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Woodruff County, Arkansas

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Woodruff County is located in the Arkansas Delta in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for William E. Woodruff, founder of the state's first newspaper, the Arkansas Gazette. Created as Arkansas's 54th county in 1862, Woodruff County is home to one incorporated town and four incorporated cities, including Augusta, the county seat. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns. Occupying only 587 square miles (152,000 ha), Woodruff County is the 13th smallest county in Arkansas. As of the 2020 Census, the county's population was 6,269.[1] Based on population, the county is the second-smallest county of the 75 in Arkansas.[2] Located in the Arkansas Delta, the county is largely flat with fertile soils. Historically covered in forest, bayous and swamps, the area was cleared for agriculture by early settlers. It is drained by the Cache River and the White River. Along the Cache River, the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) runs north–south across the county, preserving bottomland forest, sloughs and wildlife habitat.

Woodruff County
County
Woodruff County courthouse in Augusta
Woodruff County courthouse in Augusta
Map of Arkansas highlighting Woodruff County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°11′42″N 91°13′17″W / 35.195°N 91.2214°W / 35.195; -91.2214
Country United States
State Arkansas
FoundedNovember 26, 1862
Named forWilliam E. Woodruff
SeatAugusta
Largest cityAugusta
Area
 • Total
594 sq mi (1,540 km2)
 • Land587 sq mi (1,520 km2)
 • Water7.2 sq mi (19 km2)  1.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,269
 • Density11/sq mi (4.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewoodruffcounty.arkansas.gov

Although no Interstate highways are located in Woodruff County, two United States highways (US 49 and US 64) and twelve Arkansas state highways run in the county. Two Union Pacific Railroad lines cross the county.[3]

Geography

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Top: The Cache River runs through a hardwood forest in Woodruff County
Bottom: Typical countryside in Woodruff County. This photo taken along Highway 64B north of Patterson.
See also: Geography of Arkansas and Arkansas Delta

The county is located in the Arkansas Delta, one of the six primary geographic regions of Arkansas. The Arkansas Delta is a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from the Mississippi River between Louisiana and Illinois. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 594 square miles (1,540 km2), of which 587 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km2) (1.2%) is water.[4] Major hydrologic features include the Cache River, which roughly bisects the county north–south, Bayou De View, which runs through eastern Woodruff County, and the White River, which serves as the county's western boundary.

Prior to settlement, Woodruff County was densely forested, with bayous, sloughs, and swamps crossing the land. Seeking to take advantage of the area's fertile soils, settlers cleared the land to better suit row crops. Although some swampland has been preserved in the Cache River NWR and some former farmland has undergone reforestation, the majority (56 percent) of the county remains in cultivation.[Note 1] Another large land use in Woodruff County is the Cache River NWR, owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Stretching approximately 90 miles (140 km) across adjacent counties, the NWR is listed as a Ramsar wetlands of international importance, and serves as a key wintering area for ducks and the largest contiguous tract of bottomland hardwood forest in North America. The NWR aggressively seeks willing property owners to sell land to add to the NWR's boundaries, adding 2,000 acres (810 ha) in 2015.[6]

The county is located approximately 75 miles (121 km) northeast of Little Rock and 81.3 miles (130.8 km) west of Memphis, Tennessee.[Note 2] Woodruff County is surrounded by five other Delta counties: Jackson County to the north, Cross County to the northeast, St. Francis County to the southeast, Monroe County to the south and Prairie County to the southwest. West of Woodruff County is White County, which is something of combination point for the Delta, Ozarks, and Central Arkansas.

Climate

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Woodruff County has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Woodruff County experiences all four seasons, although summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters are mild with little snow. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of 93 °F (33.9 °C) and an average low of 70 °F (21.1 °C). Temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are not uncommon. January is the coldest month with an average high of 49 °F (9.4 °C) and an average low of 27 °F (−2.8 °C). The highest temperature was 112 °F (44.4 °C), recorded in 1936 and 1972. The lowest temperature recorded was −11 °F (−24 °C), on January 8, 1942.

