Yellville, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yellville, Arkansas
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Marion County Courthouse in downtown Yellville
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Location of Yellville in Marion County, Arkansas.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Marion |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.51 sq mi (6.49 km2) |
| • Land | 2.48 sq mi (6.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,178 |
| • Density | 474.62/sq mi (183.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
72687
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| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-77330 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0078820 |
Yellville is a city and county seat in Marion County, Arkansas, United States. Yellville is located in the Ozark Mountains along the banks of Crooked Creek, and neighbors the small town of Summit to the north. The population was 1,204 at the 2010 Census. The town's original name is preserved in the Shawnee Town Branch, a local creek. The town also holds an annual Turkey Trot Festival.
Contents
History
Yellville is named after Archibald Yell, who was the first member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas and the second Governor of Arkansas. He was killed at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. Yellville existed well before Arkansas became a state, though originally known as Shawneetown.
Marion County was formed in 1836, shortly after statehood. Shawneetown was then renamed Yellville. An old tale claims Archibald Yell offered $50 to do so, but never paid the money. True or not, Governor Yell's descendants heard the story and paid the overdue "bill" several years ago. Yell's name can be seen elsewhere in the state, including Yell County, Arkansas and Archibald Yell Boulevard in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Several biographies of him have been written, the most recent published by the University of Arkansas Press in Fayetteville.
During the late 1840s, Yellville was the scene of several prolonged gunfights during the Tutt-Everett War. John A. Schnabel organized his Confederate cavalry battalion in the town in 1863.
The town's original name is preserved in the Shawnee Town Branch, a local creek. The town also holds an annual Turkey Trot Festival.
Geography
Yellville is located at 36°13′47″N 92°41′7″W / 36.22972°N 92.68528°W (36.229723, -92.685310). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2).
Climate
Yellville, located in the Arkansas Ozarks, has a humid continental-subtropical climate, with cold-to-mild winters and hot, humid summers. Yellville's record high temperature of 110°F was observed on August 29, 1984, and July 30, 1986, while the record low of −20°F was observed on January 11, 1977.
| Climate data for Yellville, Arkansas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
83 (28) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
94 (34) |
102 (39) |
110 (43) |
110 (43) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
110 (43) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
53 (12) |
63 (17) |
73 (23) |
80 (27) |
87 (31) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
83 (28) |
74 (23) |
62 (17) |
51 (11) |
71 (22) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
26 (−3) |
35 (2) |
44 (7) |
52 (11) |
61 (16) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
56 (13) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
26 (−3) |
44 (7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−14 (−26) |
2 (−17) |
18 (−8) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
44 (7) |
38 (3) |
29 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
2 (−17) |
−15 (−26) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.40 (61) |
2.90 (74) |
4.40 (112) |
4.20 (107) |
5.20 (132) |
4.10 (104) |
2.80 (71) |
3.50 (89) |
3.90 (99) |
3.70 (94) |
4.50 (114) |
3.90 (99) |
45.50 (1,156) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.80 (9.7) |
3.40 (8.6) |
2.20 (5.6) |
0.20 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.90 (2.3) |
2.80 (7.1) |
13.30 (33.8) |
| Source: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USAR0619 | |||||||||||||
List Of Highways
US 62/US 412
U.S. Route 62 Business
Highway 14
Highway 202
Highway 235
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Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 170 | — | |
| 1870 | 96 | −43.5% | |
| 1880 | 345 | 259.4% | |
| 1890 | 263 | −23.8% | |
| 1900 | 578 | 119.8% | |
| 1910 | 463 | −19.9% | |
| 1920 | 615 | 32.8% | |
| 1930 | 478 | −22.3% | |
| 1940 | 546 | 14.2% | |
| 1950 | 697 | 27.7% | |
| 1960 | 636 | −8.8% | |
| 1970 | 860 | 35.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,044 | 21.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,181 | 13.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,312 | 11.1% | |
| 2010 | 1,204 | −8.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,178 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,059 | 89.9% |
| Native American | 13 | 1.1% |
| Asian | 6 | 0.51% |
| Other/Mixed | 67 | 5.69% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33 | 2.8% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,178 people, 416 households, and 271 families residing in the city.
