Harrison

Harrison is a city and the county seat of Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is named after General Marcus LaRue Harrison, a surveyor who laid out the city along Crooked Creek at Stifler Springs. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the city was 13,069, up from 12,943 at the 2010 census. Harrison is the principal city of the Harrison Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boone and Newton counties. There were two race riots in the early 20th century and an influx of white supremacist organizations during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Because of this, a number of sources have called it "the most racist town in the United States" The city has made efforts to downplay its reputation by editing the town's Wikipedia article and trying to improve its image with educational events and billboards. In 2014, a peace march and vigil celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. was held in downtown Harrison. In 2017, Mayor Dan Sherrell and Boone County Judge Robert Hathaway signed proclamations recognizing June as Confederate Heritage and History Month. The first African-American employed in the area in 1978 received death threats shortly after his arrival, which prompted him to leave the area. He returned in 2007, and in 2019, Harrison was recognized by its mayor as its first Confederate Heritage Month by Judge Robert. Hathaway and Judge Robert Jackson issued the pro-Confederate plaque in Harrison in 2017.

History

Harrison is a town in Boone County, Arkansas. It is named after Marcus LaRue Harrison, a Union officer who surveyed and platted the town. The town was incorporated on March 1, 1876. It has a reputation for being a racist community. In the 1970s, Kingdom Identity Ministries, an anti-gay Christian Identity outreach ministry identified as a hate group, was founded in Harrison. Sam Walton opened his second WalMart store in Harrison in 1962. In 2017, Mayor Dan Sherrell and Boone County Judge Robert Hathaway signed proclamations recognizing June as Confederate Heritage and History Month. In June 2020, a group of around 300 gathered in Harrison to protest police brutality in the murder of George Floyd while 15 people looked on with Confederate rifles and American flags. As of August 2021, Southern Poverty Law center lists the following hate groups as having Harrison locations: Knights of Thom Thompsen, Kingdom identity Ministries and the South of the South League of the KKK (founded in Harrison), and the KKK leader KKK leader Knights of the Knights of Robb Thompson. The city has a population of 2,000. The population of Boone County was 3,000 in 1869, and it is expected to reach 4,000 by the end of the year. The county seat is Boone County Airport, which is located in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. Harrison is home to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, which has a campus that opened in 1913. The university is one of the oldest colleges in the state.

Geography

Harrison has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.8 km²), of which 11.7 square miles is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Harrison is located on U.S. Routes 62, 65, and 412, which lead north to Branson, Missouri, south to Conway, Arkansas, and west to Rogers and Bentonville. Harrison has a population of 1,788. It is located in the Ozark Mountains, which are the only source of fresh water in the area. It has an elevation of 2,816 feet (715 meters) and a population density of 1.738 square miles per square mile. The town is located near the junction of U.N. Route 62 and Route 65, which leads north to Eureka Springs and south to Bent onville. It also has a junction with Route 412 which leads west to Springdale and east to Mountain Home and beyond. It was founded in 1881. It lies on the Arkansas-Missouri state line and was named after Harrison, a town in the state's first district. It had a population in the early 1900s. The current mayor was elected to office in 1998. It became a city in 2000.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 13,069 people, 5,578 households, and 3,198 families residing in the city. 23.2% of the population was under the age of 18, and 19.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in the City was $33,244, and the number of people living below the poverty level was 15.1%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $108,700. The racial makeup of the city was 96.2%, with 0.3% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 0.7% Asian. The city's population was 12,943 as of the census of 2010, with 2,2% Hispanic or Latino of any race. It has a population of 13,639 as of 2020, with 1,715 of those being non-Hispanic white or Hispanic/Latino, and 1,6% Asian or Pacific Islander. The average household income for the city is $33.244, with the average family income of $50,000. It is the largest city in the state with a population over 10,000; the city's median household income is $40,000, with an average of $51,000 for the same period. The population is 12,741 as of 2010; the average household size is $42,838.

Economy

Harrison is home of the general office of FedEx Freight, a leading Less-Than-Load (LTL) freight carrier. Arkansas Freightways, later renamed to American Freightway, was combined with Viking Freight to become FedExFreight in February 2001. North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (Medical services) is the largest employer in Harrison. Walmart Inc. (Retail) and Windstream (Telecommunications) are other major employers. The city is home to the U.S. Air Force base, which is one of the largest military bases in the United States. It is also the home of North Arkansas College (Education) and WestRock, formerly RockTenn Company (Folding Paperboard Cartons) The town is also home to Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which are among the state's largest universities. The town has a population of 3,816, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town of Harrison. The average household income in Harrison is about $30,000, and the city has a median household income of about $50,000. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. The city's unemployment rate was 2.7% in the year ending June 30, 2009. The U.N. World Economic Forum has declared the region a low-income region, and it is expected to remain that way for the next few years. The state has a high unemployment rate of 2.8%.

