Booneville, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Booneville is a city in Logan County, Arkansas
, United States
, and the county seat of its southern district. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 4,082.
Booneville is located in the Arkansas River
Valley between the Ouachita
and Ozark Mountains.
Booneville supports a community center, a senior citizens center, a community hospital, a municipal airport and new school facilities. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other outdoors activities are readily available in nearby national forests and state parks.
Booneville is located at the intersection of State Highways 10
and 23
, authorized the establishment of the Fort Smith District High School in Booneville, forty miles to the west. Local church members donated the land, building materials and labor. The school, located on South College Street, was to be supported by student tuition fees. Students came from towns all over western Arkansas to board with Booneville families and attend a school that offered an advanced curriculum, including Latin, German, advanced mathematics, literature and music. The school functioned until the early 1900s.
After the school closed, a group of residents and business leaders formed the Booneville Education Association and acquired 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of land in the northwest part of town. The new school was called the Booneville Co-Educational Institute and also offered a more advanced curriculum than the public school around. Graduates were admitted as sophomores at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
In 1920, state funds were made available for the support of public high schools and the school's property was transferred to the Booneville school system. The building continued to be used as the city's high school until a new building was built in 1929. The old Co-Educational Institute building was used as the Booneville elementary school for several decades after that.
State Tuberculosis
Sanatorium
was established in 1909 about three miles (5 km) south of Booneville. Once fully established, the sanatorium was the relocation center for all white Arkansans with tuberculosis. By the time the facility was closed in 1973, it had treated over 70,000 patients. The main hospital, named the Nyberg Building after Leo E. Nyberg, a former sanatorium patient and state legislator who sponsored the bill funding the construction, was completed in 1941. The facility became known worldwide as one of the most successful and modern hospitals for the treatment of tuberculosis of its day.
The sanatorium complex was self-sustaining, with dormitories, staff entertainment buildings, a chapel, laundry, dairy, water treatment plant, independent telephone system, and even a fire department. At the height of its use, the complex employed nearly 300 staff members. At one point, the total population of the center was greater than that of Booneville, in the valley below.
With the introduction of more effective drug therapy, the patient population began to decline. Eventually the sanatorium was closed in 1973. The campus is currently used as the Booneville Human Development Center, a state-run residential program for adults with mild and moderate mental retardation
and other developmental disabilities.
This article from the Arkansas Times describes life at the sanatorium and what went on here.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 4,117 people, 1,619 households, and 1,109 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,010.0 people per square mile (389.6/km²). There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of 457.0 per square mile (176.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.62% White
, 0.05% Black
or African American
, 1.12% Native American
, 0.27% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 0.17% from other races
, and 1.72% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,619 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples
living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,627, and the median income for a family was $31,012. Males had a median income of $25,238 versus $20,092 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,076. About 13.1% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.
plant, which employed approximately 800 people, making it by far the town's largest employer. On May 2, 2008 Cargill announced that the plant would not be rebuilt.
Logan County, Arkansas
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,353. There are two county seats: Booneville and Paris.-History :...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the county seat of its southern district. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 4,082.
Booneville is located in the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
Valley between the Ouachita
Ouachita Mountains
The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The range's subterranean roots may extend as far as central Texas, or beyond it to the current location of the Marathon Uplift. Along with the Ozark Mountains, the Ouachita Mountains form the U.S...
and Ozark Mountains.
Booneville supports a community center, a senior citizens center, a community hospital, a municipal airport and new school facilities. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other outdoors activities are readily available in nearby national forests and state parks.
Booneville is located at the intersection of State Highways 10
Arkansas State Highway 10
Arkansas Highway 10 is a east–west state highway in West Arkansas. The route runs from Oklahoma State Highway 120 near Hackett east to Interstate 30 in Little Rock, the state's capitol...
and 23
Arkansas State Highway 23
Arkansas Highway 23 is a north–south state highway in north Arkansas. The route runs from US 71 near Elm Park north to the Missouri state line through Ozark and Eureka Springs. Between AR 16 at Brashears and Interstate 40 north of Ozark , Highway 23 winds through the Ozark National Forest and is...
Education
From its early days, Booneville has supported education. In 1874, as a response to needs for higher learning in western Arkansas, the Fort Smith District of the Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthMethodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
, authorized the establishment of the Fort Smith District High School in Booneville, forty miles to the west. Local church members donated the land, building materials and labor. The school, located on South College Street, was to be supported by student tuition fees. Students came from towns all over western Arkansas to board with Booneville families and attend a school that offered an advanced curriculum, including Latin, German, advanced mathematics, literature and music. The school functioned until the early 1900s.
After the school closed, a group of residents and business leaders formed the Booneville Education Association and acquired 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of land in the northwest part of town. The new school was called the Booneville Co-Educational Institute and also offered a more advanced curriculum than the public school around. Graduates were admitted as sophomores at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
In 1920, state funds were made available for the support of public high schools and the school's property was transferred to the Booneville school system. The building continued to be used as the city's high school until a new building was built in 1929. The old Co-Educational Institute building was used as the Booneville elementary school for several decades after that.
