DeWitt

DeWitt is the second largest city in Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located on the Arkansas Grand Prairie, known for rice farming and duck hunting. The name DeWitt was picked out of a hat after being submitted by an admirer of the sixth governor of New York. The town was platted in 1854, and has had a post office since 1856. It is located at 34°1729N 91°2013W (34.291477, -91.336983). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) The city was incorporated in 1875. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 3,292 people living in the city. In the 2020 United States census, there will be 3,056 people, 1,226 households, and 730 families residing in the town. The population of the city is expected to rise to 3,500 by the end of the decade. The county seat of Arkansas County is located in the southern part of the town, in the eastern part of Arkansas Delta. The area is known for its rice farming, duck hunting, and forage for many species of waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway. It was named after New York Governor DeWITT Clinton, one of many localities named for Clinton during the period. It has a population of 3,300, according to the 2010 census.

History

The name DeWitt was picked out of a hat after being submitted by an admirer of the sixth governor of New York. The town was platted in 1854, and has had a post office since 1856. The city was incorporated in 1875. It was named after the sixth New York governor, Dewitt Clinton, one of many localities named for Clinton during the period. The county seat was moved to a new, more centrally located town after creation of several Southeast Arkansas counties. The name of the new town, DeW Witt, was chosen from the name of Clinton, the sixth Governor of the United States. It has been the county seat of Arkansas since 1813, and was incorporated as a city on February 19, 1875, after becoming county seat in 1853. It is the only city in the state to be named after a U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, who died in office in 1861. It also was the first city in Arkansas to be incorporated. The first post office was established in 1856, and the city was founded in 1855. It had a population of 2,000. It became the county center in 1813 after Arkansas Post, which had served as county seat since 18 13, was no longer centrally located within the county following creation ofseveral Southeast Arkansas Counties, was removed from the county. The current county seat is Arkansas City, Arkansas, which was founded on February 18, 1853, and incorporated on February 20, 1874.

Geography

DeWitt and Arkansas County are located in the Arkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta") a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Arkansas County is almost entirely within the Grand Prairie subregion, historically a flat grassland plain underlain by an impermeable clay layer. Distinctively, rice is the main crop; soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat are also grown. The rice fields provide habitat and forage for large numbers and many species of waterfowl; duck and goose hunting occurs at this important spot along the Mississippi Flyway. DeWitt is located at 34°1729N 91°2013W (34.291477, -91.336983). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all land. The city is home to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which has a campus of the College of Arts and Sciences. The university is located on the campus of Arkansas State University, which is located in Little Rock. The campus has an enrollment of 2,000 students. It is the largest college in the state, with more than 1,000 undergraduates and about 1,500 graduate students. The school is one of the largest in the U.S. in terms of enrollment, with 1,200 students in the spring of 2013. It also has a chapter of the American College of Science and Technology, which offers a master's degree in geography.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 3,292 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 77.93% White, 20.92% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American and 0.23% Asian. The city's population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household was $30,921, and the median income. for a family was $42,917. About 10.6% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0 per cent of those under 18 and 14.4 of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was2.84. The population density was 1,371.7 inhabitants per square mile (529.6/km²) There were 1,552 housing units at an average density of 599.4 per squaremile (231.4/ km²) The city has a population of 3,056 people, 1,226 households, and 730 families as of the 2020 U.S. census. It has a median age of 39.1 years, with every 100 females having a median income of 87.1 males.

Education

DeWitt is the center of the DeWitt School District. Their mascot is the Dragons, and their school colors are blue and gold. The district is made up of four schools: High School, Middle School, Elementary, and Gillett Elementary. The high school is the only one in the district to offer grades 9 through 12. The middle school houses grades 6 through 8, and the elementary school houses kindergarten through 5th grade. The school district is also home to a number of private schools, including a private day care center and a daycare center for children with special needs, as well as an after-school program for children in need of special education services.

Culture and contemporary life

The city contains eight listings on the National Register of Historic Places. The DeWitt Commercial Historic District contains 54 historically significant buildings, 32 of which face Courthouse Square. The Arkansas County Fair has been held annually since 1938. The feature film Mud (2013; written and directed by Jeff Nichols, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey) was filmed in and around Arkansas County. The movie featured a scene filmed at Dewitt Hospital & Nursing Home. The city has been served by the DeW Witt Era Enterprise since 1929. Several other newspapers have been published in the city, many during the late 19th century. The most popular annual event is duck hunting season between November and January, a tradition dating back to the Illinois Indians who traveled south to Arkansas to hunt, popular with Arkansans and tourist hunters from across the country. It is also the location of the Arkansas County Courthouse-Southern District, which is home to the state's highest court. It has also been the site of the state Supreme Court, which has been located in the same building since the 1970s. It also hosts the Arkansas State Fair, which runs from September to October. It was founded in 1938 and is the oldest county fair in the United States. It's located on the Arkansas River, which flows into the Little Piney River. It runs through the city's downtown area, and is known as the "Little Piney Waterway" for its scenic views. The town has a population of about 3,000.

Infrastructure

The primary highway in DeWitt is U.S. Route 165 (US 165), which connects the city to Stuttgart (the county seat of Arkansas County's northern district) and Little Rock, Arkansas to the north. Highway 1 (AR 1) runs along the city's eastern side. Other minor highways include AR 152 (2nd Street) and AR 130. The Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway following the Mississippi River, enters the city from the south on US 165 and turns onto AR 1 toward St. Charles. AR 980 gives access to the DeW Witt Municipal Airport, a general aviation facility. The city is located in Arkansas County, which is home to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University. It is also the site of the Arkansas State Fair, the state's largest state fair, which runs from June to September each year. The state fair runs from July to September. It also runs through the town of St.Charles, Arkansas, which has a state fair from September to October. The town is also home to a number of other tourist attractions, including the Little Rock International Airport and the Arkansas National Guard Air Station. It has a population of about 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in the northern part of the city. It was founded in the early 1900s and is located on the banks of the Great River River. The Arkansas River, which flows through the city, is a major tourist attraction.