Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
s of
Craighead CountyCraighead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 82,148. The 2007 Census estimate shows the county increasing to 92,640 people. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Craighead County is Arkansas's 58th...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 59,358. A
college townA college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state. It is the principal city of and is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The
Jonesboro metropolitan areaThe Jonesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – Craighead and Poinsett – in northeast Arkansas, anchored by the city of Jonesboro. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 107,762...
had an estimated population of 115,830 and 153,427 in the
Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical AreaThe Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area is made up of three counties in northeastern Arkansas. The CSA consists of the Jonesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Paragould Micropolitan Statistical Area...
in 2006.
Jonesboro is the home to
Arkansas State UniversityArkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
and is a regional center for manufacturing, agriculture, medicine, education, and trade.
The Jonesboro area was first inhabited by Indian tribes which included the
OsageThe Osage Nation is a Native American tribe in the United States that originated about 1200 CE in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. Ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their...
, the
CaddoThe Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma...
, and the
QuapawThe Quapaw people are a tribe of Native Americans who historically resided on the west side of the Mississippi River in what is now the state of Arkansas. Today they live in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, where there is a Quapaw tribal jurisdictional area, which includes the Tar Creek Superfund site. ...
.
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
s of
Craighead CountyCraighead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 82,148. The 2007 Census estimate shows the county increasing to 92,640 people. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Craighead County is Arkansas's 58th...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 59,358. A
college townA college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state. It is the principal city of and is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The
Jonesboro metropolitan areaThe Jonesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – Craighead and Poinsett – in northeast Arkansas, anchored by the city of Jonesboro. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 107,762...
had an estimated population of 115,830 and 153,427 in the
Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical AreaThe Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area is made up of three counties in northeastern Arkansas. The CSA consists of the Jonesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Paragould Micropolitan Statistical Area...
in 2006.
Jonesboro is the home to
Arkansas State UniversityArkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
and is a regional center for manufacturing, agriculture, medicine, education, and trade.
History
The Jonesboro area was first inhabited by Indian tribes which included the
OsageThe Osage Nation is a Native American tribe in the United States that originated about 1200 CE in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. Ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their...
, the
CaddoThe Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma...
, and the
QuapawThe Quapaw people are a tribe of Native Americans who historically resided on the west side of the Mississippi River in what is now the state of Arkansas. Today they live in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, where there is a Quapaw tribal jurisdictional area, which includes the Tar Creek Superfund site. ...
. The name of the state of Arkansas actually comes from the Quapaw language. American settlers eventually made their way to the area where Jonesboro is located and began exploring, hunting, trapping, and trading with the local Indian tribes. A permanent settlement of Jonesboro was set up shortly after 1815.
In 1859, land was taken from nearby
GreeneGreene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 37,331. The county seat is Paragould, which sits atop Crowley's Ridge.The Paragould Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Greene County...
,
MississippiMississippi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 51,979. There are two county seats, Blytheville and Osceola. The county was formed on November 1, 1833, and named for the Mississippi River which borders the county to the east...
, and
PoinsettPoinsett County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 25,614. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Harrisburg. The county was formed on February 28, 1838, and named for Joel R. Poinsett, U.S....
counties and was used to form Craighead County. Jonesboro was the original county seat, and later Lake City was named as the second seat.
http://genealogytrails.com/ark/craig/ The population of the city at the time was 150. Jonesboro was named after State Senator William A. Jones in recognition of his support in the legislature for the formation of Craighead County. Originally spelled Jonesborough, it was later shortened to its present day spelling.
During the late 1800s, the city tried to develop its court system and downtown infrastructure. Shortly after being named county seat, the highest point in Jonesboro was selected and a court house was planned for construction. This was delayed for several years as the locals did not want to ruin their deer hunting. The first court house was finally completed but was destroyed by a fire in 1869. A store across from this site was then rented and used as a court house until it too was destroyed by fire in 1876. Another building was then constructed on the same site only to be consumed by fire in 1878. This fire destroyed most of downtown Jonesboro when it occurred. Soon afterwards, another court house was constructed and the structure still stands today in the city.
The
Cotton Belt RailroadThe St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply "Cotton Belt", was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1877 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
brought Jonesboro its first set of railroad tracks to the city. These tracks were located just north of the center of the city and during the first train's voyage it became stuck and supplies had to be carried into town Other majors railways began to construct tracks to and from Jonesboro including
St. Louis-San Francisco RailwayThe St. Louis–San Francisco Railway , also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to 1980.-History:...