Area attractions
- Turkey Trot
One of the longest traditions in Yellville is the annual Turkey Trot festival. Beginning in 1945 with the first turkey dropped from the roof of the Marion County Courthouse, the festival continues today. It is held every second weekend of October with the best-known attraction being live turkeys that are dropped from airplanes over the town square. October 2011 marked the 66th anniversary of this festival. The 1970s television show, WKRP in Cincinnati, parodied the turkey drop on one of their best-known episodes. Yellville and the Turkey Trot Festival were also included in the American supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer in 1989 with photographs of the festival and commentary on animal cruelty. Due to the bad press, the turkey drop ceased for a few years. The turkey drop resumed until 2011 when P.E.T.A. involved themselves by offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the so-called "Phantom Pilot." This ruse was quickly subverted by the patrons of the festival as they voiced their support for the rapidly emerging "Folk Hero." One patron publicly offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could positively identify any of the undercover P.E.T.A members rumored to be in attendance. Said members did not make any appearances. The Turkey Trot festival also includes a Miss Turkey Trot Pageant, a Miss Drumsticks Competition (best legs), dinners, musical entertainment, a 5 kilometer run, a parade (which has included former Arkansas governor and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee), and a nationally recognized turkey calling contest sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. Crafts and tools related to the hunting of wild turkeys are also sold in streetside booths along the town square. Entertainment at Turkey Trot has ranged in recent years from famous acts like John Conlee, singer of "Rose Colored Glasses," and Jeannie Kendall from the Grammy-award-winning group The Kendalls, to more local entertainment by area groups such as The Muddles, South 14, Joe Sasser and Friends, and Carnes McCormack.
- Buffalo National River
Yellville is popular for its proximity to the Buffalo National River. During the summer, tourists visit the area and Yellville becomes a hub for shopping and lodging for all those visiting this particular region of the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo National River. A popular Bed and Breakfast in Yellville is the Red Raven Inn. The Buffalo Point Ranger Station is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) south of Yellville. Activities and services in the area include horseback trail riding, canoeing, and cabin rentals. Other area attractions include the more than 1,000 caves that exist in Marion County, and the famous "Rush" ghost town located in the Buffalo Point area—a turn-of-the-century ghost town from the zinc mining heyday of the area. Abandoned mines are visible along many of the hiking trails at Rush, but are fenced off due to safety concerns. Recent arson has destroyed a few of the historic buildings of the Rush ghost town.
- Bull Shoals Dam and Reservoir / White River
Most of northern Marion County is made up of water—most notably, the waters created by the Bull Shoals Dam. Eastern Marion County's border with Baxter County, Arkansas is marked by the White River. Both are well known for offering another outdoors opportunity for those visiting the area. Water skiing, pontoon boating, and fishing are all popular summer activities at the Bull Shoals Lake and White River areas. Yellville is located approximately 14 miles (23 km) southwest from Bull Shoals, Arkansas and serves as another housing and tourist destination for those who are not staying at the numerous resorts in Bull Shoals, along the White River, or at the confluence of the Buffalo and White Rivers near Buffalo City, Arkansas along the Marion and Baxter County line.
- Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek
In 1999, Fred Berry, a former counselor and teacher at the Yellville-Summit School District donated the funding to create an educational center at Kelley's Access on Crooked Creek, located near the Yellville city park. With additional donations and a "conservation tax," the plan was put into action. On June 17, 2005, the Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek opened. It is one of four education centers with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. It sits on 471 acres (1.91 km2) of land along a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) stretch of Crooked Creek that was once a dairy farm.
Infrastructure
Major highways
- US 62/US 412
- U.S. Route 62 Business
- Highway 14
- Highway 202
- Highway 235
Utilities
Entergy Arkansas is the sole provider of electricity in almost all of Marion County, including Yellville. Natural gas service is available from Black Hills Energy. Sanitation is provided by Nabors Sanitation, and cable television service is provided by Yelcot
The Yellville Water Department purchases potable water from the Marion County Regional Water Association, whose source is Bull Shoals Lake. The Yellville Water Department has 2,329 retail population served, and is responsible for maintenance of the water system and customer billing.
Notable people
- Kelley Linck, represented Yellville and surrounding area in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016
Images for kids
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Crooked Creek near the City Park
See also
In Spanish: Yellville (Arkansas) para niños
