Dover, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Dover is a small town in Pope County, Arkansas, United States
. The population was 1,329 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Russellville
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,329 people, 529 households, and 372 families residing in the city. The population density
was 732.7 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 579 housing units at an average density of 319.2 per square mile (123.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% White
, 0.23% Black
or African American
, 0.68% Native American
, 0.15% Asian
, 0.60% from other races
, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.96% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 529 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples
living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 79.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,697, and the median income for a family was $33,879. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $19,073 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,261. About 10.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
or by Stephen Rye in 1832 for Dover, Tennessee
. Dover was the county seat for Pope County in the 1800s. The original Pope County Courthouse was located where Dover Supermarket now sits. Dover is a small town near Russellville
; it has several churches, a grocery store and a hardware store. Dover acts like a satellite city in relation to nearby Russellville and many residents commute regularly for work and education.
, of Dover, killed all fourteen members of his family during a Christmas
reunion in Dover. Two days later, he continued his killing spree in the county seat of Russellville
, having targeted previous employers and co-workers, killing two and wounding two more. Simmons was arrested without resistance, was sentenced to death
on December 10, 1989, and executed on June 25, 1990, the quickest sentence-to-execution time in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,329 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Russellville
Russellville, Arkansas
Russellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Russellville micropolitan area
The Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the U.S...
.
Geography
Dover is located at 35°24′2"N 93°6′45"W (35.400597, -93.112534).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 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all 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 1,329 people, 529 households, and 372 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 732.7 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 579 housing units at an average density of 319.2 per square mile (123.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% 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...
, 0.23% 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...
, 0.68% 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...
, 0.15% 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...
, 0.60% 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 0.98% from two or more races. 1.96% 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 529 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 79.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,697, and the median income for a family was $33,879. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $19,073 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 $13,261. About 10.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
General info
Dover was either named by British aristocrats in the 1830s for Dover, Kent, EnglandDover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
or by Stephen Rye in 1832 for Dover, Tennessee
Dover, Tennessee
Dover is a city in Stewart County, Tennessee, United States, westnorthwest of Nashville on the Cumberland River. An old national cemetery is in Dover. The population was 1,442 at the 2000 census...
. Dover was the county seat for Pope County in the 1800s. The original Pope County Courthouse was located where Dover Supermarket now sits. Dover is a small town near Russellville
Russellville, Arkansas
Russellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant...
; it has several churches, a grocery store and a hardware store. Dover acts like a satellite city in relation to nearby Russellville and many residents commute regularly for work and education.
Notable Residents
- L.J. Churchill (December 8, 1902 – October 2, 1987) - a highly regarded civic and political figure in Dover. A Cumberland Presbyterian and a MasonMasonic LodgeThis article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, Churchill served as mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and on the municipal school board, both nonpartisan positions. He had been state chairman of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation ServiceAgricultural Stabilization and Conservation ServiceAgricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service was an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. It administered programs concerning farm products and agricultural conservation...
of the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. Prior to his retirement, he operated L.J. Churchill's General Merchandise Store and was a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Dover. In 1960, he was a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, having been defeated by the incumbentIncumbentThe incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Dale AlfordDale AlfordThomas Dale Alford, Sr. was an ophthalmologist and politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas who served as a conservative Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from Little Rock from 1959 to 1963....
of Little RockLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. Churchill was married to the former Audra Hill and had a son, Vance Churchill, and a daughter, Elaine C. Berry, both of Dover. - Virginia HudsonVirginia HudsonVirginia Jane Hudson is an American flautist and teacher. She teaches in the Fort Smith area and serves instructor of flute on the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith faculty.-Education:...
- American flautistFlautistA flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
and teacher began her musical education at Dover High School. - Ronald Gene SimmonsRonald Gene SimmonsRonald Gene Simmons, Sr. was a retired United States Air Force master sergeant who killed 16 people over a weeklong period in 1987. Fourteen of the victims were members of his family, including a daughter he had sexually abused and the child he had fathered with her...
- retired United States Air Force master sergeant who killed sixteen people over a weeklong period in 1987, beginning in Dover, Arkansas
The Dover massacre
On December 22, 1987, Ronald Gene SimmonsRonald Gene Simmons
Ronald Gene Simmons, Sr. was a retired United States Air Force master sergeant who killed 16 people over a weeklong period in 1987. Fourteen of the victims were members of his family, including a daughter he had sexually abused and the child he had fathered with her...
, of Dover, killed all fourteen members of his family during a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
reunion in Dover. Two days later, he continued his killing spree in the county seat of Russellville
Russellville, Arkansas
Russellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant...
, having targeted previous employers and co-workers, killing two and wounding two more. Simmons was arrested without resistance, was sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
on December 10, 1989, and executed on June 25, 1990, the quickest sentence-to-execution time in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.