Sevier County, Arkansas

Sevier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,839. The county seat is De Queen. Sevier County is Arkansas's 16th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for Ambrose Sevier, U.S. Senator from Arkansas. On November 3, 2020, voters in Sevier County, AR approved alcohol sales by a vote of 3,499 (67.31 percent) to 1,699 (32.69 percent). History Sevier County was organized on October 17, 1828, under legislative authority. It was formed from Hempstead and Miller Counties. Five days later on October 22, 1828, the legislature expanded the county's border, incorporating more land south of the Red River. Hempstead, Miller and Crawford Counties as well as the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory bound Sevier County. The establishment of Sevier County became effective on November 1, 1828. County seat The county seat has undergone several changes since Sevier County was organized. The first county seat was Paraclifta. After an area of Sevier County was carved away to become part of newly created Little River County in 1867, Paraclifta was no longer centrally located. Three members of a local prominent family—James, William, and Matthew Locke—offered 120 acres (0.49 km2) of land, and Royal Appleton offered 60 acres (0.24 km2) for the site of a new county seat to be named Lockesburg. A petition to establish Lockesburg as the county seat was approved by the county court on January 18, 1869. After a number of local citizens were unwilling to sell land for a route for the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad in the late 1890s, the route was laid down through what would become the town of De Queen instead of Lockesburg. In 1905, the county seat was moved to De Queen. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 581 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 565 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (2.8%) is water. Known as "The Land of Lakes", "The Land of Fruits and Flowers" and "The Home of Friendly People," the county has five lakes within a 35-mile (56 km) radius, five rivers and mountain streams and forests. Notable people Current or former residents of Sevier County include: Collin Raye, country music singer. Wes Watkins, U.S.Congressman (Republican- Oklahoma) lived for a time in De Queen as a child. Major highways Future Interstate 49 U.S. Highway 59 U.S. Highway 70 U.S. Highway 71 U.S. Highway 371 Highway 24 Highway 27 Highway 41 Transit Jefferson Lines Adjacent counties Polk County (north) Howard County (east) Hempstead County (southeast) Little River County (south) McCurtain County, Oklahoma (west) National protected area Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 15,839. The median age was 36.2 years. 28.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.8 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 60.6% White, 3.6% Black or African American, 3.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 1.6% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 19.5% from some other race, and 11.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 34.8% of the population. 37.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 62.8% lived in rural areas. There were 5,731 households in the county, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 6,741 housing units, of which 15.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.9% were owner-occupied and 27.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%. 2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 15,757 people, 5,708 households, and 4,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile (11 people/km2). There were 6,434 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.61% White, 4.94% Black or African American, 1.82% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.84% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. 19.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.32% reported speaking Spanish at home. There were 5,708 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,144, and the median income for a family was $34,560. Males had a median income of $25,709 versus $17,666 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,122. About 14.40% of families and 19.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.90% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over. Government Government The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Sevier County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions. The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 6 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: District 1: Michael Barnes (R) of DeQueen District 2: Walter L. Smith Jr. (R) of DeQueen District 3: Roxy Ann Stephens (D) of DeQueen District 4: Callie Efird (R) of DeQueen District 5: Roger Whitmore (D) of Horatio District 6: Angie Hughes-Walker (R) of DeQueen District 7: Scottie Morris (R) of Gillham District 8: Kenneth R. Currence (D) of Lockesburg District 9: Greg Wright (R) of Horatio Additionally, the townships of Sevier County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: Bear Creek: Marc Logazino (R) Mineral: Todd Pinkerton (R) Politics Over the past few election cycles, Sevier County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1996. Communities Cities De Queen (county seat) Horatio Lockesburg Towns Ben Lomond Gillham Townships Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Sevier County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. Source: See also List of lakes in Sevier County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places listings in Sevier County, Arkansas References External links Sevier County, Arkansas entry on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture