Blytheville, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s of Mississippi County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 15,620 at the 2010 census.
Blytheville was founded in 1879 by the Methodist clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man Henry T. Blythe. Blytheville is located in Mississippi County approximately 60 miles north of West Memphis
West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
. Because of the abundance of trees, the city grew quickly and was incorporated in 1889. According to records, the city had a large and diverse population in 1890. As the vast forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
began to shrink due to unregulated harvesting, the people of Blytheville started growing cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. Blytheville was a huge agricultural community until 1980, when farming was increasingly mechanized. Since then, Blytheville has developed a growing industrial base, much of which is centered around the steel industry.
Blytheville is the home to Arkansas Northeastern College, a two-year community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. It was formerly known as Mississippi County Community College until the merger with the Cotton Boll Technical Institute. Arkansas Northeastern College is the nation's first community college solar photovoltaic prototype facility. Until 1991, Blytheville was home to Blytheville Air Force Base later renamed to Eaker Air Force Base
Eaker Air Force Base
Eaker Air Force Base was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. It was located 3 miles northwest of central Blytheville, Arkansas...
, a major airfield that was part of the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
.
The Current Mayor is James Sanders. He is the first African-American to serve in that position. He previously served as Mississippi County Sheriff from 2009 to 2011.
Notable employers
NucorNucor
Nucor Corporation , a Fortune 300 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest steel producers in the United States, and the largest of the "mini-mill" operators...
, a large steel manufacturer, operates two facilities east of the town near the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) is headquartered at Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport
Arkansas International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Blytheville, a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States...
in Blytheville and employs approximately 200. It performs heavy aircraft maintenance, aircraft engine disassembly, aircraft disassembly, and aircraft storage. Its aircraft repair services are focused on turboprop, regional jet, and narrowbody aircraft such as the ATR 42, ATR 72, Dash 8, Q400, ERJ, CRJ, MD80 and 737. Its engine tear down operation specializes in CFM56, CF6-80, and CF6-50 engine types.
Tenaris Hickman a global steel pipe manufacture company focus in the oil and gas market operates 4 ERW welded pipe mills, threading and coating facilities.
Notable residents
- R&B singer Dee ClarkDee ClarkDee Clark was an African-American soul singer best known for a string of R&B and pop hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the ballad "Raindrops," which became a million-seller in the United States in 1961....
, known for his 1961 hit "Raindrops," was a native of Blytheville. - George Hamilton (actor)George Hamilton (actor)George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
, grandson of Blytheville physician C.C. Stevens. Blytheville was George's boyhood home. His mother is buried in Blytheville. - World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient Edgar H. LloydEdgar H. LloydEdgar Harold Lloyd was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:... - MadMad (magazine)Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
editor Al FeldsteinAl FeldsteinAlbert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife...
, who was stationed in Blytheville during World War II, later wrote a science fiction story set in Blytheville, "Chewed Out," Weird ScienceWeird Science (comic)Weird Science was a science fiction anthology comic book that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. Over a four-year span, the comic ran for 22 issues, ending with the November–December, 1953 issue...
12 (March 1952). - Junior Walker, R&B singer
- Nannerl O. KeohaneNannerl O. KeohaneNannerl "Nan" Overholser Keohane is an American political theorist and former president of Wellesley College and Duke University. Currently Keohane is the Lawrence S...
, former president of Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
was born in Blytheville - African-American collage artist Najee Dorsey.
Education
Blytheville has one public school district - the Blytheville Public Schools. KIPP-Blytheville, a charter school, is also in Blytheville. Blytheville also has a community college, Arkansas Northeastern College.Geography
Blytheville is located at 35°55′51"N 89°54′50"W (35.930735, -89.913940).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²), of which 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.29%) is water.
List Of Highways:
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Interstate 55Interstate 55Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
U.S. Route 61U.S. Route 61U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...
Highway 18
Highway 137- Highway 151
Highway 239
Highway 239 Spur
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 15,620 people, 6,242 households, and 4,003 families residing in the city. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 887.5 people per square mile (342.6/km²). There were 7,545 housing units at an average density of 414.5 per square mile (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American, 40% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.3% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.8% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.5% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.5% from two or more races. 3.0% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 7,001 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. There are 320 unmarried partner households: 297 heterosexual, 12 same-sex male, and 11 same-sex female households. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,683, and the median income for a family was $32,816. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $20,710 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,426. About 23.3% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- History of Blytheville's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
- Blytheville Chamber of Commerce
- Blytheville Schools
- Blytheville School Ratings
- Blytheville Courier News
- Where to stay in Blytheville
- Current Weather in Blytheville
- Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville
- Detailed Profile of Blytheville, AR
- Places to Golf in Blytheville
- New Madrid Fault Information
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Blytheville (Mississippi County)