Alma, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alma, Arkansas
City
Popeye statue in downtown Alma
Mottoes:  Crossroads of America Spinach Capital of the World
Location of Alma in Crawford County, Arkansas.
Alma, Arkansas Location in Arkansas
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Crawford
Incorporated	1874
Area
• Total	5.90 sq mi (15.28 km2)
• Land	5.73 sq mi (14.84 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
Elevation	466 ft (142 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,825
• Density	1,016.58/sq mi (392.48/km2)
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00 (CDT)
ZIP Code	72921
Area code	479
FIPS code	05-00970
GNIS feature ID	2403086

Alma is a city in Crawford County, in far western Arkansas, United States. It is located within the Arkansas River Valley at the edge of the Ozark Mountains; the city is the sixth largest in the Fort Smith metropolitan area. The population was 5,419 at the 2010 Census. Interstates 40 and 49 were constructed to intersect near the exicting city.

History

Alma was incorporated in 1874. Its economy was largely agricultural until the introduction of the canning industry. Today, the city claims the title of "Spinach Capital of the World".

In his book Washington Goes to War (1996), David Brinkley described Alma's participation in the World War II effort:

In the town of Alma, Arkansas (population 776), one-fourth of the girls in the 1944 high school graduating class signed up to leave for Washington, and several of their teachers cast aside their low-paying jobs and went with them, all of them climbing aboard a Pullman car for their first train ride, looking for more money and excitement than they had any reasonable expectation of finding in Alma.

Many people migrated from small towns to the capital seeking jobs as the government and associated businesses expanded to run the war effort.

Geography

Streetside along Highway 162 in Alma, AR

Downtown park, gazebo and fountain in Alma

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.4 km²), of which 5.4 square miles (14.0 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 3.06%, is water.

Alma is located in south-central Crawford County and has no airport. The train station, which fell into a state of dilapidation, was torn down in the early 1970s.

Much of its commerce derives from interstate highway traffic, as Interstates 40 and 49 (previously 540), as well as U.S. Routes 64 and 71, pass through the city.

The city gets its water supply from Alma Lake, which is located above the city on the northeast. The lake was formed by a tall earthen dam that blocks Little Frog Bayou. Alma Lake is the reservoir that supplies the city's tap water.

Alma developed along the border between the Boston Mountains and the Arkansas River Valley. While most of the city lies on flat land, immediately to the north is scenic hill country. Alma is surrounded by several rural towns, including Rudy to the north, Dyer and Mulberry to the east, and Kibler to the southwest.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,825 people, 2,279 households, and 1,539 families residing in the city. The population density of Alma was 1,016.2 people per square mile.

37.6% of the population were under 18, and 7.0% were under 5. 13.0% of the population were over 65 years old. The gender make up was 48.9% female and 51.1% male.

The median household income was $38,292, and the per capita income was $17,811. 32.3% of the population were under the poverty line.

Education

Public education for elementary and secondary school students is provided by the Alma School District. The four schools in the district include Alma Primary School, Alma Intermediate School, Alma Middle School and Alma High School.

Arts and culture

Live music performance at Warren's Rec Room in Alma

Spinach Capital of the World

Around 1987, Alma called itself the "Spinach Capital of the World" because the Allen Canning Company based in Alma canned more than half of all the spinach canned in the U.S., about 60 million pounds (27,000,000 kg) annually. The town has had various statues of the cartoon character Popeye, because of his connection to canned spinach; the most recent one was erected in 2007. Cast in bronze, it sits atop a fountain holding a can of spinach. It is the centerpiece of Popeye Park. Crystal City Texas is also considered the Spinach Capital of the World.

Annual cultural events

The annual Spinach Festival is hosted at the City Park and Community Center on the third weekend in April. First held in 1986, the festival is sponsored by the Alma Chamber of Commerce and the Alma Advertising & Promotion Commission. The festival brings carnival rides, crafts, food and live music. A spinach eating contest takes place at noon, followed by a spinach drop. A package of spinach is dropped from an Alma Fire Department ladder truck onto a board with entrant's names, with the winner receiving a cash prize.

Infrastructure

Water

Alma Water & Sewer main office

The City of Alma Public Works Department contains the Water & Sewer Division. This group treats and distributes potable water from Lake Alma to the residents and commercial users of the city while also owning and operating a wastewater collection system.

Wastewater is collected and conveyed to the Alma Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). At the WWTP, wastewater passes through a bar screen, Parshall Flume, lagoon 1 (one completely mixed cell followed by two partially mixed cells), Lagoon 2 (facultative), Lagoon 3 (facultative), and optional chlorine/de-chlorination chambers. The plant has a design capacity of 1.75 million US gallons (6,600,000 L) per day, and discharges treated effluent to the Arkansas River in accordance with the city's NPDES permit administrated by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

Notable people

• Kiley Dean, R&B singer
• Eli Drinkwitz, University of Missouri football coach
• Charlene Fite, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 80; formerly resided in Alma
• Bradley Hathaway, poet and folk musician
• Billy Hughes, actor
• Morgan Nick, child abduction/murder victim
• Parley Pratt, early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Fay Washington, baseball player

See also

In Spanish: Alma (Arkansas) para niños