White County | |
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White County Courthouse and Confederate monument in Searcy | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas | |
![]() Arkansas's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 35°15′21″N91°44′05″W / 35.255833333333°N 91.734722222222°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | October 23, 1835 |
Named after | Hugh Lawson White |
Seat | Searcy |
Largest city | Searcy |
Area | |
• Total | 1,042 sq mi (2,700 km2) |
• Land | 1,035 sq mi (2,680 km2) |
• Water | 7.1 sq mi (18 km2) 0.7% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 76,822 |
• Estimate (2024) | 79,091 ![]() |
• Density | 74/sq mi (28/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 2nd |
Website | www |
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 76,822. [1] The county seat is Searcy. [2] White County is Arkansas's 31st county, formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties and named for Hugh Lawson White, a Whig candidate for President of the United States. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county, though a few private establishments (such as the Searcy Country Club, and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Searcy and Beebe) can serve alcohol. White County comprises the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area.
The first Americans that are believed to have settled in White County were John and Nancy Magness. They started in Tennessee and came to White County around 1815 and set up a farm in what is now Letona. White County was established by act of the Arkansas territorial legislature on October 23, 1835, by combining parts of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties. [3]
On May 17, 1862, White County was the site of the Little Red Skirmish between Union Major General Samuel J Curtis and a force of about 100 loosely-organized Confederates, followed by the battle at Whitney Lane in June. [4] also known as The Skirmish at Searcy Landing. [5]
In 1876, a religious cult called the Cobbites existed for a short period south of Searcy. Named after the group's leader, Reverend Cobb, bizarre behavior by members of the cult led to attention from local citizens, but after the murder of a man from Searcy, a mob attacked the group. Several Cobbites were killed and others arrested. Little is known about Reverend Cobb, not even his full name, other than that he came from Tennessee to White County in 1876. To his followers, he claimed to be God or Jesus Christ. He apparently believed he could perform the works of God, and he used a sycamore pole to command the sun to rise each morning and did the same each evening to command it to set. [6]
During the 1960s, the U.S. Department of Defense constructed several Titan II missile silos in the county in the early 1960s. An accident at one site in 1965 killed fifty-three workers when a welder hit a hydraulic line with their welding rod, causing a fire that removed the oxygen and suffocated most of the workers in the facility. [7]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,042 square miles (2,700 km2), of which 1,035 square miles (2,680 km2) is land and 7.1 square miles (18 km2) (0.7%) is water. [8] It is the second-largest county by area in Arkansas.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1840 | 929 | — | |
1850 | 2,619 | 181.9% | |
1860 | 8,316 | 217.5% | |
1870 | 10,347 | 24.4% | |
1880 | 17,794 | 72.0% | |
1890 | 22,946 | 29.0% | |
1900 | 24,864 | 8.4% | |
1910 | 28,574 | 14.9% | |
1920 | 34,603 | 21.1% | |
1930 | 38,269 | 10.6% | |
1940 | 37,176 | −2.9% | |
1950 | 38,040 | 2.3% | |
1960 | 32,745 | −13.9% | |
1970 | 39,253 | 19.9% | |
1980 | 50,835 | 29.5% | |
1990 | 54,676 | 7.6% | |
2000 | 67,165 | 22.8% | |
2010 | 77,076 | 14.8% | |
2020 | 76,822 | −0.3% | |
2024 (est.) | 79,091 | [10] | 3.0% |
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 1790–1960 [12] 1900–1990 [13] 1990–2000 [14] 2010 [15] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 64,363 | 83.78% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,677 | 4.79% |
Native American | 319 | 0.42% |
Asian | 616 | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 25 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed | 4,323 | 5.63% |
Hispanic or Latino | 3,499 | 4.55% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 76,822 people, 28,621 households, and 18,028 families residing in the county.