Climate data for Augusta Climate Data
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 87
(31) 		85
(29) 		90
(32) 		97
(36) 		99
(37) 		109
(43) 		112
(44) 		112
(44) 		109
(43) 		98
(37) 		87
(31) 		81
(27) 		112
(44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49
(9) 		54
(12) 		63
(17) 		73
(23) 		81
(27) 		89
(32) 		93
(34) 		92
(33) 		85
(29) 		74
(23) 		62
(17) 		51
(11) 		72
(22)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27
(−3) 		31
(−1) 		39
(4) 		48
(9) 		58
(14) 		67
(19) 		70
(21) 		69
(21) 		60
(16) 		48
(9) 		39
(4) 		30
(−1) 		49
(9)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) 		−10
(−23) 		9
(−13) 		24
(−4) 		36
(2) 		44
(7) 		52
(11) 		48
(9) 		34
(1) 		24
(−4) 		11
(−12) 		−4
(−20) 		−11
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.6
(91) 		3.8
(97) 		4.8
(120) 		5.0
(130) 		5.5
(140) 		2.9
(74) 		3.7
(94) 		2.7
(69) 		3.4
(86) 		4.7
(120) 		5.2
(130) 		5.0
(130) 		50.3
(1,281)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.8
(2.0) 		1.0
(2.5) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		2.0
(5.1)
Source 1: The Weather Channel[8]
Source 2: Weather Database[9]

Communities

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Streetside in Cotton Plant

Four incorporated cities and one incorporated town are located within the county. The largest city and county seat, Augusta, is located in the western part of the county near the White River and the White County border. Augusta's population was 1,998 as of the 2020 Census,[10] well below its peak of 3,496 at the 1980 Census. McCrory and Patterson are adjacent to each other, located near the county's center. Cotton Plant and Hunter are both located in the southern part of Woodruff County, with 2020 populations of 529 and 103, respectively.

Woodruff County has dozens of unincorporated communities and ghost towns within its borders. This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to cluster in small clusters rather than incorporated towns. For example, Fitzhugh and Gregory had post offices at some point in their history. Other communities are simply a few dwellings at a crossroads that have adopted a common place name over time. Some are officially listed as populated places by the United States Geological Survey, and others are listed as historic settlements.

Unincorporated communities

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Historic communities

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Townships

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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 Woodruff County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. [11][12]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18706,891—
18808,64625.5%
189014,00962.0%
190016,30416.4%
191020,04923.0%
192021,5477.5%
193022,6825.3%
194022,133−2.4%
195018,957−14.3%
196013,954−26.4%
197011,566−17.1%
198011,222−3.0%
19909,520−15.2%
20008,741−8.2%
20107,260−16.9%
20206,269−13.7%
2023 (est.)5,964[13]−4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16]
1990–2000[17] 2010[18]
 
Age pyramid Woodruff County[19]

2020 census

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Woodruff County Racial Composition[20]
Race Num. Perc.
White 4,235 67.55%
Black or African American 1,601 25.54%
Native American 8 0.13%
Asian 22 0.35%
Other/Mixed 307 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 96 1.53%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 6,269 people, 2,932 households, and 1,855 families residing in the county.

2000 census

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As of the 2000 United States Census,[21] there were 8,741 people, 3,531 households, and 2,439 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 4,089 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.86% White, 30.75% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,531 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 16.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.20% 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 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,099, and the median income for a family was $27,824. Males had a median income of $24,051 versus $17,995 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,269. About 21.70% of families and 27.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.10% of those under age 18 and 27.00% of those age 65 or over.


Government

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See also: Government of Arkansas

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 Woodruff County Quorum Court has nine 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.[22][23]

Woodruff County, like most rural white Southern counties, leaned heavily Democratic for most of its history, particularly in the Jim Crow and immediate post-Jim Crow eras. Since 1880, the county has failed to back the Democratic nominee in a presidential election only four times: in 1968, when it backed the third-party candidacy of George Wallace (who was otherwise affiliated with the Democratic Party); in 1972, when it and every other county in the state backed Republican Richard Nixon amidst a national landslide; and in 2016 and 2020, when it voted for Republican Donald Trump amidst large Republican gains in rural areas across the nation. The 2020 election marked a historic shift, as the county swung substantially to the right despite Trump losing the national election. This marked the first time in history that a Democrat was elected president without carrying Woodruff County, and Trump's 28-point win was the largest Republican margin in the county's history.

Woodruff County is represented in the 10th district of the Arkansas Senate by Republican Ron Caldwell, a real estate businessman from Wynne in Cross County, and in the 61st district of the Arkansas House of Representatives by Republican Jeremiah Moore, a real estate broker from Clarendon in Monroe County.[24] The county is part of the 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is represented by Republican Rick Crawford.

