Mena, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Mena is a city
in Polk County, Arkansas
, United States
. It is also the county seat
of Polk County.
It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad
(now the Kansas City Southern). It was Stilwell who decided Mena would be the name of this new town along the route to Port Arthur, Texas. He named her so in honor of his beloved friend and financier Jan DeGeoijen's wife, Folmina Margaretha Janssen DeGeoijen, whom Mr. DeGeoijen affectionately called Mena. Mena was settled in 1896.
The population
was 5,637 as of 2000 census
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) is land; 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.44%) is water.
, former Governor of Arkansas.
, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush
, as well future Florida Governor Jeb Bush
and Saline County prosecutor Dan Harmon, who was convicted of numerous felonies including drug and racketeering charges in 1997.
These allegations have been disputed by several different investigations, including one by the Banking Committee
of the U.S. House of Representatives.
was deployed to the affected area. the tornado was rated as a high-end EF
3, with winds near 165 mph. Damages from the devastating tornado were estimated at least $25 million.
of 2000, there were 5,637 people, 2,431 households, and 1,546 families residing in the city. The population density
was 836.4 people per square mile (322.9/km²). There were 2,771 housing units at an average density of 411.2 per square mile (158.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.91% White
, 0.20% Black
or African American
, 0.87% Native American
, 0.27% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 0.50% from other races
, and 1.21% from two or more races. About 2.18% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 2,431 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,671, and the median income for a family was $30,164. Males had a median income of $23,665 versus $18,472 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,710. About 12.1% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over..
The city of Mena is the gateway to some of the most visited tourist attractions in Arkansas. An estimated 1.2 million visitors each year come to Mena for these natural features. Features include the Talimena Scenic Drive
, which is a National Scenic Byway
and Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The Cossatot River
is a member of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and runs through the Ouachita National Forest
. Lake Ouachita
is also in the vicinity.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Polk 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...
. It is also the county seat
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....
of Polk County.
It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad
The Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad was a predecessor to the Kansas City Southern Railway that was started by Arthur Stilwell in 1897....
(now the Kansas City Southern). It was Stilwell who decided Mena would be the name of this new town along the route to Port Arthur, Texas. He named her so in honor of his beloved friend and financier Jan DeGeoijen's wife, Folmina Margaretha Janssen DeGeoijen, whom Mr. DeGeoijen affectionately called Mena. Mena was settled in 1896.
The population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 5,637 as of 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Geography
Mena is located at 34°34′56"N 94°14′21"W (34.582208, -94.239039).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 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) is land; 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.44%) is water.
Commonwealth College
Commonwealth College was once located at the base of Rich Mountain and was known for its ties to socialism, as well as for being the one-time college of Orval FaubusOrval Faubus
Orval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
, former Governor of Arkansas.
Allegations regarding cocaine trafficking
A number of allegations have been written about and several local, state, and federal investigations have taken place related to the notion of Mena as a drop point in large scale cocaine trafficking beginning in the latter part of the 1980s. The topic has received a large degree of its coverage due to the alleged knowledge, participation and/or coverup involvement of figures as powerful and infamous as future presidents Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, as well future Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
and Saline County prosecutor Dan Harmon, who was convicted of numerous felonies including drug and racketeering charges in 1997.
These allegations have been disputed by several different investigations, including one by the Banking Committee
United States House Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
of the U.S. House of Representatives.
2009 Tornado
On April 9, 2009, a large and violent tornado devastated the town, killing three and injuring 30. Many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. The Arkansas National GuardArkansas National Guard
The Arkansas National Guard comprises both Army and Air components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status...
was deployed to the affected area. the tornado was rated as a high-end EF
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
3, with winds near 165 mph. Damages from the devastating tornado were estimated at least $25 million.
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 5,637 people, 2,431 households, and 1,546 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 836.4 people per square mile (322.9/km²). There were 2,771 housing units at an average density of 411.2 per square mile (158.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.91% 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...
, 0.20% 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...
, 0.87% 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...
