Mena, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mena, Arkansas
|
|
---|---|
Polk County Courthouse in Mena
|
|
Motto(s):
"Where good things happen!"
|
|
Location of Mena in Polk County, Arkansas.
|
|
Country | United States |
State | Arkansas |
County | Polk |
Area | |
• Total | 6.93 sq mi (17.96 km2) |
• Land | 6.89 sq mi (17.84 km2) |
• Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2) |
Elevation | 1,171 ft (357 m) |
Population
(2020)
|
|
• Total | 5,589 |
• Density | 811.29/sq mi (313.26/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
ZIP Code |
71953
|
Area code(s) | 479 |
FIPS code | 05-45170 |
Website | City of Mena Arkansas |
Mena ( MEE-nə) is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County. The population was 5,558 as of the 2020 census. Mena is included in the Ark-La-Tex socio-economic region. Surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest, Mena is a gateway to some of the most visited tourist attractions in Arkansas.
Contents
History
Mena was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (now the Kansas City Southern), which stretched from Kansas City, Missouri to Port Arthur, Texas. Train service to Mena began in 1896.
Stilwell named the town in honor of Folmina Margaretha Janssen-De Goeijen, the wife of his friend and financier Jan De Goeijen, whom Mr. De Goeijen affectionately called Mena. Janssen Park in the center of Mena is also named for her.
Mena was settled in 1896, and incorporated on September 18, 1896.
In 1897, the Bank of Mena was founded. The following year, the county seat was moved from nearby Dallas, Arkansas to Mena.
Mena's population had grown to 3,423 by 1900.
The town's main industries were timber, agriculture and mineral extraction, though it was advertised as a spa city located within a healthy environment.
Stilwell donated land to the city in 1906, and a park and campground were constructed.
In 1910, the railroad moved its shop facilities from Mena to Heavener, Oklahoma, causing a loss of 800 jobs.
A private school in Mena, Hendrix Academy, closed in 1905.
In 1911, a damaging tornado struck the town.
Sundown town
A black community called Little Africa developed on Board Camp Creek east of Mena. The community was small, with a population of 152 in 1900.
In 1901, a black man there was killed after an alleged altercation with a white girl. No one was arrested for the crime. Several other instances of racially motivated hate and violence towards Mena's black community had been noted. This, combined with declining job prospects after the railway shops left town, led many blacks to leave Mena. By 1910, just 16 remained.
Recent history
In the 1950s, a government program to stockpile manganese led to the reopening of local mines closed since the 1890s. The program ended in 1959, and the mines again closed.
During the 1980s, drug smuggler Barry Seal moved his operations to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, where he owned and operated many planes and helicopters, as well as advanced radar equipment.
On April 9, 2009, a large and violent tornado devastated the town, killing three and injuring 30. Many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. The Arkansas National Guard was deployed to the affected area. The tornado was rated as a high-end EF3, with winds near 165 mph (266 km/h), and damages estimated at $25 million.
Some of the businesses in the creative economy are working to create a Downtown Arts District in Mena, anchored by the Mena Art Gallery at 607 Mena Street. The gallery is a non-profit organization which exhibits about 12 shows a year ranging from invitational (a well-known artist is invited to display his or her work in the gallery for approximately 30 days) to open shows featuring primarily local artists in a variety of media. There is also an annual Children's Exhibit and a High School Exhibit. Admission is free. The gallery has one part-time director and is staffed primarily by volunteers.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18 km2), of which 6.7 square miles (17 km2) is land; 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.44%) is water.
Climate
Mena's climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters, with precipitation occurring in all seasons. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).
