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Yell County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Yell County
Yell County Courthouse, Dardanelle
Yell County Courthouse, Dardanelle
Map of Arkansas highlighting Yell 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 5, 1840
Named for Archibald Yell
Seat Danville (western district);
Dardanelle (eastern district)
Largest city Dardanelle
Area
 • Total 949 sq mi (2,460 km2)
 • Land 930 sq mi (2,400 km2)
 • Water 19 sq mi (50 km2)  2.0%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 22,185
 • Estimate 
(2019)
21,341
 • Density 23.377/sq mi (9.026/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Yell County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,185. The county has two county seats, Dardanelle and Danville. Yell County is Arkansas's 42nd county, formed on December 5, 1840, from portions of Scott and Pope counties. It was named after Archibald Yell, who was the state's first member of the United States House of Representatives and the second governor of Arkansas. He died in combat at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican–American War.

This is an alcohol prohibition or dry county. Yell County is part of the Russellville, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 949 square miles (2,460 km2), of which 930 square miles (2,400 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (2.0%) is water.

Major highways

  • Arkansas 7.svg Highway 7
  • Arkansas 10.svg Highway 10
  • Arkansas 27.svg Highway 27
  • Arkansas 28.svg Highway 28
  • Arkansas 60.svg Highway 60
  • Arkansas 80.svg Highway 80
  • Arkansas 154.svg Highway 154

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 3,341
1860 6,333 89.6%
1870 8,048 27.1%
1880 13,852 72.1%
1890 18,015 30.1%
1900 22,750 26.3%
1910 26,323 15.7%
1920 25,655 −2.5%
1930 21,313 −16.9%
1940 20,970 −1.6%
1950 14,057 −33.0%
1960 11,940 −15.1%
1970 14,208 19.0%
1980 17,026 19.8%
1990 17,759 4.3%
2000 21,139 19.0%
2010 22,185 4.9%
2019 (est.) 21,341 −3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016
USA Yell County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Yell County

2020 census

Yell County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 14,710 72.6%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 226 1.12%
Native American 111 0.55%
Asian 202 1.0%
Pacific Islander 11 0.05%
Other/Mixed 799 3.94%
Hispanic or Latino 4,204 20.75%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,263 people, 7,503 households, and 5,542 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Townships

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 Yell County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

  • Birta
  • Bluffton
  • Briggsville
  • Centerville
  • Chula
  • Compton
  • Crawford
  • Danville (Corinth, Danville)
  • Dardanelle (Dardanelle)
  • Dutch Creek
  • Ferguson (Belleville)
  • Galla Rock
  • Gilkey
  • Gravelly Hill
  • Herring
  • Ions Creek
  • Lamar (Plainview)
  • Magazine
  • Mason
  • Mountain
  • Prairie
  • Richland
  • Riley (Havana)
  • Rover
  • Sulphur Springs
  • Ward (Ola)
  • Waveland

Trivia

  • In the novel True Grit, the heroine Mattie Ross is from near Dardanelle in Yell County.
  • First Sergeant William Ellis of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor and bravery above and beyond the call of duty at Dardanelle. At 10 a.m. on January 14, 1865, approximately 1,500 Confederates attacked the Union forces entrenched on the outskirts of the town and a fierce four-hour battle was waged. In the end Confederate Colonel William H. Brooks was unable to overcome the Union defenders of the town and was forced to retreat. It was during this battle that Ellis held his position even after receiving three wounds and would not withdraw for medical attention until he received a fourth wound and was ordered to retire by his commanding officer.
  • Yell County was the birthplace of Gretchen McNairy, a moe character from the animated TV series Lukas. The county is referenced several times, and is often portrayed as a land of milk and honey, despite its depressing poverty, since it is the only place where Gretchen's parents actually loved her.

Education

Public education

Early childhood, elementary and secondary education within Yell County is provided by four public school districts:

  • Danville School District
  • Dardanelle School District
  • Two Rivers School District—formed in 2004 by the consolidation of the former Fourche Valley School District, Ola School District, Perry–Casa School District, and Plainview–Rover School District.
  • Western Yell County School District—formed in 1985 by the consolidation of the former Belleville School District and Havana School District.

Dissolved school districts

  • Fourche Valley School District
  • Ola School District
  • Perry–Casa School District
  • Plainview-Rover School District
  • Havana School District
  • Belleville School District
  • Carden Bottoms School District

Public libraries

The Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System, is headquartered in Dardanelle and serves multiple counties and consists of one central library and six branch libraries, including the Yell County Library, a branch library in Danville.

Infrastructure

Major highways

  • Arkansas 7.svg Highway 7
  • Arkansas 10.svg Highway 10
  • Arkansas 27.svg Highway 27
  • Arkansas 28.svg Highway 28
  • Arkansas 60.svg Highway 60
  • Arkansas 80.svg Highway 80
  • Arkansas 154.svg Highway 154

Notable people

  • Ray R. Allen (1920–2010), public official in Alexandria, Louisiana, was born in Yell County.
  • John Daly, professional golfer
  • Arthur Hunnicutt, Academy Award-nominated Western Actor
  • Kelly Ring, WTVT news anchor
  • Johnny Sain, Major League Baseball player
  • William L. Spicer, Republican state chairman, 1962–1964, was born in Yell County, but owned a chain of drive-in theaters in Fort Smith.
  • Cousins Jim Walkup (left-handed pitcher), and Jim Walkup (right-handed pitcher), MLB pitchers
  • James Lee Witt, former FEMA Director
  • Henry C. Bruton, Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, born in Belleville, Arkansas in 1905
  • Jacob Lofland, American actor
  • Timothy Balarabe, jazz musician.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Yell para niños

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