Russellville is the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and largest city in
Pope County,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to
Arkansas Tech UniversityArkansas Tech University is a comprehensive regional institution located in Russellville, Arkansas, United States. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. As of 2004, the University also operates a small satellite campus in the town of Ozark...
and
Arkansas Nuclear OneArkansas Nuclear One is a two-unit pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant located on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas; it is the only nuclear power plant in Arkansas.It is owned by Entergy Arkansas and operated by Entergy Nuclear....
, Arkansas' only
nuclear power plantA nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
. Russellville borders Lake Dardanelle as well as the
Arkansas RiverThe Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
.
It is the principal city of the
Russellville Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the U.S...
, which includes all of Pope and
YellYell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,185. The county has two county seats, Dardanelle and Danville...
counties.
Geography
Russellville is located at 35°16′42"N 93°8′13"W (35.278429, -93.136820).
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...
, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.3 km²), of which 28.2 square miles (73 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.08%) is water. It is located on the Arkansas River.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, there were 27,920 people, 10,318 households, and 6,383 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...
was 987.4 people per square mile (381.2/km²). There were 11,124 housing units at an average density of 393.4 per square mile (152.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.2%
WhiteWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, 5.5%
BlackThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
or
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.7%
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.6%
AsianAsian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 0.0%
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, 6.7% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. 11.7% of the population were
Hispanic or LatinoHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race.
There were 10,318 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 21.4% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,234, and the median income for a family was $49,440. Males had a median income of $30,133 versus $19,906 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,637. About 14.5% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Historical figures
| Year | Population |
| 1940 |
5,900 |
| 1950 |
8,200 |
| 1960 |
8,900 |
| 1970 |
11,800 |
| 1980 |
14,000 |
| 1990 |
21,300 |
| 2000 |
23,682 |
| 2010 |
27,920 |
History
Pope County was established on November 2, 1829, seven years before Arkansas became a state. Before the founding of Russellville, there was a small town located on the Arkansas River directly south of what is now Russellville. This was Norristown and it served as the county seat from 1830-1840. All that remains of this port town is the Norristown Cemetery located near the modern day Dow Chemical Plant on the Arkansas River. In 1840, the county seat was moved to Dover Downs, north of Russellville. The county seat was then finally moved to Russellville in May 1888.
Before the town was named Russellville, it was known to local people as Chactas Prairie, The Prairie, or Cactus Flats. In the early 19th century, Osage from Missouri hunted frequently in the valley where Russellville is located. Between 1818 and 1828, the area was within a Cherokee reservation, but after 1828 the Cherokee were removed to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), and the land became available for white settlement. The first settler in the area was P.C. Holledger in 1834. One year later, Dr. Thomas Russell bought Holledger's house. The first business to be established in the town was owned by Mr. Shinn, who later built a masonry structure to replace his wooden store in 1875. This building still exists today, and is known as the Shinn Building, it was built at the intersection of an east-west road from Little Rock to Fort Smith and a north-south buffalo trail to a ford on the Arkansas River. Early travelers used these established trails to pass through the valley. When the town's residents decided to name it, it came down to two choices: Shinnville or Russellville, and Russellville won. On June 7, 1870 Russellville became an incorporated city.
As with the war with Mexico in the 1840s, many men of Russellville served in the state’s military forces during the Civil War. Local men served in the state forces early in the war, with many transferring to Confederate regiments by 1862. Several local men were also formed into at least two pro-Union companies. No great battles occurred in or near Russellville, though actions did take place late in the war at nearby Dardanelle (Yell County). While the war came to an official end in 1865, peace did not immediately return to the area. Many areas of Pope County were disrupted in the early 1870s by the bloody and violent events of the Pope County Military War.
The town grew slowly, but during the early 1870s the railroad was built and the town exploded commercially and experienced a boom in population. It connected Russellville to other towns in the area, and ran eventually from Ft. Smith to Little Rock, connecting other river valley towns such as Morrilton, Conway, Atkins, London, and facilitating trade among them. Russellville’s first newspaper, the Herald was founded in 1870. By 1876, the town boasted a population of approximately 800 serviced by fifteen stores, two cotton gins, and six doctors. The town growth prompted a debate on moving the county seat, located in Dover since 1841, to one of the growing business centers adjacent to the new tracks. On March 19, 1887, an election was held in which Russellville beat out all competing towns, though Atkins finished a close second on the ballot.