Climate data for Mena, Arkansas | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 11 (51) |
13 (55) |
17 (63) |
23 (73) |
27 (80) |
31 (88) |
33 (92) |
33 (92) |
30 (86) |
24 (75) |
17 (62) |
12 (53) |
23 (73) |
Average low °C (°F) | 0 (32) |
1 (34) |
5 (41) |
10 (50) |
14 (58) |
19 (66) |
21 (69) |
21 (69) |
17 (62) |
11 (52) |
5 (41) |
1 (34) |
11 (51) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 110 (4.2) |
94 (3.7) |
120 (4.7) |
140 (5.7) |
160 (6.4) |
120 (4.8) |
100 (4.1) |
100 (4.1) |
100 (4) |
94 (3.7) |
94 (3.7) |
99 (3.9) |
1,300 (53) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 3.3 (1.3) |
5.8 (2.3) |
0.51 (.2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.51 (.2) |
0.51 (.2) |
11 (4.2) |
Source: Weatherbase |
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1900 | 3,423 | — | |
1910 | 3,953 | 15.5% | |
1920 | 3,441 | −13.0% | |
1930 | 3,118 | −9.4% | |
1940 | 3,510 | 12.6% | |
1950 | 4,445 | 26.6% | |
1960 | 4,388 | −1.3% | |
1970 | 4,530 | 3.2% | |
1980 | 5,154 | 13.8% | |
1990 | 5,475 | 6.2% | |
2000 | 5,637 | 3.0% | |
2010 | 5,737 | 1.8% | |
2020 | 5,589 | −2.6% | |
U.S. Decennial Census |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 4,692 | 83.95% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 14 | 0.25% |
Native American | 95 | 1.7% |
Asian | 62 | 1.11% |
Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.07% |
Other/Mixed | 423 | 7.57% |
Hispanic or Latino | 299 | 5.35% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,589 people, 2,341 households, and 1,420 families residing in the city.
Parks and recreation
An estimated 1.2 million visitors each year come to Mena to enjoy its nearby natural features, which include the Talimena Scenic Drive, a National Scenic Byway, and the Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The Cossatot River is included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and runs through the Ouachita National Forest. Lake Ouachita, and the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness, are also nearby.
Camp Pioneer is 163 acres (0.66 km2) Boy Scout camp in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains east of Mena. Camp High Point, a Girl Scout camp is also in the area.
Mena is home of the Mena Gaming Association charity youth organization, founded in 2003.
In popular culture
In 1996, Patrick Matrisciana, founder of Jeremiah Films and an organization called Citizens for an Honest Government, produced Obstruction of Justice: The Mena Connection.
Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Mena. |
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Public education for elementary and secondary school students is available from two school districts:
- Mena School District, which includes Mena High School.
- Ouachita River School District, which includes Acorn High School in Acorn; it was recognized as a 2012 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.
- Previously that section of Mena was in the Acorn School District. The Ouachita River School District was established by the merger of the Acorn School District and the Oden School District on July 1, 2004.
Post-secondary education
- Commonwealth College was once located at the base of Rich Mountain and was known for its ties to socialism, as well as for being the one-time college of Orval Faubus, former Governor of Arkansas.
- Rich Mountain Community College is located in Mena. In 2015, RMCC was accepted into the University of Arkansas network. The two year post secondary institution is now known as UA Rich Mountain.
Infrastructure
Transportation
- The city is served by Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport.
Utilities
- Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative is a non-profit rural electric utility cooperative headquartered in Mena.
- Within the city limits, electricity is provided by the Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO).
Notable people
- Nate Bell, Republican former member of Arkansas House of Representatives.
- Edwin L. Cox, businessman and philanthropist.
- Norris "Tuffy" Goff, comedian and radio actor, who played Abner Peabody in the famed Lum and Abner radio and television programs (born in Cove, Arkansas, raised in Mena).
- Chester Lauck, second half of the Lum and Abner comedy pair. Lauck played Columbus "Lum" Edwards.
- Herbert A. Littleton, awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War.
- Jim Mabry, former Arkansas Razorbacks football All-American (raised in Memphis, Tennessee), has spent most of his adult life in Mena.
- Dennis L. Montgomery, software designer who sold millions of dollars of useless software to the US Government.
- Marcus Richmond, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 21 in multi-county region; born in Mena in 1956.
- Mike Simpson, NFL player
- Dorothy Shaver, first female president of a major Fifth Avenue store.
- Olin E. Teague, longtime Texas's 6th congressional district representative who was born in Oklahoma, but reared in Mena.
- T. Texas Tyler, country singer (The Deck of Cards).
See also
In Spanish: Mena (Arkansas) para niños