,
Burlington Northern RailroadThe Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company operating between 1970 and 1996.-History:Burlington Northern Railroad was the product of a March 2, 1970, merger comprising the Great Northern Railway, the Northern Pacific Railway, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy...
, and
Missouri Pacific RailroadThe Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. The company came under control of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982.-History:...
. Some of the rail companies still own and use the tracks that run through Jonesboro today.
Many entities established themselves in Jonesboro around and during the early 1900s. In 1899, the Jonesboro School District was set up in the city. In 1900, St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center was established by the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters. The first department store was opened in 1900 and its name was The Grand Leader Department Store. 1904 saw the establishment of Woodland College come and the opening of two more schools within the Jonesboro School District. Arkansas State University was established in 1909. and the first horseless carriages were seen in the city that same year. The two oldest churches still in the city today were started in the 1910s. First Baptist Church was established in 1911 and First Methodist Church was established in 1916.
On September 10 1931, Governor
Harvey ParnellHarvey Parnell was the Democratic Governor of Arkansas from 1928 to 1933.Harvey Parnell was born in Orlando in Cleveland County, Arkansas. Parnell attended public schools and graduated from Warren High School in Warren, Arkansas...
authorized the
Arkansas National GuardThe Arkansas National Guard comprises both Army and Air components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status...
to be deployed in Jonesboro to quell the
Church WarThe Church War of 1931 was a conflict in Jonesboro, Arkansas between followers of the fundamentalist evangelist Joe Jeffers and the Reverend Dow H...
, a clash between the followers of Joe Jeffers and Dow H. Heard, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. Jeffer's adherents also attacked the mayor and police chief resulting in front page coverage of the incident in
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
.
The Jonesboro massacre occurred on March 24, 1998 in a nearby unincorporated area of Craighead County. Two young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fired upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school. Four students and one teacher were killed and ten injured.
In the 2007-2008 school year the Jonesboro Public School District elementary schools became magnet schools.
Geography
Jonesboro is located at (35.828067, -90.694048) atop
Crowley's RidgeFor the former department store, see Crowley's.Crowley's Ridge is an unusual geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas...
in northeastern Arkansas.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 80.0
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (207.2 km²), of which, 79.6 square miles (206.3 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.
Climate
Joesboro has a
humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. This climate type covers a broad category of climates, and the term "subtropical" may be a misnomer for the winter climate....
(
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa).
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 55,515 people, 22,219 households, and 14,353 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 697.1 people per square mile (269.1/km²). There were 24,263 housing units at an average density of 304.7/sq mi (117.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.37%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 11.27%
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.32%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.83%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.05% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.13% from two or more races. 2.34% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
.
There were 22,219 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. There are 878 unmarried partner households: 776 heterosexual, 50 same-sex male, and 52 same-sex female households. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,196, and the median income for a family was $42,082. Males had a median income of $21,633 versus $31,633 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $17,884. About 12.9% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Historical figures
| Year | Population |
|---|
| 1900 |
4,500 |
| 1940 |
11,700 |
| 1950 |
16,300 |
| 1960 |
21,400 |
| 1970 |
27,100 |
| 1980 |
31,500 |
| 1990 |
46,500 |
| 2000 |
55,515 |
Education
Jonesboro is served by the following school districts:
- Jonesboro School District
- Bay School District
- Nettleton School District
- Westside Consolidated School District
- Valley View School District
- Brookland School District
- Ridgefield Christian School (private)
Places of Worship
- Apple Hill Church of Christ
- Betel Casa De Dios
- Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
- Central Baptist Church
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
As of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 25,296 members, 5 stakes, 56 Congregations , and 1 mission in Arkansas.- History :...
- Community Fellowship Church
- Cornerstone Methodist Church
- Divine Revelation
- Fellowship Bible Church
- First Assembly of God (www.firstassemblyjonesboro.org)
- First Baptist Church
- First United Methodist
- Forest Home Church of the Nazarene
- Fullness Of Joyness Ministries
- Highland Drive Baptist
- Islamic Center of JonesboroOfficial Website
- Nettleton Baptist Church
- Nettleton Church of Christ
- Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Official Website
- South Caraway Baptist
- Southwest Church of Christ Website
- The Rock of NEA
- Trinity (from "The Matrix")
- Valley View Church of Christ Official Website
- My Hope and Honor Church of Jesus Christ and all the followers of God Church
- Walnut Street Baptist
Notable natives & residents
- Earl Bell
Earl H. Bell is a former world record holding pole vaulter from the United States, winner of the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and current coach to a number of the nation's top men and women vaulters. He was born in Ancón, Panama Canal Zone.At his last Olympic appearance, Bell finished...
