Harrison, Arkansas
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| Harrison, Arkansas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Boone |
| Area | |
| - Total | 10.2 sq mi (26.5 km²) |
| - Land | 10.2 sq mi (26.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 12,152 |
| - Density | 1,191.4/sq mi (458.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 72601-72602 |
| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-30460 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0077134 |
Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 12,764.[1] The city is the county seat of Boone County.[2] Boone County Regional Airport serves the city.
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[edit] Geography
Harrison is located at (36.237247, -93.113703).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.5 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 12,152 people, 5,259 households, and 3,260 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,187.5 people per square mile (458.6/km²). There were 5,747 housing units at an average density of 561.6/sq mi (216.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.24% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,259 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,850, and the median income for a family was $34,009. Males had a median income of $27,934 versus $18,873 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,909. About 11.5% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
In 1901 and 1905, white mobs drove the entire black population from Harrison. These events were the subject of an Independent Lens program entitled "Banished" on PBS in 2008.[5]
[edit] Education
Residents are served by the Harrison School District [1]. The history of Harrison Schools dates back to August 1841 when Joseph Burkett and his family traveled overland from Tennessee, stopped overnight on the banks of Crooked Creek and decided that it would be useless to go farther in search of a home rich in all the bounties of nature. He was soon followed by James Stiffler, L.D. Rush, Captain H. W. Fick, and several others
This small handful of sturdy citizens began at once to plan for a school. Captain Fick donated a block of land for the purpose of building a public school on the site that is now occupied by the Administration Building. The construction of the first school began in earnest. Despite the fact that they were few in number and that the material was hauled overland for a distance of fifty miles, the building was soon erected at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars, a great sum for Harrison's population. Perhaps twenty-five or thirty pupils enrolled under the instruction of Professor Killo.
From a small one-room building to the present plant consisting of four elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high, and one senior high, Harrison has grown to an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students. Many consider the Harrison Mascot, the Golden Goblin, to be one of the most distinctive mascots in the state of Arkansas and the nation.
Harrison's success in academics is paralleled by its success in extracurricular programs. The Goblin Football program, led by coach Tom Tice, has been one of the most successful of the last 30 years, making 16 playoff appearances, and winning one state title. The soccer program, led by Chris Pratt, are five-time AAAA state champions.
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The Harrison School District is known in the surrounding area for its quality programs in the performing arts. The music program is paramount, with the band and choral programs consistently earning superior ratings at festivals and competitions. The Harrison Choral Program, directed by Michael Crouch and Thomas Rickman, won the sweepstakes award at the DC Festival in Dallas in 2003. They have toured nationally, including New York in 2005, Chicago in 2007, and is currently planning a tour to an unknown destination for 2009. In addition, the HHS Chamber Singers were selected as the Outstanding Youth Leadership Organization for 2007. The Harrison Band Program, directed by Randy Mealer, Jana Johnson, and James Hendrix. The band program is planning a trip to Washington DC in the near future.
Harrison has been a member of the North Arkansas Association and Colleges and Schools since 1936.
[edit] Other
The Harrison Police Department has had two officers killed in the line of duty, both by gunfire and both within a year of one another. The first was officer Ed Williams, killed on a disturbance call on May 25, 1934. The second was Chief of Police Burr Robertson, killed while arresting a murder suspect at the railroad station on March 27, 1935.[6]
Gracie Pfost, first woman elected to Congress from Idaho, was born in Harrison.
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 beautiful 1929 Hotel Seville.
The nearby community of Zinc is home to the national headquarters of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arkansas (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on November 16, 2006.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/banished/harrison.html. Accessed February 18, 2008.
- ^ Ed Williams, Burr Robertson.
- ^ *"Harrison (Boone County)", Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture (accessed April 11, 2008); Christopher Garland, Klan's New Message of Cyber-Hate", The New Zealand Herald March 27, 2008 (accessed April 11, 2008).
[edit] External links
- Harrison, Arkansas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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