7% of those under age 18 and 36.6% of those age 65 or over.

The old Earle High School, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Education

Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is primarily provided by the Earle School District, which leads to graduation from Earle High School. The Old Earle High School with its Mission/Spanish Revival style served as the city's high school from 1919 to 1978. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notable people

• Charles T. Bernard (1927 – 2015), businessman and Republican politician
• Carroll Cloar (1913 – 1993), surrealist painter and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient.
• Shakey Jake Harris (1921 – 1990), Chicago blues singer, harmonicist and songwriter
• Jaylen Smith (born 2004), Mayor of Earle, youngest Black Mayor in the US and one of the youngest US mayors of any race. ^{[20] [21] [22]}
• George Berry Washington (1864 – 1928), a former slave who became one of Crittenden County's largest landowners ^[23]
• Wilson Douglas Watson (1922 – 1994), recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions on Iwo Jima ^[24]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Earle, Arkansas
3. "Earle city, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 15, 2022.
4. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Earle city, Arkansas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
5. Miller, Adam. "Norvell (Crittenden County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
6. Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas. Chicago, St. Louis [etc.]: Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1890. p. 443.
7. Sesser, David. "Josiah Francis Earle (1828–1884)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
8. Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas. Chicago, St. Louis [etc.]: Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1890.
9. "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Earle, Crittenden County, Arkansas". Sanborn Map Company. 1913.
10. Miller, Adam. "Earle (Crittenden County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
11. Kohl, Julie (December 2, 2020). "Rev. George Berry Washington". Only in Arkansas.
12. Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror: Second Edition: Report Summary (PDF). Montgomery, Alabama: Equal Justice Initiative. 2015. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 29, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017. In 1918, when Elton Mitchell of Earle, Arkansas, refused to work on a white-owned farm without pay, "prominent" white citizens of the city cut him into pieces with butcher knives and hung his remains from a tree.
13. "Tornados, damage reported in eastern Arkansas - WMC Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee". Wmctv.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
14. Mike Suriani (November 4, 2013). "Story Of Survival During Halloween Tornado In Caraway, AR". WREG.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
15. Arriaga-Flores, Christian (December 7, 2022). "18-Year-Old Jaylen Smith Will Be the Youngest Black Mayor in the Nation". Now This News.
16. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
17. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Earle city, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau .
18. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Earle city, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau .
19. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
20. Hunterg, Marcus (January 1, 2022). "Jaylen Smith, country's youngest black mayor, sworn in". WREG. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
21. "Meet the 18-year-old who just became the youngest Black mayor in the country". NBC News. December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
22. Mizelle, Shawna (December 7, 2022). "Arkansas city elects 18-year-old to be next mayor | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
23. "George Berry Washington Memorial" . Retrieved November 11, 2018.
24. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 12, 2022.