- former pole vaultPole vaulting is an athletic field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
champion and current coach of top US men and women vaulters
- Wes Bentley
Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor.-Life and career:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers. He has three brothers, Philip and Jamey, who are older, and Patrick, who is younger. Bentley grew up in Mountain...
- actor best known for his role as the drug dealer Ricky in American BeautyAmerican Beauty is a 1999 American dark comedy film, directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a middle-aged office worker who has a midlife crisis after becoming infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend. The film co-stars Annette Bening and Thora...
- Rodger Bumpass
Rodger Cleveland Bumpass is an American character actor and voice actor with many credits in animated films, animated television series, and video games. Bumpass' voice acting credits go back as far a 1962 episode of The Jetsons...
- the voice of Squidward Tentacles on SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series and media franchise. It is currently Nickelodeon's highest rated show, the most distributed property of MTV Networks, and among Nicktoons Network's most-watched shows...
- Hattie Caraway
Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway was the first woman elected to serve as a United States Senator. Senator Caraway represented Arkansas.-Biography:...
- first woman elected to the United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
- Clint Catalyst
Clint Catalyst is an American author, actor, spoken word performer and stylist.Catalyst has covered music, fashion, LGBT issues, and popular culture for magazines including LA Weekly, Frontiers, Out, and Swindle....
- writer, actor, model, stylist, journalist, red carpet commentator for 2007 Emmy Awards
- John Grisham
John Ray Grisham is an American author, best known for his popular legal thrillers. Before becoming a writer, he was a successful lawyer and politician...
- novelist
- Dave Grossman
Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman is an author who has specialized in the study of the psychology of killing, which has been termed 'killology'.Col. Grossman retired from the military as Professor of Military Science at Arkansas State University...
- author of On Killing
- Julia Butterfly Hill
Julia Butterfly Hill is an American activist and environmentalist. Hill is best known for living in a -tall, roughly 1500-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days between December 10, 1997 to December 18, 1999...
- environmental activist
- Dustin McDaniel
Dustin McDaniel is the current Attorney General of Arkansas. A member of the Democratic Party, he assumed office on January 9, 2007, succeeding Mike Beebe, who became Governor of Arkansas.- Background :...
- current Arkansas Attorney General
- Pete Mead
Felix G. "Pete" Mead was an American middleweight boxer who fought in the ring from 1942 to 1951. He was defeated in his last fight by Rocky Graziano of New York City. In 1989, Mead wrote his autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Cheers, a collector's item that can sell for as much as $135...
- middleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867...
boxing champion of 1940s
- Ben Murphy
Benjamin E. Murphy is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the ABC television series Alias Smith and Jones, co-starring as Kid Curry, first with Pete Duel and later with Roger Davis....
- actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, formerly of ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
's Alias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and Jones is a Western television series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, a pair of Western outlaws trying to reform....
- Jon Olsen
Jon C. B. Olsen is a former freestyle swimmer from the United States, who was highly successful as a member of the US relay teams in the 1990s....
- Olympic gold medalist swimmer
- David Ring
David Ring is a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker who has cerebral palsy. Since 1973, Ring has challenged thousands of people with his signature message - "I have cerebral palsy.....
- motivational speaker with cerebral palsyCerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development....
- John W. Snyder
John Wesley Snyder was an American businessman and Cabinet Secretary.-Biography:Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, he studied at Vanderbilt University's engineering school for one year before joining in the Army during World War I.Snyder came to Washington in the early 1930s with a broad background in...
- former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice-president and the 34th Vice President of the United States, he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
- Tony Spinner
Tony Spinner is an American rock and blues singer and guitarist who toured with Toto from 1999 until their break-up in 2008. Spinner was personally selected by David Paich as a backup guitarist and backing vocalistand would perform lead vocals on the song "Stop Loving You," originally performed by...
- solo blues/rock musician and guitarist for the band Toto
- Charley Thornton
Charles J. "Charley" Thornton, , was an important American college sports figure.Charley Thornton was born on June 6, 1936 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He graduated from Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1954. Thornton graduated from Arkansas State College in 1958 earning the award as the...
