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Clay County, Arkansas
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Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 17,609. The county has two county seats, Corning and Piggott. It is a dry county.
Clay County was created as Arkansas's 67th county on March 24, 1873 (alongside Baxter County), it was named Clayton County. Though the name was shortened two years later by the Arkansas General Assembly, the designation of John M. Clayton as the person for whom the county was named was not changed.
The first county seat was Corning, established in 1873, with the arrival of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, as the first incorporated town in the county.
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Encyclopedia
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 17,609. The county has two county seats, Corning and Piggott. It is a dry county.
History
When Clay County was created as Arkansas's 67th county on March 24, 1873 (alongside Baxter County), it was named Clayton County. Though the name was shortened two years later by the Arkansas General Assembly, the designation of John M. Clayton as the person for whom the county was named was not changed.
The first county seat was Corning, established in 1873, with the arrival of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, as the first incorporated town in the county. The county seat was moved to Boydsville in 1877, though, because people living east of the Black and Cache Rivers had difficulty getting to Corning during flood season. This caused trouble for those living west of the rivers, however, and in 1881 Corning was re-established as the seat of the Western District, with Boydsville remaining the seat of the Eastern District. Upon the arrival of the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railroad in 1882, other towns such as Greenway, Rector and Piggott experienced growth. In 1887, the Eastern District seat was moved to Piggott. The dual county seat system remains in place today. Important county functions (such as the Quorum Court) alternate between Piggott and Corning as their venues.
On April 6th, 1972, three of the counties deputy sheriff's were killed in one incident. Sheriff , Deputy and Deputy were killed during a shootout as they served a warrant on Burt Grissom. Sheriff Douglas Batey was replaced by as Sheriff, but Sheriff Thomas was killed also on June 8th, 1973, in an automobile accident. Of the five officers who have died in service of the Clay County Sheriff's Office, four died in these two incidents.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 641 square miles (1,661 kmē), of which, 639 square miles (1,656 kmē) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 kmē) of it (0.33%) is water.
Major Highways
- U.S. Highway 49
- U.S. Highway 62
- U.S. Highway 67
- Highway 90
- Highway 119
- Highway 139
Adjacent counties
Cities and towns
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,609 people, 7,417 households, and 5,073 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile (11/kmē). There were 8,498 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/kmē). The racial makeup of the county was 98.08% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,417 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 19.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,345, and the median income for a family was $32,558. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $17,146 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,512. About 13.40% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.20% of those under age 18 and 22.70% of those age 65 or over.
Government
County Officials
- County Judge: Gary Howell
- County Clerk: Pat Poole
- Sheriff & Collector: Ronnie Cole
- District Judge: David Copelin
- Quorum Court Justices: David Cagle, Greg Ahrendt, Doyne Holifield, Triply Muse, Rex Smart, Dennis Haynes, Jim Jeffress, Mark Watson, & Burton Eddington.
Economy
Agriculture is the cornerstone of Clay County's economy. Farmers throughout the county grow a wide variety of crops. Rice is the dominant crop, but significant amounts of cotton, soybeans, corn, hay, and milo are also grown. Industry is limited to a handful of factories located in the cities of Piggott, Corning, and Rector.
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