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Calhoun County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Calhoun County
Calhoun County Courthouse in Hampton
Calhoun County Courthouse in Hampton
Map of Arkansas highlighting Calhoun County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
Founded December 6, 1850
Named for John C. Calhoun
Seat Hampton
Largest city Hampton
Area
 • Total 632 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land 629 sq mi (1,630 km2)
 • Water 3.8 sq mi (10 km2)  0.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,739
 • Density 7.498/sq mi (2.8952/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Calhoun County is a county located in the south-central part of Arkansas. In 2020, it had 4,739 people, making it the least populated county in Arkansas. The main town and county seat is Hampton.

Calhoun County became Arkansas's 55th county on December 6, 1850. It was named after John C. Calhoun, who was a Vice President of the United States. The county is part of the Camden, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History of Calhoun County

This area first developed with large farms where enslaved people were forced to work. Before the American Civil War, most people living here were enslaved African Americans. After the Civil War, there were tensions and unfair treatment towards African Americans who had gained their freedom.

In September 1892, a difficult time in the county's history, sometimes called the Hampton Conflict, happened in the southern part of the county. Laws were passed that made it harder for many people, especially African Americans and poor white farmers, to vote. People were facing tough economic times, and tensions were high. Some white people were upset that African Americans, who often had limited choices, would work for lower wages.

Some groups of white farmers, called "Whitecappers," secretly tried to control communities and force African Americans out of jobs. African Americans were very unhappy about these attacks. Newspapers spread rumors, which made the situation even more tense. There was also conflict around the September election.

From the 1900s to Today

Because of social challenges, economic problems, and new farm machines, many African Americans and white people left the county in the early to mid-1900s. The number of people living in the county went down in every census from 1920 to 1970.

Many African Americans moved to cities in the North and Midwest for work before World War II. After the war, many others moved to the West Coast, where there were more jobs in defense factories.

The Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot, a military facility, operated in Calhoun and Ouachita counties from 1945 to 1957.

Southern Arkansas University Tech is a two-year college in the area. It focuses on technical training.

The Lost 40 Acres of Timber

There is a special area of 40 acres of forest in southeast Calhoun County that has never been cut down. It's along the Wolf Branch, which is a small stream. Some of the huge trees there are more than 200 years old!

Geography

Calhoun County covers a total area of about 632 square miles. Most of this (629 square miles) is land, and a small part (3.8 square miles, or 0.6%) is water.

Main Roads

Neighboring Counties

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 4,103
1870 3,853 −6.1%
1880 5,671 47.2%
1890 7,267 28.1%
1900 8,539 17.5%
1910 9,894 15.9%
1920 11,807 19.3%
1930 9,752 −17.4%
1940 9,636 −1.2%
1950 7,132 −26.0%
1960 5,991 −16.0%
1970 5,573 −7.0%
1980 6,079 9.1%
1990 5,826 −4.2%
2000 5,744 −1.4%
2010 5,368 −6.5%
2020 4,739 −11.7%
2023 (est.) 4,641 −13.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016
USA Calhoun County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Calhoun County

2020 Census Details

Calhoun County racial composition
Race Number of People Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 3,499 73.83%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 913 19.27%
Native American 3 0.06%
Asian 5 0.11%
Pacific Islander 9 0.19%
Other/Mixed 183 3.86%
Hispanic or Latino 127 2.68%

In 2020, there were 4,739 people living in Calhoun County. There were 1,850 households and 1,302 families.

Education

Public schools for kids in elementary and high school are mainly provided by the Hampton School District. Students usually graduate from Hampton High School.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Townships

Calhoun County has numbered townships instead of named ones.

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Calhoun County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

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