Judsonia, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judsonia, Arkansas
|
|
|---|---|
Location of Judsonia in White County, Arkansas.
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | White |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.90 sq mi (7.52 km2) |
| • Land | 2.89 sq mi (7.48 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 213 ft (65 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,854 |
| • Density | 642.19/sq mi (247.95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
72081
|
| Area code(s) | 501 |
| FIPS code | 05-36040 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404813 |
Judsonia is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. Stan Robinson is the current mayor, first elected in 2018. The population was 1,854 at the 2020 census. The city is located immediately northeast of neighboring Searcy, and north of the Little Red River before it turns southeast toward the White River.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2), of which 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (1.31%) is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 267 | — | |
| 1890 | 475 | 77.9% | |
| 1900 | 600 | 26.3% | |
| 1910 | 746 | 24.3% | |
| 1920 | 899 | 20.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,123 | 24.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,011 | −10.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,122 | 11.0% | |
| 1960 | 977 | −12.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,667 | 70.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,025 | 21.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,915 | −5.4% | |
| 2000 | 1,982 | 3.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,019 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,854 | −8.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,627 | 87.76% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 27 | 1.46% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.43% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.22% |
| Other/Mixed | 105 | 5.66% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 83 | 4.48% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,854 people, 775 households, and 468 families residing in the city.
History
Originally known as Prospect Bluff, the town was founded in 1840 by Erastus Gregory. In 1871, a Baptist school, Judson University, was established in the area. A few months later, the name Prospect Bluff was changed to Judsonia, after the Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson, to help promote the school, which drew many northerners to the area.
Though the school closed in 1883, the town streets still bear the names of several well-known 19th-century Baptists: Judson and Hasseltine (after Adoniram Judson and his wife, Ann Hasseltine Judson), Wayland (after Francis Wayland, president of Brown University in Rhode Island), Wade (after the missionary Jonathan Wade) and Boardman (after the missionary George Boardman, whose widow, Sarah Hall Boardman became Judson's second wife).
On the evening of March 21, 1952, tornadoes swept Arkansas leaving 111 dead. Fifty of those fatalities were in Judsonia and the near vicinity. It was reported that the only building in the town not damaged was the Methodist church, which is in the city's downtown area along Van Buren Street.
That's Judsonia by William Ewing Orr (1957, White County Printing Company) is a history of the community. Judsonia has a yearly festival called Prospect Bluff Days in honor of the towns origins.
Education
Elementary and secondary education is provided by two school districts:
- Most of the city is within the Riverview School District, including Riverview Junior High School and Riverview High School in Searcy. Judsonia Elementary School is a part of this district. The Riverview district is the result of a consolidation, effective from July 1, 1991, of the Judsonia, Kensett and Griffithville school districts.
- A small section of the city is within the White County Central School District, where students attend White County Central High School; Both are located in a nearby unincorporated area near the Providence community.
Judsonia residents are served by Baldwin-Kittler Memorial Library, a branch library of the White County Regional Library System.
Notable people
- Beth Ditto, musician who grew up in Judsonia
- Jeremy Gillam, farmer from Judsonia and Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
- Lonnie Glosson, an early blues harmonica player
See also
In Spanish: Judsonia para niños
