Stamps, Arkansas

Stamps, Arkansas
City
Location in Lafayette County, Arkansas
Coordinates: 33°21′29″N93°30′01″W / 33.35806°N 93.50028°W / 33.35806; -93.50028
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Lafayette
Area [1]
• Total	3.15 sq mi (8.17 km2)
• Land	3.05 sq mi (7.91 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation [2]	262 ft (80 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,258
• Density	412.19/sq mi (159.12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	71860
Area code	870
FIPS code	05-66320
GNIS feature ID	2405518 [2]

Stamps is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,693 at the 2010 census, ^[3] down from 2,131 at the 2000 census.

History

A post office has been in operation in Stamps since 1887. ^[4] The community has the name of the local Stamps family. ^[5] Stamps was the shop headquarters for the former Louisiana and Arkansas Railway until the relocation in the early 1920s to Minden in Webster Parish in northern Louisiana. ^[6]

Stamps has been noted on lists of unusual place names. ^[7] An early postmaster quipped that Stamps was "the only town in the U.S. that stamps Stamps on stamps". ^[7]

Geography

Stamps is in northeastern Lafayette County in southwestern Arkansas. U.S. Route 82 passes through the northern side of the city, leading west 5 miles (8 km) to Lewisville, the county seat, and east 3 miles (5 km) to Buckner. Arkansas Highway 53 has its northern terminus at US 82 and leads south through the center of Stamps 27 miles (43 km) to the state line near Springhill, Louisiana.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²), of which 3.1 square miles (7.9 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 3.19%, are water. ^[3] Lake June lies within the southern part of the city limits.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	1,021		—
1910	2,316		126.8%
1920	2,564		10.7%
1930	2,705		5.5%
1940	2,405		−11.1%
1950	2,552		6.1%
1960	2,591		1.5%
1970	2,448		−5.5%
1980	2,859		16.8%
1990	2,478		−13.3%
2000	2,131		−14.0%
2010	1,693		−20.6%
2020	1,258		−25.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

2020 census

Stamps racial composition ^[9]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	485	38.55%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	693	55.09%
Native American	6	0.48%
Asian	6	0.48%
Other/Mixed	44	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	24	1.91%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,258 people, 657 households, and 378 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[10] of 2000, there were 2,131 people, 830 households, and 541 families residing in the town. The population density was 693.7 inhabitants per square mile (267.8/km²). There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 326.5 per square mile (126.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 44.30% White, 54.48% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 0.56% from two or more races. Of the population 0.61% was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 830 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. Of all households 31.7% were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,194, and the median income for a family was $26,591. Males had a median income of $25,667 versus $17,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,440. About 22.8% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.0% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education for elementary and secondary students is provided by the Lafayette County School District, which includes Lafayette County Elementary School and Lafayette County High School. The school's mascot and athletic emblem is the Cougar.

On July 1, 2003, the Stamps School District consolidated with the Lewisville School District to form the Lafayette County district. ^[11]

Infrastructure

Highways

• U.S. Highway 82
• Arkansas Highway 53

Notable people

• Maya Angelou (1928–2014), author and poet, tells about growing up in the Black community of Stamps in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Black Ivory King (1899–1947), blues and boogie-woogie pianist, best known for his original version of the then popular train blues song, "The Flying Crow". ^[12]
• George Doherty (1920–1987), math and PE teacher in Stamps – football player and inspirational coach
• Danny Ormand, retired Arkansas state employee, former Stamps Fire Chief ^[13]
• Earl T. Ricks (1908–1954), raised in Stamps – United States Air Force major general
• Rolling Thunder (1916–1997), born in Stamps – self-identified hippie medicine man ^[14]

Gallery

• 
  Stamps Ice & Fuel Company and a boxcar of the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway, c. 1904
• 
  Stamps Fire Department
• 
  Bodcaw Bank in Stamps

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stamps, Arkansas
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Stamps city, Arkansas". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
4. "Lafayette County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
5. Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The origins of unusual place-names. Keystone Pub. Associates. p. 126.
6. "Connell Fort Dies Saturday Night at His Residence Here: Was Great Civic Worker and Builder of This town", Webster Signal-Tribune, March 5, 1937, pp. 1, 6
7. Hillinger, Charles (October 13, 1985). "Arkansas' Towns of Funny Names: There's Evening Shade, Greasy Corner, Stump City, Hope". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 14, 2014.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
11. "ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls Archived 2015-09-12 at the Wayback Machine ." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on October 13, 2017.
12. "Big Road Blues Show 7/30/23: Call The Number of The Train I Ride – Texas Piano Blues Pt. 3 | Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
13. Perkins, Scott. "Former ACIC director, sheriff reflects as he steps into retirement". issuu.com. Issuu, Inc. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
14. "Rolling Thunder - Biography". IMDb . Retrieved September 28, 2018.