Wynne, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wynne, Arkansas
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"The City with a Smile"
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Location of Wynne in Cross County, Arkansas.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Cross |
| Post office opened | September 27, 1882 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.00 sq mi (23.32 km2) |
| • Land | 8.99 sq mi (23.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 262 ft (80 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,314 |
| • Density | 924.39/sq mi (356.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
72396
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| Area code | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-77090 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405797 |
Wynne is a city in Arkansas, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Cross County, Arkansas. In 2020, about 8,314 people lived there.
Wynne is located between the Arkansas Delta and Crowley's Ridge. It is also very close to Village Creek State Park. This park is the second largest state park in Arkansas.
Contents
Discovering Wynne's Past
Wynne was named after Captain Jesse Watkins Wynne. He was a brave soldier from Texas during the American Civil War. He became a captain when he was only 21 years old.
In 1867, Captain Wynne moved to St. Francis County, Arkansas. He joined a finance company called Dennis & Beck. This company later became the Bank of Eastern Arkansas, and Captain Wynne was its first president.
How Wynne Became a Town
From 1880 to 1885, a new railroad was being built. This made towns along rivers, like Wittsburg, less important. People started moving to areas near the railroads instead.
The spot where Wynne is now was chosen in 1882. A train went off its tracks, leaving a boxcar behind. This boxcar was set upright and used as a building. It was called "Wynne Station" to honor Captain Wynne.
On September 27, 1882, the Wynne Station Post Office opened. When another railroad line crossed near the boxcar, the area became known as "Wynne Junction." On May 28, 1888, the "Junction" part was dropped, and the town officially became Wynne.
Wynne Becomes the County Seat
By the 1890s, Wynne was growing fast because of the railroads. It became more active than Vanndale, which was the county seat at the time. In 1903, Wynne became the new county seat of Cross County.
In the 1920s and 30s, new highways were built. U.S. Route 64 passed through Wynne, connecting it to Memphis and other cities. Arkansas Highway 1 also went through Wynne. This made Wynne an important place for both trains and cars.
Today, Interstate 40 takes most long-distance travelers away from Wynne.
2023 Tornado Event
On March 31, 2023, a very strong tornado hit Wynne. It was an EF3 tornado with winds up to 150 miles per hour. Four people sadly died, and 26 people were hurt.
Many homes and businesses, including Wynne High School, were damaged or destroyed. The tornado traveled for 73 miles before it ended in Tipton County, Tennessee.
Where is Wynne Located?
Wynne is in the southern part of Cross County. It sits on the edge of two different areas of Arkansas. One is the rich farmland of the Arkansas Delta. The other is Crowley's Ridge, a raised area that is part of the New Madrid Fault Line.
Major Roads in Wynne
U.S. Route 64 runs through the north side of Wynne. It goes east about 37 miles to Marion. To the west, it goes about 58 miles to Searcy.
Arkansas Highway 1 goes north about 25 miles to Harrisburg. It goes south about 14 miles to Interstate 40 near Forrest City.
The United States Census Bureau says Wynne covers about 9 square miles (23.32 square kilometers). Only a tiny part of this area is water.
