# Cotter, Arkansas

Cotter is a city in Baxter County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 886 at the 2020 census.

## History

Native American Bluff Dwellers were the original inhabitants of the area now known as Cotter for centuries before settlers arrived. When Native Americans were moved westward on the Trail of Tears, approximately 1000 Cherokees crossed just a short distance upriver from the current location of Downtown Cotter.

### Exploration and settlement

In 1819, Henry Schoolcraft was exploring the Ozarks and spent a night in the Cotter area. He said of the area,
   White River is one of the most beautiful and enchanting streams, and by far the most transparent, which discharge their waters into the Mississippi ... We here behold the assembled tributaries flowing in a smooth, broad. deep, and majestic current ... skirted at a short distance by mountains of the most imposing grandeur.... [The] extreme limpidity and want of colour ... was early seized upon by the French traders on first visiting this stream, in calling it "La Rivière Blanche" (White River).
In 1868, Jonathan Cunningham homesteaded 300 acres on a peninsula of the White River. In 1883, he sold it to L.P. Kemp. During that time, there was a ferry landing about 100 yards downriver called Lake's Ferry. The only power to operate the ferry was the current of the river. At the time, it was the only means of transportation across. Families would travel from Mountain Home and Yellville to visit the area, picnic, fish, and enjoy the nearby spring that was created naturally via the caves under the ground.
Future president, Herbert Hoover, spent the summer of 1892 helping Geologist John C. Branner survey the northern Ozarks. By the early 1900s, there were many mining companies active in both Baxter and Marion Counties. Cotter quickly became a central point where minerals could be shipped via steamboat to much larger cities in central Arkansas or southern Missouri.
In 1902, the city opened a post office. In 1903, L.P. Kemp sold the 300 acres to the Red Bud Realty Company for an unknown amount. Red Bud's principles, W.V. Powell, Jerry South, and Thomas Combs all ended up having avenues named in their honor. A school opened in 1904. On July 7, 1904, 36 of the community's leaders petitioned to incorporate the town and on November 23, 1905, the city officially opened.

### White River Line

Seeking to capitalize on the growing trade in the area, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (St. L., I. M. & S.) commonly known as the Iron Mountain, (merged into the Missouri Pacific in 1917) announced plans to open the White River Line which would run through the area and would connect with the main line in Lake's Landing. In 1905, the Iron Mountain bought the area and sold over one thousand lots, mostly to railroad employees. The city was incorporated in 1905 as Cotter, Arkansas. By that time, the population was over 600. The town was named after William Cotter, an official for the Iron Mountain. The materials required to build the town and railroad had to be brought in by steamboats down the White River. Once the railroad was completed, the use of steamboats on the rivers of Arkansas decreased and eventually ceased altogether. In 1906, the first passenger train arrived, and the tourist era began. The Missouri Pacific was merged in the Union Pacific in 1982, and the White River division was spun off as the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad MNA in 1992.

### Expulsion of African Americans

The construction of the railroad brought many laborers, including African Americans, to the area. However, once the work was completed the sentiment among white residents turned against them. The anti-Black attitude was encouraged by a visit from Arkansas Governor Jeff Davis, who gave a racist speech in Cotter in 1904, and by the local newspaper, the Cotter Courier. In April 1906 the Courier ran an editorial titled "Too Many Negroes", which said that local residents had a "feeling...that the negroes should move on." In and around August 1906, all of Cotter's African Americans were run out of town, except for one family of three, the Masons. In the 1950s advertisements for Cotter boasted that it was "100 per cent white", and the 1960 census recorded no African American residents.

### Cotter Bridge

The mercurial White River caused many motorists problems, as the nearest crossing was over 100 miles (160 km) to the north in Branson, Missouri. An inconvenient ferry system made the need for a bridge apparent. Locals wanted a bridge, but they strongly opposed a toll bridge. Arkansas did not have a central highway body at the time, and was instead a patchwork of "road districts", which made the bridge-building efforts even more difficult. Without a toll, funding wasn't available until Arkansas Highway 12 was redesignated U.S. Route 62 in 1930. The Cotter Bridge was constructed through the area using a unique rainbow arch design.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km$^2$), all land.

## Government
### Mayor–City Council

Cotter operates within the mayor–city council form of government. The mayor is elected by a citywide election to serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the city by presiding over all city functions, policies, rules and laws. Once elected, the mayor also allocates duties to city employees. Mayors serve two-year terms and can serve unlimited terms. The city council is the unicameral legislative of the City, consisting of six aldermen. Also included in the council's duties is balancing the city's budget and passing ordinances. The body also controls the representatives of specialized city commissions underneath their jurisdiction. Two aldermen are elected from each of the city's four wards.

#### Current Mayor and Council

MAYOR: McGeorge "Mac" Caradine Ward 1 Position 1: Carolyn Gill Ward 1 Position 2: Sheila Wingard Ward 2 Position 1: Charles "Chuck" Sugg Ward 2 Position 2: Linda McCarthy Ward 3 Position 1: Mertice Kray Ward 3 Position 2: Vacant

#### List of Mayors

Cotter Mayors :
| | Mayor | Years Served | Years Lived |
| 1 | Charles B. Eaton | 1909-1922 | 1861-1923 |
| 2 | Roderick M. Ruthven | 1922-1935 | 1885-1962 |
| 3 | Hiram C. Lonon | 1935-1943 | 1884-1970 |
| 4 | B.R. Pratt | 1943-1947 | TBD-1949 |
| 5 | Hiram C. Lonon | 1947-1953 | 1884-1970 |
| 6 | R.Howell Freeman | 1953-1963 | 1903-1964 |
| 7 | Frank G. Wallick | 1963-1965 | Unknown |
| 8 | Rex S. Bayless | 1965-1987 | 1918-2010 |
| 9 | Lewis “Cajun” Dennis | 1987-1991 | TBD-2011 |
| 10 | Rex S. Bayless | 1991-1995 | 1918-2010 |
| 11 | W.R. "Bill" Jennings | 1995-1999 | 1926-2012 |
| 12 | J.D. Pratt | 1999-2003 | Unknown |
| 13 | W.R. "Bill" Jennings | 2003-2005 | 1926-2012 |
| 14 | Elwood "Mo" Monsley | 2005-2007 | 1935-2015 |
| 15 | David J. McNair | 2007-2010 | Unknown |
| 16 | Steven Raines | 2010-2010 | Unknown |
| 17 | Peggy Hammack | 2011-2019 | Living |
| 18 | McGeorge "Mac" Caradine | 2019–Present | Living |

#### List of Police Chiefs

Cotter Police Chiefs :
| Police Chief | Years Served |
| John W. Hall | 1905-1906 |
| Oscar Massey | 1906-1908 |
| Sam Mankins | 1908-1910 |
| M. Tanksley | 1910-1920 |
| Sam Mankins | 1920-1924 |
| Hez Robertson | 1924-1936 |
| Roy Nesbit | 1936-1938 |
| Freeman Martin | 1938-1943 |
| C.E. Wyland | 1943-TBD |
| Unknown | TBD-1970 |
| Chris Bland | 1970-1970 |
| Harold DePriest | 1970-1971 |
| Ray Kirby | 1971-1972 |
| William Green | 1972-1973 |
| Elvin Weaver | 1973-1978 |
| Melvin Weaver | 1978-1980 |
| Frank DePriest | 1980-1986 |
| Jack Burkhart | 1987-2005 |
| Ronald Weaver | 2005-2006 |
| Joe Robison | 2006-2006 |
| Scott Thrasher | 2007-2010 |
| Clinton Tilton | 2010-2017 |
| Travis Hopson | 2017–Present |

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Cotter racial composition :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 784 | 88.49% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1 | 0.11% |
| Native American | 7 | 0.79% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.45% |
| Other/Mixed | 68 | 7.67% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22 | 2.48% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 886 people, 419 households, and 271 families residing in the city.

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,078 people, 472 households and 293 families residing in the city. The population density was 373.6 inhabitants per square mile (144.2/km$^2$). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 203.2 per square mile (78.5/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 97.07% White, 0.87% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 1.85% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 545 households, out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,857, and the median income for a family was $34,375. Males had a median income of $26,298 versus $17,266 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,893. About 11.9% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Education

Formal education in Cotter began with Miss Cora Patterson teaching 40 students under a tent on January 4, 1904. In 1915, Cotter schools merged with the East Cotter School District, with the Gassville and Whiteville districts merging into Cotter in 1948.
Today, public education is provided by the Cotter School District including Cotter High School (grades 7 through 12) and Amanda Gist Elementary School (kindergarten through grade 6).

## Media

Cotter and Baxter County are within the Springfield, Missouri TV market.
The city has been home to five newspapers over the years, the longest lasting being the Cotter Courier (1903-c. 1918) and The Cotter Record (1911-1937). Publications lasting only a year or so include The White River Headlight, The Screech Owl, and the Bull Shoals Gazette. Today, Cotter news is covered by The Baxter Bulletin.

## Infrastructure
### List of highways

* US 62/US 412
* U.S. Route 62 Business
* Arkansas Highway 345

### Railroads

Cotter has one local railroad, the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad. The MNA leases the track from Newport to Kansas City, Missouri, from the Union Pacific. The regular train traffic are empty coal trains from The Independence power plant, as well as a north and south local out of Cotter. Additionally, there is a small railyard and crew change point

### Airports

Cotter is accessible to two separate commercial airports, Ozark Regional Airport (Baxter County) and Flippin Municipal Airport (Marion County). There is also a rural air field, Valley Airport, located on Denton Ferry Road that serves small planes owned by residents.