State Tuberculosis Sanatorium
The ArkansasArkansas
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...
State Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
Sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
was established in 1909 about three miles (5 km) south of Booneville. Once fully established, the sanatorium was the relocation center for all white Arkansans with tuberculosis. By the time the facility was closed in 1973, it had treated over 70,000 patients. The main hospital, named the Nyberg Building after Leo E. Nyberg, a former sanatorium patient and state legislator who sponsored the bill funding the construction, was completed in 1941. The facility became known worldwide as one of the most successful and modern hospitals for the treatment of tuberculosis of its day.
The sanatorium complex was self-sustaining, with dormitories, staff entertainment buildings, a chapel, laundry, dairy, water treatment plant, independent telephone system, and even a fire department. At the height of its use, the complex employed nearly 300 staff members. At one point, the total population of the center was greater than that of Booneville, in the valley below.
With the introduction of more effective drug therapy, the patient population began to decline. Eventually the sanatorium was closed in 1973. The campus is currently used as the Booneville Human Development Center, a state-run residential program for adults with mild and moderate mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
and other developmental disabilities.
This article from the Arkansas Times describes life at the sanatorium and what went on here.
Geography
Booneville is located at 35°8′23"N 93°55′17"W (35.139650, -93.921272).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 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,117 people, 1,619 households, and 1,109 families residing in the city. The population density
Population 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 1,010.0 people per square mile (389.6/km²). There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of 457.0 per square mile (176.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.62% 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...
, 0.05% 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
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...
, 1.12% 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...
, 0.27% 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...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.17% 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 1.72% from two or more races. 0.87% 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 1,619 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% 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, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,627, and the median income for a family was $31,012. Males had a median income of $25,238 versus $20,092 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 $13,076. About 13.1% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.
2008 meat packing plant fire
On March 23, 2008, Easter Sunday, a series of explosions destroyed the Cargill Meat SolutionsCargill Meat Solutions
Cargill Meat Solutions is one of the numerous platforms of Cargill Incorporated. The corporate office is located in Wichita, Kansas. The meat products included in operation are pork, turkey, beef, further processing and case ready....
plant, which employed approximately 800 people, making it by far the town's largest employer. On May 2, 2008 Cargill announced that the plant would not be rebuilt.
Notable natives
- Dizzy DeanDizzy DeanJay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
and Daffy DeanPaul Dean (baseball)Paul Dee "Daffy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals , the New York Giants , and the St. Louis Browns ....
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
players and brothers, born in the small community of Lucas, outside of Booneville. - Kimberly FosterKimberly FosterKimberly Foster is an American actress primarily active in the 1980s and 1990s.Foster is best known for her role as Michelle Stevens in the later seasons of the prime-time drama Dallas which she played from 1989 to 1991. Her character was briefly a sister-in-law to Bobby Ewing and later briefly a...
- American television and movie actor, best known for her role as Michelle Stevens in the later seasons of the prime-time drama DallasDallas (TV series)Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
. - Elizabeth Ward GracenElizabeth GracenElizabeth Ward Gracen is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982. She was born Elizabeth Grace Ward but should not be confused with another Elizabeth Ward who worked as a television actress during the first half of the 1980s....
- Former Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and an actress on Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
. - Tom GreenwayTom GreenwayTom Greenway was an American character actor of film and television, whose career, primarily in television westerns, extended from 1949 to 1965.-Early life:...
- Character actorCharacter actorA character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
in numerous TV series of the 1950s and 60s such as GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, Dragnet and Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
. - John P. McConnellJohn P. McConnellGeneral John Paul McConnell was the sixth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General McConnell served in a dual capacity...
- Chief of Staff of the United States Air ForceChief of Staff of the United States Air ForceThe Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
from February 1, 1965 to July 31, 1969. - Floyd SpeerFloyd SpeerFloyd Vernie Speer was an American professional baseball pitcher. He was born on January 27, 1913, in Booneville, Arkansas. He attended Booneville High School, where he starred in baseball. His twin brother, Bernie Loyd Speer, was often his catcher....
- PitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. Played in the Majors from April 25, 1943 to May 3, 1944. He is buried in the CarolanCarolan, ArkansasCarolan is an unincorporated community in Logan County, Arkansas, United States. It lies five miles to the southwest of Booneville on State Highway 23. It is named for William Philip Carolan, early farmer and merchant in the area. He was born on April 16, 1800 in South Carolina. He was married...
Community Cemetery. - Aaron Lee Ward - Former infielder for the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. - Paul X. WilliamsPaul X. WilliamsPaul X. Williams was a United States federal judge.Born in Booneville, Arkansas, Williams received a B.A. from the University of Arkansas in 1929 and an LL.B. from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1930. He was in the United States Navy Lieutenant Commander from 1942 to 1946. He was an...
- U.S. Federal Judge for the Western District of Arkansas, appointed by President Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
.