United States presidential election results for Woodruff County, Arkansas[25]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 1,513 65.27% 760 32.79% 45 1.94%
2020 1,543 62.32% 856 34.57% 77 3.11%
2016 1,347 52.39% 1,118 43.49% 106 4.12%
2012 1,227 45.70% 1,340 49.91% 118 4.39%
2008 1,206 43.68% 1,412 51.14% 143 5.18%
2004 1,021 33.74% 1,972 65.17% 33 1.09%
2000 898 33.87% 1,699 64.09% 54 2.04%
1996 598 20.97% 2,044 71.67% 210 7.36%
1992 676 19.34% 2,589 74.08% 230 6.58%
1988 1,097 36.16% 1,924 63.41% 13 0.43%
1984 1,675 44.56% 2,055 54.67% 29 0.77%
1980 1,204 32.06% 2,452 65.28% 100 2.66%
1976 848 21.78% 3,040 78.09% 5 0.13%
1972 1,989 61.73% 1,183 36.72% 50 1.55%
1968 625 17.22% 1,270 35.00% 1,734 47.78%
1964 1,366 36.99% 2,307 62.47% 20 0.54%
1960 667 26.31% 1,613 63.63% 255 10.06%
1956 992 37.08% 1,630 60.93% 53 1.98%
1952 818 28.81% 2,017 71.05% 4 0.14%
1948 207 11.32% 1,008 55.11% 614 33.57%
1944 279 16.79% 1,377 82.85% 6 0.36%
1940 193 13.03% 1,280 86.43% 8 0.54%
1936 253 14.55% 1,473 84.70% 13 0.75%
1932 135 6.68% 1,864 92.19% 23 1.14%
1928 452 27.95% 1,163 71.92% 2 0.12%
1924 254 24.26% 762 72.78% 31 2.96%
1920 943 46.41% 1,049 51.62% 40 1.97%
1916 438 31.90% 935 68.10% 0 0.00%
1912 473 27.84% 903 53.15% 323 19.01%
1908 752 40.39% 1,046 56.18% 64 3.44%
1904 578 38.84% 861 57.86% 49 3.29%
1900 549 35.51% 990 64.04% 7 0.45%
1896 620 29.43% 1,478 70.15% 9 0.43%

Infrastructure

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Aviation

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The Woodruff County Airport located along US 64 between Patterson and Augusta is the only public own/public use airport in the county. It is a general aviation airport, serving primarily agricultural (spraying) and recreational operations. For the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2014, the facility saw 5,500 general aviation operations.[26]

Major highways

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Highway 64B east of Augusta

Utilities

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The Patterson Water Treatment Facility produces potable water distributed by Patterson Waterworks and the West Woodruff Water District.
See also: List of public utilities in Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Health is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Woodruff County contains seven community water systems: Augusta Waterworks, Breckenridge Union Water Association (UWA), Cross County Rural Water System, Cotton Plant Waterworks, McCrory Waterworks, Patterson Waterworks, and West Woodruff Water District. Within the county, Augusta Waterworks has the largest retail population (2,284), followed by McCrory (1,647), and Breckenridge UWA (1,267).[27] All community water systems in Woodruff County use groundwater as their source of raw water, except West Woodruff Water District, who purchases all water from Patterson.[28]

See also

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References

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Notes
  1. ^ In 2014, 114 thousand acres of soybeans, 58.7 thousand acres of rice, 14.6 thousand acres of wheat, 17 thousand acres of corn and 7 thousand acres of sorghum were planted in Woodruff County.[5] Total acreage for those two crops is 211,600. Woodruff County is 594 square miles, which is 380,160 acres based on 640 acres per square mile. Acreage for the total crops (211,600) divided by acreage for the county (380,160) is 55.7 percent.
  2. ^ Mileages from Woodruff County to Little Rock and Memphis are based on highway miles using county seat Augusta for Woodruff County.[7]
References
  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Woodruff County, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ General Highway Map - Woodruff County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (9/2/00 ed.). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "National Agricultural Statistics Service County Level Data". U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "Cache River National Wildlife Refuge" (PDF). National Wildlife Refuge Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  7. ^ "Google Maps (Search for Augusta, AR)". Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  8. ^ "Monthly Averages for Augusta, AR" (Table). The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  9. ^ "Monthly Snowfall Averages for Augusta, AR" (Table). Weather Database. Retrieved January 23, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Augusta (city), Arkansas". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  11. ^ 2011 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS): Woodruff County, AR (PDF) (Map). U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  12. ^ "Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  13. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  16. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  17. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  18. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  19. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  21. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  22. ^ Teske, Steven (March 24, 2014). "Quorum Courts". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  23. ^ Goss, Kay C. (August 28, 2015). "Office of County Judge". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  24. ^ "Jeremiah Moore - Arkansas House of Representatives". www.arkansashouse.org. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  25. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  26. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for M60 PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Accessed December 10, 2015.
  27. ^ "Community Water System Data". Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Health, Engineering Section. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  28. ^ "West Woodruff Water District Annual Drinking Water Quality Report" (PDF). Consumer Confidence Report. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Health. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
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35°11′42″N 91°13′17″W / 35.19500°N 91.22139°W / 35.19500; -91.22139

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