While formal education came to the Russellville area early with the founding of nearby Dwight Mission in 1820, most early schools were either private or by subscription. The Russellville Public School District was formed in 1870, the year the city was incorporated. By 1876, it had evolved into a nine-month school. By 1890, approximately 400 students attended in ten grades, and in 1893, the first class to attend through twelve grades graduated.
Most 19th-century residents of the area farmed for a living or, with the coming of the railroad, harvested timber. By the end of the century, Russellville and the surrounding area had become a prosperous coal-mining area, with the Quita Coal Company being the first established. Other coal companies followed with deep mine shafts sunk north and south of town, which, by the 1950s, had given way to strip mining. Cotton became a profitable crop near Russellville; in the early 20th century, bales were sold from wagons in the middle of Main Street. Today, no coal is mined, and the cotton gins are gone.
In 1906 the town suffered a massive fire in its central business district. The fire consumed nearly half of the buildings but they were quickly rebuilt, most within six months after the fire. Many were built cheaply, using poor mortar. Today many of these historic buildings are in very bad condition due to the mortar that was used. In 1909
Arkansas Tech UniversityArkansas Tech University is a comprehensive regional institution located in Russellville, Arkansas, United States. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. As of 2004, the University also operates a small satellite campus in the town of Ozark...
was founded as an agricultural school, Arkansas Polytechnic College, and now has a student population of nearly 10,000. With America’s entry into World War II, many Russellville men enlisted or were drafted into the military. Many of the local men served in the 153rd Infantry. Battery D and Battery F of the 206th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Arkansas National Guard were initially stationed at ATU. Many of the men saw service in Alaska in what is known as the Williwaw War.
In the years following the war, Russellville’s growth was sparked by the construction of Interstate 40 in 1956. The highway has been a boon to the area’s growth, much like the railroad was in the 1870s. A major economic boost came as a result of the completion of a dam near the Arkansas River crossing between Dardanelle and Russellville in 1965. The dam created a lake, which led to the establishment of Lake Dardanelle State Park, a major tourist attraction in the area. The completion of the lock and power dam, a part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which brings in between $1 to $2 billion in trade to the state each year, has greatly improved the area’s business prospects.
During the 1970s, the town, like so many other small American towns, witnessed the decentralization of its historic downtown area, due to the advent of large retail outlets such as Wal-Mart. Many of the historic buildings were left to decay or were torn down. Also in the 1970s, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant,
Arkansas Nuclear OneArkansas Nuclear One is a two-unit pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant located on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas; it is the only nuclear power plant in Arkansas.It is owned by Entergy Arkansas and operated by Entergy Nuclear....
, was built just outside the city, on Lake Dardanelle. The plant brought more people and jobs to the city.
Industry
Russellville has a diverse manufacturing base. Frozen dinners, railroad crossties, elevator signal fixtures, parking meters, aluminum foil, graphite electrodes, microplanes, and aircraft and automotive parts are a few of the products manufactured in the city. The city is home to ten divisions of Fortune 500 companies, including Arkansas corporations such as
Tyson FoodsTyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
, Inc, and Innovation Industries Elevator Signal Fixtures. Forty-eight manufacturing plants employ more than 8,300 people. The city's first artist management company, Red Artist Management was opened in 2009 and in 2010 #River-Valley-Artists, another local art group made its way onto the local art scene. Russellville's music scene has grown significantly and for local music goers it has catered to them greatly.
Tourism
Russellville is known for its local music, art scene, and historic downtown area. The most notable of these events is the Art Walk, on the first Friday night of every month the city hosts the Downtown Art Walk, in which the public may listen to live music, wine and food tasting, appreciate, purchase and sell art, and connect with the community. Russellville also is the host of many sporting events and fishing tournaments, because of its location on Lake Dardenelle and is also close to Mt. Nebo and other state parks. Also many people commute to Russellville on a daily basis from its surrounding areas, for both work and recreation. Russellville is also home to the Pope County Fairgrounds, which hosts a number of events ranging from horse racing to fairs and conventions. At the end of every summer, Russellville is also host to the annual Pope county fair; featuring rides, live music, livestock, games, and other various forms of entertainment. Recent economic growth is also turning Russellville into a regional shopping and dining destination, with new restaurants and businesses popping regularly along a new shopping center and hotel, featuring a convention center set for construction within the next several years; though both projects are running behind schedule, they are still moving forward.
