Morrilton, Arkansas
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| Morrilton, Arkansas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Conway |
| Area | |
| - Total | 8.5 sq mi (22.1 km²) |
| - Land | 8.2 sq mi (21.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²) |
| Elevation | 384 ft (117 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 6,550 |
| - Density | 770.6/sq mi (296.4/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 72110 |
| Area code(s) | 501 |
| FIPS code | 05-46970 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0056839 |
Morrilton is a city in Conway County, Arkansas, 51 miles (82 km) northwest of Little Rock. In 1890, 1,644 people lived here; in 1900, 1,707; and in 1910, 2,424. The town was home to Harding College, now Harding University of Searcy, Arkansas, for about a decade in the 1920s and 1930s. The population was 6,550 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Conway County[1].
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[edit] Geography
Morrilton is located at (35.156373, -92.741944)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.3 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (3.75%) is water.
[edit] Education
Secondary
Morrilton is home to the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM).
Public School
The South Conway County School District serves Morrilton as its public school system.
Private School
Sacred Heart Catholic School was founded in 1879 by Father Charles Steurer. Nine Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny arrived from France to teach at the school. Sacred Heart High School was later opened in 1923.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,550 people, 2,645 households, and 1,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 796.7 people per square mile (307.7/km²). There were 2,947 housing units at an average density of 358.4/sq mi (138.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.38% White, 17.47% Black or African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. 3.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,645 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,007, and the median income for a family was $36,432. Males had a median income of $30,123 versus $19,213 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,957. About 13.4% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Historical Facts
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- The French landed at nearby Petit Jean Mountain in the 1700s. Legend says that a young woman had pretended to be a shipmate, which the crew nicknamed "Little John", so that she could spend time with her beau. She grew ill during the journey and died while under care of the local Native American tribe.
- The main settlement in Conway County was Lewisburg, a town of 3,000 plus and a riverboat stop on the Arkansas River. During the railroad boom of the late 1800s, land was not granted through the town, so the railroad built north of Lewisburg.
- The town's name was decided after the railroad came through in the late 1800s. The land was donated to the railroad company by a pair of farmers, Mr. Moose and Mr. Morrill. Both farmers wanted the train stop named after them so they decided that a coin flip would decide the name. Mr. Morrill obviously won and slowly the city of Lewisburg, which was located almost a mile to the south on the Arkansas River, moved to the new railroad station. Today the main streets downtown feature the farmers name and a third street, Division Street, marks the dividing line between where the farms once were.
- Dr. Nemrod Menifee established the first trading post in the county at Lewisburg in 1825. He later donated his plantation land in order to establish the town that currently bears his name.
- The first hospital in Morrilton was Jones' Hospital located on North West Street.
- Morrilton native Lencola Sullivan became the first African-American to place among the Top Five of the Miss America Pageant. Lencola also served as Ms. Arkansas in 1980.
- The original campus of Harding University is now the home of the Southern Christian Home, a residential child care facility supported by the churches of Christ.
- The local radio station, KVOM, was established in 1952 on AM 800. It is still on the air, and an FM (KVOM-FM) was established in 1980.
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Morrilton, Arkansas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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