Gilbert, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilbert, Arkansas
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Location of Gilbert in Searcy County, Arkansas.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Searcy |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.39 sq mi (1.00 km2) |
| • Land | 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 630 ft (190 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 26 |
| • Density | 70.84/sq mi (27.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
72636
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| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-26800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406567 |
Gilbert is a small town located in Searcy County, Arkansas, in the United States. In 2020, only 26 people lived there, making it the smallest town in Arkansas and one of the tiniest in the entire country! Gilbert is also known for being one of the coldest places in Arkansas, along with another town called Calico Rock.
Contents
History of Gilbert
The town of Gilbert started in 1902. It began as a camp for workers building the Missouri and North Arkansas (M&NA) Railroad. The camp was named after Charles W. Gilbert, who helped with the railroad project. This railroad was very long, stretching over 300 miles from Seligman, Missouri, to Helena, Arkansas, on the Mississippi River.
In 1906, William Mays moved his store and the local post office to Gilbert. This building, known as the Gilbert General Store or Mays Store, is now a special historical place listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Early 1920s Community Life
In the early 1920s, a religious leader named Reverend John Battenfield and his followers came to Gilbert. They wanted to create a community where they could live simply and be ready for the return of the Messiah. They built a church and a strong stone building. This stone building was used as a print shop for their weekly newspaper, the Kingdom Harbinger.
The Gilbert Cemetery was started in 1920 on Frost Street. It was for those who passed away before the "Rapture" they expected. In 1921, Gilbert School District Eighty-eight was created. Eli Jordan gave the land for the school, and local residents donated money for building materials. The men of Gilbert worked together to build the school.
As the town grew, it had four stores, two hotels, and several sawmills. There was even a mill for the Eagle Pencil Company and three doctors. However, the Messiah did not appear in 1923 as expected. So, in 1925, Reverend Battenfield and his family left Gilbert to find a new place.
Changes Over Time
In the 1930s, Gilbert reached its largest population ever, with 116 people. For many years, Gilbert was an important place for trade. Goods like cotton, logs, ore, and grain were transported by train.
But by the 1940s, too many trees had been cut down, which meant less logging work. The railroad suffered because of this. Eventually, the railroad tracks were taken up and sold for scrap metal. Today, you can still see concrete pillars that show where the railroad used to be.
In 2022, Gilbert updated its streetlights. They switched from old-fashioned lights to modern LED lights. This change helps reduce light pollution, making the night sky darker and clearer.
Geography of Gilbert
Gilbert is a small town with a total area of about 0.8 square kilometers (0.3 square miles).
Main Roads
Highway 333 is an important road that goes through Gilbert.
Education in Gilbert
Students in Gilbert attend schools in the Ozark Mountain School District. The main school campus for students from kindergarten to 12th grade is in nearby St. Joe.
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 116 | — | |
| 1940 | 106 | −8.6% | |
| 1950 | 51 | −51.9% | |
| 1960 | 52 | 2.0% | |
| 1970 | 45 | −13.5% | |
| 1980 | 43 | −4.4% | |
| 1990 | 43 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 33 | −23.3% | |
| 2010 | 28 | −15.2% | |
| 2020 | 26 | −7.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate |
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In 2000, there were 33 people living in Gilbert. These people lived in 18 homes, and 10 of those were families. The town was made up of 100% White residents.
About 11% of homes had children under 18. About 44% were married couples. Some homes had a female head of household without a husband. About 33% of homes were single individuals. About 11% of homes had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
The average age of people in Gilbert in 2000 was 50 years old. About 9% were under 18, and 21% were 65 or older.
Climate in Gilbert
Gilbert has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and winters that are usually mild to cool.
| Climate data for Gilbert, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
108 (42) |
114 (46) |
113 (45) |
109 (43) |
97 (36) |
87 (31) |
82 (28) |
114 (46) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 71.8 (22.1) |
75.0 (23.9) |
81.5 (27.5) |
85.9 (29.9) |
89.8 (32.1) |
94.4 (34.7) |
98.7 (37.1) |
99.6 (37.6) |
95.1 (35.1) |
88.3 (31.3) |
78.7 (25.9) |
71.4 (21.9) |
99.8 (37.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.2 (9.0) |
52.7 (11.5) |
61.3 (16.3) |
70.4 (21.3) |
77.2 (25.1) |
85.0 (29.4) |
89.5 (31.9) |
89.5 (31.9) |
82.7 (28.2) |
72.6 (22.6) |
60.1 (15.6) |
50.6 (10.3) |
70.0 (21.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.3 (2.4) |
40.2 (4.6) |
48.6 (9.2) |
57.7 (14.3) |
66.1 (18.9) |
74.3 (23.5) |
78.3 (25.7) |
77.5 (25.3) |
70.0 (21.1) |
58.9 (14.9) |
47.3 (8.5) |
39.0 (3.9) |
57.8 (14.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.4 (−4.2) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
35.8 (2.1) |
45.0 (7.2) |
55.0 (12.8) |
63.6 (17.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
65.4 (18.6) |
57.3 (14.1) |
45.2 (7.3) |
34.5 (1.4) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
45.7 (7.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 6.5 (−14.2) |
10.0 (−12.2) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
51.9 (11.1) |
57.6 (14.2) |
54.1 (12.3) |
41.5 (5.3) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
2.1 (−16.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−23 (−31) |
−2 (−19) |
16 (−9) |
27 (−3) |
40 (4) |
46 (8) |
41 (5) |
28 (−2) |
15 (−9) |
0 (−18) |
−13 (−25) |
−23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.19 (81) |
3.32 (84) |
4.70 (119) |
5.10 (130) |
5.31 (135) |
4.15 (105) |
3.44 (87) |
3.04 (77) |
3.93 (100) |
3.76 (96) |
4.53 (115) |
3.63 (92) |
48.10 (1,222) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.6 (4.1) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
4.4 (11) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.7 | 6.9 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 87.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Sister Cities
Gilbert has a special connection with another town across the ocean!
Bride, Isle of Man, United Kingdom
See also
In Spanish: Gilbert (Arkansas) para niños