Education
Russellville is home to Arkansas Tech University, which was founded in 1909 and as of 2010 has 8814 students enrolled with an 18:1 faculty ratio. Tech is marked by one of the highest graduation rates in the state as well as its quality of education. The school hosts over 100 different student organizations and enrolls students from of 34 foreign countries. The college is also popular due to its location, which boasts a small town appeal with city benefits.
Russellville has many elementary schools, and a newly built middle school, along with a junior high school. Russellville High School is one of the best equipped facilities in the state and has recently expanded to include a center for
STEM fieldsSTEM fields is a US Government acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym is in use regarding access to work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields...
. RHS is also recognized for providing the state's first class on world religions.
Russellville also is home to the Alternative learning center, which is made up of SLC (student learning center), SDC (student detention center), and an adult education center. The SLC program allows failing students to get more individualized attention so that they can catch up with the rest of their classmates or attain their high school diploma. The SDC program serves like an in-school suspension and serves students ranging from middle to high school. The adult learning center allows high school dropouts to come back and obtain their high school diplomas or GEDs.
Depictions in Cinema
In the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series
HeroesHeroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, Russellville is the location of the plane crash in "
Trust and Blood"Trust and Blood" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes and forty-ninth episode overall. The episode, also classed as episode 2 of Volume 4, aired on February 9, 2009.-Plot:...
" in season three, episode fifteen. However, research on the area was clearly minimal and the representation of Russellville showed poor understanding of the city's geography and history.
Russellville was chosen as the setting for the short lived film project, The Valley Gods and Ranzy by Scarab Studios. Several scenes were filmed and completed, but the project was abandoned when Scarab Studios went under in 2010.
Russellville power plant, Arkansas Nuclear One was featured in the 2011 documentary Aerial America by the Smithsonian Channel.
Notable residents
- American composer Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley was an American composer, pianist and conductor.Bradley is best remembered for scoring the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry , Droopy , Barney Bear , and the many one-shot cartoons.Bradley was a...
, most known for his works in Tom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
(MGM) cartoons, was from Russellville.
- Natalie Canerday
Natalie Suzanne Canerday is an American actress.Canerday is a native of Russellville, Arkansas. After attending Hendrix College , she began her motion picture career as a production secretary for the television feature The Tuskegee Airmen, then made minor appearances in films such as...
, actress (Sling Blade, October Sky, Walk the Line), graduated from Russellville High School.
- Jeff Davis
- People :*Jeff B. Davis , American actor, comedian and singer*Jeff Davis , professional NFL football player, member of Clemson's 1981 national championship team...
, the first governor to be elected to three terms and later a U.S. senator, lived there.
- Brooks Hays
Lawrence Brooks Hays was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Arkansas....
began his law practice in Russellville with his father before becoming a U.S. representative and an adviser to Presidents John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon Johnson.
- Famed knife maker Jimmy Lile
James Buel Lile, known as Jimmy Lile or The Arkansas Knifesmith , was a knifemaker from Russellville in Pope County, Arkansas, who made the Rambo Knife for the films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
was a Russellville native, best known for his work involving the RamboRambo is an action film series based on the David Morrell novel First Blood and starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who is skilled in many aspects of survival, weaponry, hand to hand combat and guerrilla warfare...
film series.
- NBA
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player Corliss Williamson is a 1992 graduate of Russellville High School.
- NFL
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player and All-Pro selection Eddie Meador graduated RHS in 1955, and played college football at Arkansas Tech university.
- NFL
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
punter and College All-American Greg HorneGregory Lee Horne is a former professional American football punter in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Arkansas....
graduated from Russellville High School in 1983.
- NFL
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Ray Burnett was born in Russellville.
- Elizabeth Ward, crowned Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
in 1982, is a 1979 graduate of Russellville High School.
- Virginia Hudson
Virginia Jane Hudson is an American flautist and teacher. She teaches in the Fort Smith area and serves instructor of flute on the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith faculty.-Education:...
, American flautist and teacher who received both graduate and undergraduate degrees from ATU.
- Howard "Honks" Wellington, television preacher and charity worker is also from Russellville.
- Mallory Hardin, KARK 4 "Today" Anchor, is a 2002 graduate of Russellville High School.
- Morgan Wesley, well known comic enthusiast and comedian.
- Dewey Lewis, retired Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
CommanderCommander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
with the US Navy is also from Russellville.
- Zack Hocker, College Kicker for University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
.
External links