Searcy County, Arkansas

History

During the American Civil War, Searcy County, Arkansas had strong, pro-Union leanings, forming an organization known as the "Arkansas Peace Society".

Chocolate Roll Capital of the World

The Chocolate Roll is a dessert endemic to Searcy but little known outside the near region. A typical Chocolate Roll is made from pie dough spread with a mixture of cocoa powder, shortening, and sugar, then rolled up and baked. In 2012 The Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce declared Searcy County the "Chocolate Roll Capital of the World™", and asserted trademarks. Since 2012 Marshall High School has hosted an annual Chocolate Roll Festival that includes the World Champion Chocolate Roll Contest. The 6th was held on March 18, 2017.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 669 sqmi, of which 666 sqmi is land and 2.4 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 65.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 65
• [[Image:Arkansas 14.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 14
• [[Image:Arkansas 16.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 16
• [[Image:Arkansas 27.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 27
• [[Image:Arkansas 66.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 66
• [[Image:Arkansas 74.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 74
• [[Image:Arkansas 235.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 235
• [[Image:Arkansas 333.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 333
• [[Image:Arkansas 374.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 374
• [[Image:Arkansas 377.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 377

Adjacent counties

• Marion County (north)
• Baxter County (northeast)
• Stone County (east)
• Van Buren County (south)
• Pope County (southwest)
• Newton County (west)
• Boone County (northwest)

National protected areas

• Buffalo National River (part)
• Ozark National Forest (part)

Demographics

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,828. The median age was 48.8 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 91.0% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 7.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

There were 3,441 households in the county, of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,705 housing units, of which 26.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.1% were owner-occupied and 21.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,261 people, 3,523 households, and 2,466 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 /mi2. There were 4,292 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.26% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,523 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,397, and the median income for a family was $27,580. Males had a median income of $21,768 versus $16,276 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,536. About 17.80% of families and 23.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 26.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

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 Searcy 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 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

• District 1: Rob Woods (R)

• District 2: Kim D. Loftin (R)

• District 3: James Matt Smith (R)

• District 4: Danny Loggins (R)

• District 5: Wayne Witcher (R)

• District 6: Joel Brian Ragland (R)

• District 7: Jason Ragland (R)

• District 8: Cindi Silor (R)

• District 9: Jerry Loggins (R) Additionally, the townships of Stone 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:

• District 1: Bill Sellers (R)

• District 2: Troy Dye (R)

Politics

Along with adjacent Newton County, Searcy 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. In Presidential elections post-1932, Harry S. Truman and Jimmy Carter are the only Democrats to carry the county. In the 1992 election George H. W. Bush won his second-highest margin in the state, despite former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton being the Democratic nominee. In fact, Republican nominee Bob Dole also carried the county 4 years later despite Clinton's success almost everywhere else in the state. Republicans have received over 60 percent of the vote in the county in every election since 2000. In 2016, Donald Trump received more than 79 percent of the vote in the county, while former Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton received just 16 percent. In 2020, Trump received more than 83 percent of the vote, and in 2024 he received over 85%. Trump's performances in each of these elections are the best of any candidate in the county's history.

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 of 2023. In the Arkansas House of Representatives Searcy County is represented by first-term Republican Steven Walker from the 27th district. The state senator, Missy Thomas Irvin, is also a Republican, serving her fourth term from the 24th district.

Since 1980, in gubernatorial races, the county has tended to favor Republicans in all but one contest. It voted for Frank White in his successful run against freshman Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton in 1980. It supported White again in 1982 and 1986 in rematches with Clinton. It also voted for Woody Freeman over Clinton in 1984. It was the only county in Arkansas where Republican Sheffield Nelson won in both 1990 and 1994. In 1990, it was Nelson's best county in the entire state, winning 64 percent to then-Governor Bill Clinton's 36 percent in Searcy County. In 1994, Searcy County was among the two counties to vote for Nelson over incumbent Democrat Jim Guy Tucker, Benton County being the other (which actually voted for Clinton over Nelson in 1990).

In 1998, Searcy County voted for Republican Mike Huckabee with just under 70 percent, and again in 2002, albeit with a reduced margin of 57 percent. In 2006, it voted 52 percent for Republican ex-Congressman Asa Hutchinson, who lost to Democrat Mike Beebe. In 2010, however, it did vote for incumbent Democrat Mike Beebe with a margin of 57 percent to 40 percent over former state Senator Jim Keet, the first time it had done so since 1978. Keet was regarded as a weak candidate, as he failed to carry a single county.

Education

Public education is provided for early childhood, elementary and secondary education from multiple school districts including:

• Searcy County School District, which includes Marshall High School
• Ozark Mountain School District, which includes Searcy County-based St. Joe Elementary School (also it formerly had St. Joe High School)
• Hector School District
• Mountain View School District
• Yellville-Summit School District

Communities

Cities

• Leslie
• Marshall (county seat)

Towns

• Big Flat (mostly in Baxter County)
• Gilbert
• Pindall
• St. Joe

Census-designated places

• Witts Springs

Unincorporated communities

• Cozahome
• Harriet

Townships

|access-date = July 26, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019104338/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05129_searcy/BAS11C20512900000_000.pdf |archive-date = October 19, 2012

References

References

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2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (September 2018). "6 Southern Unionist Strongholds During the Civil War".
4. (August 14, 2015). "Chocolate Rolls, The Pride of Searcy County Arkansas.".
5. (November 6, 2012). "Searcy County — "Chocolate Roll Capital of the World!!"".
6. (January 9, 2016). "2016 Chocolate Roll Festival – Bigger and Better!!".
7. "6th Annual MHS Chocolate Roll Contest and Festival".
8. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
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15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
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17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
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20. "Office of County Judge".
21. "Searcy {{!}} Association of Arkansas Counties".
22. "Archived copy".
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30. [https://www.arkansashouse.org/district/27 Arkansas House page]
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