Newton County, Arkansas

History

Newton County residents were divided during the Civil War, serving in both the Confederate and Union armies. John Cecil, who had served as Newton County's sheriff, served as a Confederate Captain. Jasper blacksmith James R. Vanderpool (ca. 1832–1880) served as Captain of Union Company C, 1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers, while farmer and teacher John McCoy (1820–1903) served as Captain of Union Company F, 1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. Many Newton County citizens served under each of these men, as well as in other units. As an example of how the war divided families, Confederate Captain Cecil's brother, Sam, served as a sergeant in Union Company D, 2nd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers. Violence took a severe toll on the civilian population, and at one point, Captains McCoy and Vanderpool escorted 20 wagons of Unionist families from Newton County to Missouri to seek refuge.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 sqmi, of which 821 sqmi is land and 2.3 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Newton County lies almost entirely within the rugged Boston Mountain range of the Ozark Mountains where elevations exceed 2500 ft. The Buffalo National River, a popular destination for canoeing and recreation, runs through the county from west to east. Highway 7, which traverses the county from north to south, has been rated as one of the most scenic drives in the country.

Adjacent counties

• Boone County (north)
• Searcy County (east)
• Pope County (southeast)
• Johnson County (south)
• Madison County (west)
• Carroll County (northwest)

National protected areas

• Buffalo National River (part)
• Ozark National Forest (part)
• Upper Buffalo Wilderness
• Mystic Cavern

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,225. The median age was 51.6 years. 18.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 28.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.6% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

There were 3,169 households in the county, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.2% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,086 housing units, of which 22.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.4% were owner-occupied and 17.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,608 people, 3,500 households, and 2,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 4/km2 (10/sq mi), one of the most sparse among county populations in Arkansas. There were 4,316 housing units at an average density of 5 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 99.29% White, 0.00% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,500 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 27.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,756, and the median income for a family was $30,134. Males had a median income of $22,406 versus $17,654 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,788. About 15.70% of families and 20.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.80% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Native residents of Newton County were interviewed in 1970 for research being done by a doctoral student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. A Ph.D. degree was awarded to Bethany K. Dumas in May 1971 after she completed "A Study of the Dialect of Newton County, Arkansas." Results are discussed in two of her published articles/chapters: "The Morphology of Newton County, Arkansas: An Exercise in Studying Ozark Dialect," Mid–South Folklore 3 (1975), 115–125, and "Southern Mountain English" Chapter 5 of The Workings of Language, ed. R. S. Wheeler, Westport, CT, and London: Praeger, 1999, 67–79.

Government

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 Newton County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating 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.

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

• District 1: Jamie Mefford (R)
• District 2: Richard Campbell (R)
• District 3: Terry Clark (R)
• District 4: Dennis Sain (I)
• District 5: Jerry Lee (R)
• District 6: Chris Martin (R)
• District 7: Steven Adams (R)
• District 8: Arlis Jones (R)
• District 9: John David Phillips (R)

Additionally, the townships of Newton 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. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:

• Hickory Grove: Charles Moore (R)
• Hudson: Marvin Wilson (R)
• Jackson: Joe Phillips (R)
• Jefferson: Jayson Flud (R)
• Pleasant Hill: Johnny Bohannon (R)
• Richland: Lee Young (R)
• Western Grove: Gary Waters (R)

Politics

Along with adjacent Searcy County, Newton is unique among Arkansas counties in being traditionally Republican in political leanings even during the overwhelmingly Democratic "Solid South" era. This Republicanism resulted from their historical paucity of slaves, in turn created by infertile soils unsuitable for intensive cotton farming, and produced support for the Union during the Civil War. These were the only two counties in Arkansas to be won by Alf Landon in 1936, Wendell Willkie in 1940, Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, and even Calvin Coolidge in 1924. Since the Civil War the only Democrats to gain an absolute majority of Newton County's vote have been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 2008, the Socialism and Liberation candidate, Gloria La Riva, had the notable achievement of winning the precinct of Murray, ahead of major party candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. The Republican nominee has received over sixty percent in all Presidential elections from 2000 to 2020 inclusive. In 2016, Newton County voted over 76 percent for Donald Trump, while Hillary Clinton received just 18 percent.

The county is in Arkansas's 1st congressional district, which from Reconstruction until 2010 sent only Democrats to the U.S. House. That year, it elected Republican Rick Crawford, who currently holds the seat as to date. In the Arkansas House of Representatives Newton County is represented by Steven Walker. The state senator, Missy Thomas Irvin, is also a Republican.

Attractions

24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell (24HHH) is an annual rock-climbing competition held at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Newton County. Using difficulty ratings based on the Yosemite Decimal System, teams of two attempt to climb as many routes as possible in 24 hours. The sandstone walls of the canyon has over 411 established routes. The event was first held in 2006, and was rated by Climbing magazine as one of the most difficult endurance events in the nation.

Communities

City

• Jasper (county seat)

Town

• Western Grove

Census-designated place

• Deer
• Mount Judea
• Ponca
• Wayton

Other unincorporated communities

• Bass
• Ben Hur
• Compton
• Dinsmore
• Fallsville
• Hasty
• Marble Falls
• Mossville
• Piercetown
• Parthenon
• Vendor

Townships

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019104207/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05101_newton/BAS11C20510100000_000.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 19, 2012 |access-date = June 28, 2011

Infrastructure

Major highways

• [[Image:US 65.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 65
• [[Image:Arkansas 7.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 7
• [[Image:Arkansas 16.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 16
• [[Image:Arkansas 21.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 21
• [[Image:Arkansas 43.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 43
• [[Image:Arkansas 74.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 74
• [[Image:Arkansas 123.svg|25px]] Arkansas Highway 123

References

References

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28. Robinson, Bob. "Rock around the clock: Crag climbers put themselves through 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell." [[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]], October 21, 2013. 6E.
29. Hewitt, Andrew. [http://horseshoecanyonduderanch.com/things-to-do/rock-climbing/ "UPDATED: Rave Reviews and Sleepless Sending at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell."]{{Dead link. (November 2025)
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