As of the 2000 United States Census, [18] there were 67,165 people, 25,148 households, and 18,408 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 inhabitants per square mile (25/km2). There were 27,613 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.52% White, 3.56% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 25,148 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 12.80% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,203, and the median income for a family was $38,782. Males had a median income of $29,884 versus $20,323 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,890. About 10.40% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.10% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The White County Quorum Court has thirteen members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions. [19] [20] The 45th White County Judge was Michael Lincoln of Searcy, who served from January 2007 until his retirement in 2025. The current Judge is Lisa Brown, who succeeded Lincoln in January 2025. In 1988, White County elected virtually an entire slate of Republicans to county offices. Though such Republican sweeps had frequently occurred in northern and northwestern Arkansas, White County was the first in the Little Rock area to turn to Republicans as the party steadily made inroads toward a two-party system. [21]
At the state level, White County is represented in the Arkansas State Senate by Republican Jonathan Dismang, a public accountant and former state representative from Searcy, of the 18th District. [22] In the Arkansas House of Representatives, White County is split between five districts: the 39th, 40th, 57th, 58th, and 59th. District 39 is represented by Republican Wayne Long of Bradford, [23] District 40 by Republican Shad Pearce of Batesville in Independence County, [24] District 57 by Republican Cameron Cooper of Romance, [25] District 58 by Republican Les Eaves of Searcy, [26] and District 59 by Republican Jim Wooten of Beebe. [27] White County is also under the state's 17th Judicial District, along with Prairie County, and is served by Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Reed McCoy. [28]
At the Federal level, White County is represented in the U.S. Senate by Republicans John Boozman and Tom Cotton. In the U.S. House of Representatives, it is in Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District and represented by Republican French Hill of Little Rock. [29] Over the past few election cycles White County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.
Position | Officeholder | Party |
---|---|---|
County Judge | Lisa Brown | Republican |
County Clerk | Carla Barnett | Republican |
Circuit Clerk | Sara Brown Carlton | Republican |
Sheriff | Phillip Miller | Republican |
Treasurer | Janet Hibbetts | Republican |
Tax Collector | Beth Dorton | Republican |
Tax Assessor | Gail Snyder | Republican |
Coroner | Matt Smith | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 13 Republicans. [33] [34] Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
District | Justice of the Peace | Party | Residence | District description |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Doug Kennedy | Republican | Beebe | Downtown and western Beebe; district includes Arkansas State University-Beebe |
2 | Bobby Burns | Republican | Beebe | Southwest White County, including parts of Beebe, along with the communities of Barrentine Corner, and Opal. |
3 | Chris Boaz | Republican | El Paso | Western White County, including Rose Bude, along with the communities of El Paso, Floyd, Joy, Romance, and Sidon. |
4 | Allen King | Republican | Pangburn | North-central and west-central White County, including Letona and Pangburn, along with the communities of Albion, Center Hill, Clay, Dewey, Harmony, Holly Springs, and Pickens. |
5 | Jimmy L. House | Republican | Judsonia | Northern and northeastern white county, including Bradford, along with the communities of Hickory Flat, Midway (near Pleasant Plains), Providence, Roosevelt, Steprock, Sunnydale, and Velvet Ridge. |
6 | Shane Sellers | Republican | Judsonia | Central and north-central White County, including Judsonia and Kensett, along with the community of Plainview. |