- sports figure
- Bobby Lee Trammell
Bobby Lee Trammell was an American rockabilly singer and politician.Trammell was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas to Wiley and Mae Trammell, who were cotton farmers...
- rockabilly musician
- Debbye Turner
Debbye Turner is an American veterinarian, talk show host, and former beauty queen. Turner was Miss America 1990....
- Miss America 1990
- Alan Belcher
John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial arts fighter who fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also an instructor. He currently fights in the middleweight division for the UFC....
- UFC Fighter
- Brian Veteto - Voted Best Looking man in the U.S. 2008-2009
Other facts
- Damien Echols
Damien Wayne Echols is one of the three men convicted in a triple homicide in West Memphis, Arkansas.-Crimes:Echols was convicted of murder by a jury and sentenced to die by lethal injection...
and Jason BaldwinJason Baldwin is one of the 3 members of what has been called the West Memphis 3 . The three were accused and convicted of a triple homicide in West Memphis, Arkansas.-Imprisonment:...
of the West Memphis 3The West Memphis 3 is the name given to three teenagers who were tried and convicted of the murders of three children in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas, United States in 1993. Damien Echols was sentenced to death. Jessie Misskelley,Jr., was sentenced to life in prison, plus 40...
were tried and found guilty at Jonesboro's Craighead CountyCraighead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 82,148. The 2007 Census estimate shows the county increasing to 92,640 people. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Craighead County is Arkansas's 58th...
courthouse in 1994 on a change of venue from Crittenden CountyCrittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 50,866. The county seat is Marion, while its largest city is West Memphis...
.
- The Mall at Turtle Creek
The Mall at Turtle Creek is an enclosed shopping mall located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It is notable for being the only enclosed mall to open in the United States in the year 2006. Currently, the mall features JCPenney, Dillard's and Target as its main anchor stores, with Barnes &...
, Jonesboro's new mall, developed by David Hocker & Associates, is a $100 million project. Completed in March 2006, the mall is the largest in northeast Arkansas, and is expected to bring in $225 million in revenues yearly. In turn, $6 million of that revenue will be contributed to the city in tax money. Before the opening of the mall, the Indian MallIndian Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located at the Highland Drive-Caraway Road intersection in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It was located just north of the junction of U.S. Route 63 and Arkansas Highway 1....
was the primary shopping destination in northeast Arkansas.
- In May 2006, Jonesboro commenced operation of Jonesboro Economical Transit, a major public transportation system known as JETS.
- Jonesboro is serviced by several, local media markets as well. KAIT
KAIT in Jonesboro, Arkansas is the ABC television affiliate for Northeastern Arkansas and Southeastern Missouri, offering a mix of news and syndicated programming and local broadcasts. Its transmitter is located in Egypt, Arkansas.-History:...
or Region 8 News is the local ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
affiliate, the Arkansas Educational Television NetworkArkansas Educational Television Network is a simulcast network of educational, public television stations, affiliated with the PBS covering the state of Arkansas. The network is operated by the Arkansas Educational Television Commission, an agency of the Arkansas state government that holds the...
showcases educational shows and PBS material on KETJ, and KVTNThe Victory Television Network, or VTN, is a statewide religious television network founded in 1988 by husband-and-wife Happy and Jeanne Caldwell. KVTN in Little Rock was the first station to sign on the air on December 1, 1988. VTN is available on more than 225 cable systems across the region...
is a religious-based television network. There are also over half a dozen local radio stations. Northeast Arkansas is served by The Sun newspaper, more than 100 years old.
- As a 2008 April Fools' joke the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture , a web-based reference work, is a project of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System and is the only state encyclopedia sponsored by a public library...
published the following information on their website: In the 1950s, Jonesboro was home to the Bartleby Clown CollegeThis is a reference to an April Fool's joke published on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture website: http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5535. In fact, the Bartleby Clown College never existed....
, an institution for the training of circus performers. The college ultimately proved unsuccessful and closed in 1959. The founding president, Steven Teske, went on to take a leadership position with Ringling Brothers CircusThe Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884. Ringling Brothers Circus acquired the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907 to become "Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Greatest Show on Earth."...
.
- Jonesboro is in a dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, although most commonly in the South...
, but does allow the consumption of alcohol via "members only" clubs that one can join up on the spot for typically $5.
External links