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Madison County, Arkansas
County in Arkansas, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,521.[1] The county seat is Huntsville.[2] The county was formed on September 30, 1836, and named for Madison County, Alabama, the home of some early settlers. They also named the county seat after Madison County in Alabama's county seat, Huntsville.[3] Madison County is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 837 square miles (2,170 km2), of which 834 square miles (2,160 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.3%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
- Carroll County (north)
- Newton County (east)
- Johnson County (southeast)
- Franklin County (south)
- Crawford County (southwest)
- Washington County (west)
- Benton County (northwest)
National protected area
- Ozark National Forest (part)
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Demographics
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2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,521 people, 6,279 households, and 4,318 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census,[13] there were 14,243 people, 5,463 households, and 4,080 families residing in the county. The population density was 7/km2 (18/sq mi). There were 6,537 housing units at an average density of 3/km2 (7.8/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 95.94% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,463 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.00% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,895, and the median income for a family was $32,910. Males had a median income of $24,911 versus $18,786 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,736. About 14.70% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.60% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.
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Government
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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 Madison 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.[14][15]
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[19][20]
- District 1: Bob Rawson (R) of Hindsville
- District 2: Cord Riley (R) of Hindsville
- District 3: Jason Yates (R) of Huntsville
- District 4: Sam Roddy (R) of Huntsville
- District 5: Wendy Pettz (R) of Huntsville
- District 6: Shannon Fancher (R) of Huntsville
- District 7: Joe Wilson (R) of Wesley
- District 8: Jeff Marley (R) of Elkins
- District 9: Michael Keck (R) of Huntsville
Additionally, the townships of Madison 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.[21] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[16][20]
- North Township: Gary Martin (R)
- South Township: Wes Walters (R)
Politics
During the Secession Convention of 1861, Arkansas voted to leave the Union and join the Confederate States of America. When Chairman David Walker called for a second vote seeking a unanimous decision, only Madison County representative Isaac Murphy refused to change his vote.[22] Murphy would later be appointed Governor of Arkansas during Reconstruction under Abraham Lincoln's conciliatory policy.
Madison County is strongly Republican, and voted for the Republican candidate several times even when Arkansas was part of the "Solid South". A Democrat has carried the county only four times since 1940.
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Transportation
Major highways
Airport
The Huntsville Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Huntsville.[24]
Communities
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City
- Huntsville (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
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 Madison County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. [25][26]
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Notable residents
- Orval E. Faubus (1910–1994), governor of Arkansas during the desegregation days, was from the Combs community near Huntsville. He is buried in Combs Cemetery.[27]
- Ronnie Hawkins, rockabilly singer. His backing band, The Hawks, later played with Bob Dylan and eventually became The Band.
- Danny L. Patrick, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Madison and Carroll counties from 1967 to 1970.[28]
- John Selman, outlaw and lawman, best known for killing John Wesley Hardin in 1895, was born in Madison County.
- Charles Whorton Jr., Democrat Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives 1991 to1998,[29] Madison County Judge 1973 to 1988,[30] Madison County Clerk 1955 to 1972
- George William Fullerton (1923-2009), He is credited with design contributions that led to the manufacture of the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.
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See also
References
External links
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