Architecture

The Boone County Courthouse and Jail were designed by Charles L. Thompson. Both are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse was built in 1909 and the jail in 1914. Both were built by the same architect, Charles Thompson, who also designed the county's library and sheriff's office.

Arts and culture

Harrison hosts the annual Arkansas Hot Air Balloon races each September, Crawdad Days Music Festival each May, a Harvest Homecoming festival each October, and Christmas celebration in December. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized the Harrison Courthouse Square Historic District. It contains a large number of the city's original commercial and governmental structures, including the still-used courthouse in the center of the square. The recently refurbished Lyric Theater, and the 1929 Hotel Seville, which underwent a complete restoration in 2008. The Ozarks Arts Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 1996 with the mission "To enrich lives by promoting the arts in Harrison and North Arkansas through exhibitions, performances, and education" It provides administrative support and distributes financial and in-kind donations to its member organizations: The Theatre Company, Twentieth Century Club, Woman's Book Club, and Ozark Children's Choir. The historic Lyric Theatre is managed by the Ozark Arts Council. Originally opened as a movie theater in 1929, it is now used for plays, community events, old movies and other gatherings. It is located in the historic district of Harrison, Arkansas, near the intersection of I-30 and I-40. The city is home to the National Park Service, the Arkansas State Museum and the Arkansas Museum of History and Science. It also hosts a number of museums and other points of interest, such as the Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History.

Parks and recreation

Harrison serves as the National Park Service's Buffalo National River headquarters. The park was established in the 1970s, and was the nation's first national river. Crooked Creek, a nationally recognized "Blue Ribbon" smallmouth bass fishery, flows through Harrison. Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls, at 209 feet (64 m), is the tallest waterfall between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians, is located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Harrison near Compton. On the same bluff line is Diamond falls, at 148 feet (45 m) the second tallest in the state. The river flows for 135 miles (217 km), and there are over 59 different species of fish in it. It is the only river in the U.S. with over 100 miles (160 km) of riverbed. It was named after Buffalo, New York, which was the first state to be named after a river. It's the second largest river in New Mexico, after the Mississippi River, and the third largest in the United States after the Red River. It flows through the town of Harrison, which is home to the Buffalo River National Park. The Buffalo River was named for Buffalo, the first river in American history, and is the second-largest river in America after theributaries of the Mississippi and theributary of the Little Colorado. It runs through Harrison, and it is also home to a smallmouth Bass Fishery, which has a Blue Ribbon status. It also is the site of the state's only national park, which opened in 1973.

Education

Residents are served by the Harrison School District. The Harrison High School mascot is the Golden Goblin. Harrison is also home to North Arkansas College (Northark) The district had been a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1936 until its dissolution in 2014. It is now a member. of the AdvancED commission. The district is located on the Arkansas Turnaround Highway, which runs through the town. The highway was built in the early 1900s. It was originally built as a bypass for the town's railroads. The town is home to the North Arkansas University, which was founded in the 1930s. The school is located in the town of Northark, which is located near the Arkansas-Arkansas State Line. The college was established in the 1950s. it is now based in Northark and is a part of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. It has an enrollment of about 2,000 students. It also has a satellite campus in Little Rock, Arkansas, where it offers classes for high school and college students. The high school is known as Harrison High, and the high school has a mascot of the same name, the Golden Goblins. The High School is also the home of NorthArkansas College, which opened in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Northark is a public institution of higher education, and has an accredited college program. It offers classes in business, nursing, science, and health care. it also has an agriculture program, which it offers.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Harrison, Boone County, Arkansas = 91.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 101. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 81. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Harrison = 4.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 13,069 individuals with a median age of 39 age the population grows by 7.48% in Harrison, Boone County, Arkansas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,166.35 residents per square mile of area (450.35/km²). There are average 2.18 people per household in the 5,783 households with an average household income of $32,071 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.40% of the available work force and has dropped -1.70% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 30.20%. The number of physicians in Harrison per 100,000 population = 187.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Harrison = 42.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 8.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 88. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 214. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 25.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 33, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Harrison, Boone County, Arkansas which are owned by the occupant = 55.76%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 32 years with median home cost = $103,160 and home appreciation of 4.38%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.70 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,320 per student. There are 13 students for each teacher in the school, 389 students for each Librarian and 324 students for each Counselor. 5.58% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.72% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.23% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).