7 | David H. Freppon | Republican | Bald Knob | Eastern White County, including Bald Knob and Russel, along with the communities of Liberty Valley, Plainview, and Worden. |
8 | Charles "Chuck" Lang | Republican | Georgetown | Southern and southeastern White County, including Garner, Georgetown Griffithville, Higginson McRae, West Point, and southern portions of Searcy, along with the communities of Andrews, Gum Springs, Morning Sun, Vinity Corner, and Walker. |
9 | Mike Cleveland | Republican | Searcy | Central, south-central, and west-central White County, including southwestern portions of Searcy, along with the community of Gum Springs. |
10 | Keith Carlisle | Republican | Searcy | Central White County, including western portions of Searcy, along with the communities of Fourmile Hill and Smyrna. |
11 | Nathan Lincoln | Republican | Searcy | Central White County, including portions of downtown and northern Searcy, along with the communities of Bee Rock and Fourmile Hill. |
12 | Joel "JP" Pritchett | Republican | Searcy | Central White County, including portions of downtown, northern, and western Searcy. |
13 | Kenneth Liles | Republican | Searcy | Central White County, including portions of southern and eastern Searcy; district includes most of Harding University. |
Additionally, the townships of White County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. [36]
The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: [37] [38]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
1896 | 559 | 16.16% | 2,876 | 83.12% | 25 | 0.72% |
1900 | 811 | 30.26% | 1,694 | 63.21% | 175 | 6.53% |
1904 | 676 | 31.40% | 1,238 | 57.50% | 239 | 11.10% |
1908 | 887 | 29.20% | 1,788 | 58.85% | 363 | 11.95% |
1912 | 380 | 15.10% | 1,448 | 57.53% | 689 | 27.37% |
1916 | 673 | 19.25% | 2,823 | 80.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
1920 | 1,359 | 37.82% | 2,086 | 58.06% | 148 | 4.12% |
1924 | 679 | 27.69% | 1,488 | 60.69% | 285 | 11.62% |
1928 | 1,957 | 45.73% | 2,299 | 53.73% | 23 | 0.54% |
1932 | 430 | 11.61% | 3,251 | 87.75% | 24 | 0.65% |
1936 | 535 | 17.57% | 2,503 | 82.20% | 7 | 0.23% |
1940 | 876 | 20.64% | 3,345 | 78.80% | 24 | 0.57% |
1944 | 1,346 | 34.71% | 2,532 | 65.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 833 | 18.01% | 3,193 | 69.04% | 599 | 12.95% |
1952 | 2,884 | 40.79% | 4,179 | 59.11% | 7 | 0.10% |
1956 | 3,813 | 43.58% | 4,895 | 55.94% | 42 | 0.48% |
1960 | 3,985 | 40.52% | 5,244 | 53.33% | 605 | 6.15% |
1964 | 5,023 | 42.99% | 6,566 | 56.20% | 95 | 0.81% |
1968 | 3,887 | 32.02% | 3,198 | 26.34% | 5,054 | 41.63% |
1972 | 8,701 | 67.24% | 4,161 | 32.15% | 79 | 0.61% |
1976 | 4,756 | 29.42% | 11,412 | 70.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 8,079 | 46.66% | 8,750 | 50.54% | 484 | 2.80% |
1984 | 12,566 | 64.66% | 6,603 | 33.97% | 266 | 1.37% |
1988 | 11,094 | 60.84% | 6,957 | 38.15% | 183 | 1.00% |
1992 | 8,538 | 39.60% | 10,494 | 48.67% | 2,531 | 11.74% |
1996 | 8,659 | 41.25% | 10,204 | 48.61% | 2,128 | 10.14% |
2000 | 13,170 | 59.46% | 8,342 | 37.66% | 638 | 2.88% |
2004 | 17,001 | 64.34% | 9,129 | 34.55% | 295 | 1.12% |
2008 | 19,467 | 72.22% | 6,732 | 24.97% | 756 | 2.80% |
2012 | 20,011 | 75.47% | 5,765 | 21.74% | 738 | 2.78% |
2016 | 21,077 | 75.28% | 5,170 | 18.46% | 1,752 | 6.26% |
2020 | 24,182 | 78.30% | 5,978 | 19.36% | 725 | 2.35% |
2024 | 24,514 | 79.50% | 5,641 | 18.29% | 682 | 2.21% |
One of the state's largest banks, First Security Bank, was established in Searcy in 1932 as Security Bank. First Security now has over $8 billion in assets and 78 locations in Arkansas.
The first Wal-Mart distribution center away from the corporate headquarters in Bentonville was established in Searcy.
Public education is provided by several public school districts including:
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A small portion of northern White County, including the community of Roosevelt, is in the Midland School District, located in neighboring Independence County. A small portion of western White County, including Hammondsville, is in the Mount Vernon-Enola School District, located in neighboring Faulkner County. [48]
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Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of White County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. [49] [50]
Source: [51]