, 0.50% 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 1.21% from two or more races. About 2.18% 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 2,431 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,671, and the median income for a family was $30,164. Males had a median income of $23,665 versus $18,472 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 $14,710. About 12.1% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over..
Attractions
Talimena Scenic Drive
The Talimena Scenic Drive is a National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma and extreme western Arkansas spanning a stretch of Oklahoma State Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88 from Talihina, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas....
, which is a National Scenic Byway
National Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often...
and Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The Cossatot River
Cossatot River
The Cossatot River is an river in the U.S. state Arkansas.Cossatot comes from the French cassé-tête which translates roughly to skull crusher...
is a member of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and runs through the Ouachita National Forest
Ouachita National Forest
The Ouachita National Forest is a National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of eastern Oklahoma.-History:The Ouachita National Forest is the oldest National Forest in the southern United States. The Forest encompasses , including most of the scenic Ouachita Mountains...
. Lake Ouachita
Lake Ouachita
Lake Ouachita is a reservoir created by the damming of the Ouachita River by Blakely Mountain Dam . The lake is located near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lake Ouachita is the largest lake completely in Arkansas, as the larger Bull Shoals Lake extends into Missouri. Lake Ouachita has over of shoreline...
is also in the vicinity.
Notable people
- Norris "Tuffy" GoffNorris GoffNorris Goff was an American comedian in radio and film best known for his portrayal of Abner Peabody on the rural comedy Lum and Abner....
- Comedian and radio actor, who played Abner Peabody in the famed Lum and AbnerLum and AbnerLum and Abner was an American radio comedy network program created by Chester Lauck and Norris Goff that aired from 1931 to 1954. Modeled on life in the small town of Waters, Arkansas, near where Lauck and Goff grew up, the showed proved immensely popular...
radio and television programs (born in Cove, ArkansasCove, ArkansasCove is a town in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 383 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cove is located at ....
, raised in Mena). - Chester LauckChester LauckChester "Chet" Lauck , played the character of Lum Edwards on the classic American radio comedy Lum and Abner.Chester Lauck was raised in Mena, Arkansas, where he met his future comedy partner Norris Goff...
- Second half of the Lum and AbnerLum and AbnerLum and Abner was an American radio comedy network program created by Chester Lauck and Norris Goff that aired from 1931 to 1954. Modeled on life in the small town of Waters, Arkansas, near where Lauck and Goff grew up, the showed proved immensely popular...
comedy pair. Lauck played Columbus "Lum" Edwards. - Jim MabryJim MabryJim Mabry is an American football player. He played on both offensive line and defensive line at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1981-1985. He then attended the University of Arkansas and was an offensive lineman from 1985-1989...
- former Arkansas Razorbacks footballArkansas Razorbacks footballThe Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
All-American (raised in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
), has spent most of his adult life in Mena. - Olin E. TeagueOlin E. TeagueOlin Earl "Tiger" Teague was a notable World War II veteran and Congressional representative for Texas's 6th congressional district for 32 years, from 1946 to 1978...
- Longtime Texas's 6th congressional districtTexas's 6th congressional districtTexas District 6 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves an area including four counties to the south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area plus the southeast corner of Tarrant County. As of the 2000 census, District 6 represents 651,620 people...
representative who was born in Oklahoma, but raised here. - T. Texas TylerT. Texas TylerDavid Luke Myrick , known professionally as T. Texas Tyler, was an American country music singer and songwriter primarily known for his 1948 hit, "The Deck of Cards".-Biography:...
- Country singer (The Deck of CardsThe Deck of Cards"The Deck of Cards" is a recitative that was popularized in both the country and popular music fields, first during the late 1940s. This religious, touching tale of a young American soldier arrested and charged with playing cards during a church service first became a hit in the U.S. in 1948 by...
).
External links
- The Mena Arkansas Guide
- City of Mena, Arkansas - official website
- Mena, Arkansas Unofficial Community Portal
- Mena Arkansas Official Tourism Site
- The Crimes Of Mena
- Mena Arkansas Facts and Fiction-information and photos
- http://www.realclearwx.com/menatornado.htm Mena Tornado Pictures & Aerial Video