Dover, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dover, Arkansas
City
Main Street
Location of Dover in Pope County, Arkansas.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Pope
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
Area
• Total	2.83 sq mi (7.32 km2)
• Land	2.83 sq mi (7.32 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	410 ft (120 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,337
• Density	472.94/sq mi (182.58/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72837
Area code(s)	479
FIPS code	05-19600
GNIS feature ID	2403504

Dover is a small town in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. In 2020, about 1,337 people lived there. It's located in the Arkansas River Valley, which is a beautiful area. Dover is also part of the larger Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History of Dover

Dover got its name in the 1830s. It might have been named by British visitors after Dover, Kent, England. Or, it could have been named by Stephen Rye in 1832 after Dover, Tennessee. The town officially became a city on December 31, 1852.

For many years, from 1841 to 1887, Dover was the main town, or county seat, for Pope County. This meant the county's government buildings, like the courthouse, were located there. The old brick courthouse stood on a square near today's Camp, Market, Water, and Elizabeth Streets.

Dover During the Civil War

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), life in Arkansas became very difficult. Traveling was dangerous, farming was risky, and local governments often stopped working. In Pope County, important records from Dover were even moved to a cave to keep them safe!

Several small fights happened in the county, but no big battles. Sadly, on April 8, 1865, much of Dover, including its courthouse, was burned down.

After the War: Reconstruction

After the Civil War, during a time called the Reconstruction era (1867-1868), soldiers were stationed in Dover. They stayed for about a year and a half to help bring order back. Arkansas was one of the first former Confederate states to rejoin the United States in June 1868. However, it took many more years for things to become truly stable.

Between 1865 and 1870, several county officials were sadly killed. This shows how much trouble and unrest there was in the area during that time. For example, the new county jail in Dover was burned down on March 1, 1870.

The County Seat Moves

Dover played a big role during a period in 1872 and 1873 known as the Pope County Militia War. This was a time when an armed group caused a lot of trouble in the county. They even threatened to burn Dover.

In 1878, a storm damaged the courthouse in Dover, making it unsafe. The county didn't have money to fix it. At the same time, a new railroad was built eight miles south of Dover. This helped towns like Russellville and Atkins grow. More businesses started moving to Russellville, which was becoming the new center of the county.

Because of these changes, it became clear that the county seat would eventually move from Dover. It took 15 years for the move to finally happen. Dover had been chosen as the county seat in the 1840s because it was in the middle of the county. But by the 1870s, more people lived in the southern parts of the county, and they paid most of the taxes.

After a special election and a court ruling, the county seat officially moved from Dover to Russellville on June 4, 1887.

Fires in Dover

On February 15, 1930, a large fire destroyed more than half of the businesses in Dover's main commercial area. At least eight homes were also lost. A fire truck from nearby Russellville came to help. However, Dover didn't have its own water system for fighting fires. The firefighters had to get water from a large well at a local business. Strong winds and the lack of water made it very hard to stop the fire, which was thought to have started as a grass fire. Many of the buildings were made of wood, which burned easily.

Geography

Dover is located at 35°24′2″N 93°6′45″W / 35.40056°N 93.11250°W / 35.40056; -93.11250.

The United States Census Bureau says that the city covers an area of about 1.8 square miles (4.7 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 1,329 people living in Dover. There were 529 households, and 372 families. The population density was about 733 people per square mile (283 people per square kilometer).

About 37.4% of households had children under 18. About 48.6% were married couples. The average household had 2.50 people, and the average family had 3.01 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 29.3% were under 18
• 10.2% were 18 to 24
• 28.1% were 25 to 44
• 18.6% were 45 to 64
• 13.8% were 65 or older

The average age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were about 80 males.

The average yearly income for a household in Dover was $27,697. For a family, it was $33,879. The average income per person was $13,261. About 14.6% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 13.9% of those under 18 and 14.0% of those 65 or older.

Education

Students in Dover attend schools in the Dover School District. They can graduate from Dover High School.

Notable People

• Jeff Davis: He was the 20th Governor of Arkansas from 1901 to 1907. Later, he became a U.S. Senator from 1907 to 1913.
• Trevor Drown: A Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2015. He represents Pope and Van Buren counties.
• Kevin Hern: A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2018. He represents Oklahoma's 1st district.
• Nik and Sam: A country music duo.

Images for kids

• 

  Main Street in Dover

• 

  Location of Dover in Pope County, Arkansas.

See also