Wynne's Weather and Climate
Wynne has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of climate is called "Cfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Wynne, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1908–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
110 (43) |
109 (43) |
97 (36) |
88 (31) |
80 (27) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.1 (9.5) |
53.7 (12.1) |
62.6 (17.0) |
72.9 (22.7) |
81.6 (27.6) |
89.6 (32.0) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.1 (32.8) |
86.0 (30.0) |
75.9 (24.4) |
62.1 (16.7) |
52.1 (11.2) |
72.4 (22.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
44.0 (6.7) |
52.5 (11.4) |
62.1 (16.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.2 (27.9) |
80.7 (27.1) |
74.3 (23.5) |
63.8 (17.7) |
51.8 (11.0) |
43.5 (6.4) |
62.2 (16.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) |
34.4 (1.3) |
42.4 (5.8) |
51.4 (10.8) |
61.7 (16.5) |
69.8 (21.0) |
72.6 (22.6) |
70.2 (21.2) |
62.5 (16.9) |
51.8 (11.0) |
41.6 (5.3) |
34.8 (1.6) |
52.1 (11.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −10 (−23) |
−10 (−23) |
7 (−14) |
25 (−4) |
33 (1) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
48 (9) |
32 (0) |
18 (−8) |
10 (−12) |
−4 (−20) |
−10 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.71 (94) |
4.26 (108) |
5.11 (130) |
5.70 (145) |
5.09 (129) |
3.58 (91) |
3.35 (85) |
2.69 (68) |
3.30 (84) |
4.15 (105) |
4.43 (113) |
5.22 (133) |
50.59 (1,285) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
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) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.0 (5.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.3 | 9.2 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 11.0 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 105.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People Living in Wynne
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 565 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,629 | 188.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,353 | 44.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,933 | 24.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,505 | 19.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,633 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 4,142 | 14.0% | |
| 1960 | 4,922 | 18.8% | |
| 1970 | 6,696 | 36.0% | |
| 1980 | 7,927 | 18.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,187 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 8,615 | 5.2% | |
| 2010 | 8,367 | −2.9% | |
| 2020 | 8,314 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Wynne's Population in 2020
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White | 4,949 | 59.53% |
| Black or African American | 2,716 | 32.67% |
| Native American | 21 | 0.25% |
| Asian | 93 | 1.12% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 329 | 3.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 205 | 2.47% |
In 2020, the 2020 United States Census counted 8,314 people living in Wynne. There were 3,104 households and 2,052 families.
Learning in Wynne
Wynne has a public school system with four schools:
- Wynne Primary School: For students in Kindergarten through second grade.
- Wynne Intermediate School: For students in grades 3–5.
- Wynne Junior High School: For students in grades 6–8.
- Wynne High School: For students in grades 9–12.
There is also a branch of the East Arkansas Community College in Wynne. It is located on Falls Boulevard.
The New Hope School was one of the first buildings built for students in District 25. In 2007, it was given to the Cross County Historical Society. They restored it to look like it did originally. In 2008, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Famous People from Wynne
- Jessica Andrews: A country music singer.
- Cortney Lance Bledsoe: A poet, writer, and book reviewer born in Wynne in 1976.
- Ronald R. Caldwell: A Republican state senator from Arkansas. He is also a real estate businessman in Wynne.
- Clay Ford: (1938–2013) A former Florida House of Representatives member. He was also a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He was born in Wynne.
- Carlos Norman Hathcock II: (May 20, 1942 – February 22, 1999) A famous United States Marine Corps sniper. He was the real person behind the 1993 movie Sniper.
- Rick Husky: A television producer.
- James Luker: An Arkansas state legislator and former mayor of Wynne.
- James Levesque "Bex" Shaver, Sr.: The ninth Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas.
- William L. Spicer: Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party from 1962 to 1964. He lived in Wynne when he was younger.
- Hugh "Bones" Taylor: He played wide receiver for the Washington Redskins from 1947 to 1954. He was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins in 2002. Taylor also coached the Houston Oilers and was an assistant coach for other NFL teams.
- DeAngelo Williams: A retired professional football player. He played as a running back in the NFL from 2006 to 2016. He was a Wynne Yellowjacket in high school.
Places to Visit in Wynne
- Cross County Courthouse
- Cross County Library
- Cross County Museum
- Historic Downtown Wynne
- Jesse Wynne Park
- Village Creek State Park
Media in Wynne
Newspapers in Wynne
The Wynne Progress is the main newspaper for Wynne and Cross County. It has been published every week for over 100 years.
Radio Stations in Wynne
KWYN is the main radio station in Wynne.
- 92.5 FM plays mostly country music.
- 1400 AM plays mostly news and sports.
These stations are part of East Arkansas Broadcasters, Incorporated.
See also
In Spanish: Wynne (Arkansas) para niños
