Manila, Arkansas

Manila, Arkansas
City
Manila Depot Museum
Location in Mississippi County, Arkansas
Coordinates: 35°52′48″N90°10′00″W / 35.88000°N 90.16667°W / 35.88000; -90.16667
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Mississippi
Government
• Mayor	Tracey Reinhart
Area [1]
• Total	3.78 sq mi (9.78 km2)
• Land	3.78 sq mi (9.78 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	243 ft (74 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	3,682
• Density	974.85/sq mi (376.43/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72442
Area code	870
FIPS code	05-43820
GNIS feature ID	2405008 [2]

Manila is a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,682 at the 2020 census, ^[3] up from 3,342 in 2010. It was the hometown of World War I sniper Herman Davis.

History

Manila has its origins in a herdsman's camp established by John Needham in the late 1860s. By the late 1890s, a community known as "Cinda" (named after an early postmaster's sister) had developed in the area. In 1901, this community incorporated as a city, and chose the name "Manila" to honor Commodore George Dewey's 1898 victory in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War. ^[4]

In the early 1900s, the Jonesboro, Lake City and Eastern Railroad (later part of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway system) extended a rail line to Manila. In 1910, the Manila Depot was constructed by the railroad. ^[4] This train station now serves as a museum, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1925, a memorial was established in the city for Herman Davis. The memorial was designated a state park in 1953, and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is responsible for its maintenance. ^[5]

Geography

Manila is located in northwestern Mississippi County in the Arkansas Delta region. The city is situated at the intersection of Arkansas Highway 18 and Arkansas Highway 77, 9 miles (14 km) south of the Arkansas–Missouri state line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), all land. ^[1]

Ecologically, Manila is located within the St. Francis Lowlands ecoregion within the larger Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The St. Francis Lowlands are a flat region mostly covered with row crop agriculture today, though also containing sand blows and sunken lands remaining from the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes. Waterways have mostly been channelized, causing loss of aquatic and riparian wildlife habitat. ^[6] The Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which preserves some of the bottomland hardwood forest typical of this ecoregion prior to development for row agriculture lies just east of Manila.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	562		—
1920	971		72.8%
1930	1,226		26.3%
1940	1,248		1.8%
1950	1,729		38.5%
1960	1,753		1.4%
1970	1,961		11.9%
1980	2,553		30.2%
1990	2,635		3.2%
2000	3,055		15.9%
2010	3,342		9.4%
2020	3,682		10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

2020 census

Manila racial composition ^[8]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	3,380	91.8%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	21	0.57%
Native American	6	0.16%
Asian	18	0.49%
Other/Mixed	116	3.15%
Hispanic or Latino	141	3.83%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,682 people, 1,347 households, and 863 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[9] of 2000, there were 3,055 people, 1,214 households, and 842 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.2 inhabitants per square mile (365.3/km²). There were 1,304 housing units at an average density of 403.9 per square mile (155.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.20% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,214 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,896, and the median income for a family was $33,105. Males had a median income of $31,344 versus $19,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,754. About 13.4% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The Manila Municipal Airport (IATA: MXA, ICAO: KMXA, FAA LID: MXA) is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) northeast of the central business district of Manila, in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. It is owned by the City of Manila.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Manila has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[10]

Notable people

• Cloria Brown, Missouri state legislator
• Honey Bruce, stripper and showgirl
• Herman Davis, World War I sniper
• Jerry Jaye, singer
• Wayne Wagner, state legislator and mayor ^[11]
• Mel Wright, baseball player and coach

References

1. "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Arkansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Manila, Arkansas
3. "P1. Race – Manila city, Arkansas: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
4. Donna Brewer Jackson, "Manila (Mississippi County)," Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, 2018.
5. Jackson, Donna Brewer. "Manila (Mississippi County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
6.  This article incorporates public domain material from Woods, A.J., Foti, T.L., Chapman, S.S., Omernik, J.M.; et al. Ecoregions of Arkansas (PDF). United States Geological Survey. (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs).
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. "Manila, Arkansas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
11. "Funeral services set for Manila Mayor Wayne Wagner". June 30, 2022.

External links

• Media related to Manila, Arkansas at Wikimedia Commons