Malvern, Arkansas

Malvern
City
City of Malvern

Downtown Malvern
Nickname(s): Brick Capital of the World

Location in Hot Spring County and the state of Arkansas
Malvern

Location within the contiguous United States of America

Coordinates: 34°21′50″N 92°48′39″W / 34.36389°N 92.81083°W / 34.36389; -92.81083Coordinates: 34°21′50″N 92°48′39″W / 34.36389°N 92.81083°W / 34.36389; -92.81083
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
County Hot Spring
Townships Butterfield, Fenter
Incorporated July 22, 1876
Named for Malvern Hill, Virginia
Government
 • Type Mayor–Council
 • Mayor Brenda Weldon
 • Council Malvern City Council
Area
 • Total 19.2 km2 (7.5 sq mi)
 • Land 19 km2 (7.4 sq mi)
 • Water 0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation 96 m (315 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 10,318
 • Density 469.8/km2 (1,202.8/sq mi)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 72104
Area code(s) 501
FIPS code 05-43610
GNIS feature ID 0077584
Major airport Adams Field (LIT)
Website malvernar.gov

Malvern is a city in and the county seat of Hot Spring County, Arkansas. Founded as a railroad stop within the Ouachita Mountains, the community's history and economy have been tied to available agricultural and mineral resources. Specifically, the production of bricks from locally available clay has earned the city the nickname, "The Brick Capital of the World". The city had a population of 10,318 at the time of the 2010 census.[1]

History

Named after Malvern Hill, Virginia,[2] Malvern was founded in 1870 by the Cairo and Fulton Railroad as a city site 21 miles (34 km) south of Hot Springs. On October 15, 1878, Malvern officially became the county seat of Hot Spring County. The original inhabitants of the county were Native Americans, trappers, hunters, and farmers.

The Hot Springs Railroad, often referred to as the Diamond Jo line, was established as a narrow-gauge railroad by Chicago businessman Joseph Reynolds in 1874.[3][4] Reynolds began building the Hot Springs Railroad, which extends north from Malvern Junction, a station on the Cairo & Fulton, to Hot Springs, after he had endured unsatisfactory stagecoach rides to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Because Malvern was the closest railroad station to Hot Springs, it became an important junction point for passengers transferring from rail to stagecoach to complete their journey to the spas in Hot Springs. This was the only railroad into Hot Springs for 15 years. The opening of the Little Rock & Hot Springs Western Railroad in April 1900 provided a more direct access to Hot Springs from Little Rock and the north, and both the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf and the Iron Mountain took advantage of this route, effectively cutting the volume of interchange traffic into Malvern. By 1902 passenger train shuttle service through Malvern had essentially ended.[5]

The Malvern Police Department has lost Carson Smith, the deputy, and three officers in the line of duty, all shot to death during the 1930s. They were Clyde Davis,[6] Leslie Lee Potts,[7] and Hiram Potts.[8] Davis and Leslie Lee Potts were both shot during a domestic dispute on April 21, 1933, a shootout in which they killed the suspect. Hiram Potts, who was related to Leslie Lee Potts, was shot and killed during his March 4, 1935 attempt to arrest two men who were boarding a train illegally.

Geography

Malvern is centrally located at 34°21′50″N 92°48′39″W / 34.36389°N 92.81083°W / 34.36389; -92.81083 (34.363818, -92.810971).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km2), of which 7.3 square miles (19 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.94%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Malvern has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[10]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18901,520—
19001,5824.1%
19102,77875.6%
19203,36421.1%
19305,11552.1%
19405,2903.4%
19508,07252.6%
19609,56618.5%
19708,739−8.6%
198010,16316.3%
19909,256−8.9%
20009,021−2.5%
201010,31814.4%
Est. 201510,928[11]5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,021 people, 3,769 households, and 2,431 families residing in the city,[13] and its population density was 1,227.1 people per square mile (473.9/km²). There were 4,193 housing units at an average density of 570.4 per square mile (220.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.16% White, 28.66% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The city had 3,769 households, out of which 29.0% contained children under the age of 18, 44.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93. Additionally, 25.0% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years; for every 100 females there were 85.0 males and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,007, and the median income for a family was $34,563. Males had a median income of $27,232 versus $18,929 for females and the per capita income for the city was $14,848. About 15.7% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18, and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The city is home to three Acme Brick plants and several other manufacturing companies including Weyerhaeuser, Borden Chemical, Adams Face Veneer Company Inc and Pactiv Corporation. It is also the home of Grapette International, the manufacturer of Grapette soda. Malvern is also host to the Ouachita River Unit, a medium security facility.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Every year on the last weekend of June, Malvern City Park hosts Brickfest, an event that fills the city with music, food and activities that include a brick toss, brick car derby, and a best dressed brick contest. Malvern also hosts the Hot Spring County Fair and Rodeo each fall.[14]

Tourism

History in Malvern can be found throughout the central city, including ten National Register of Historic Places listings.[15] Located at 210 Locust Street in downtown Malvern, the art deco Hot Springs County Courthouse has been the center of county government since its construction in 1936.[16] Also located downtown is the Bank of Malvern building, historically notable both for its distinct variation of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and its importance in transitioning Malvern from an agricultural-based economy to one based on industry. The Hot Spring County Museum is located in the Boyle House at 302 East Third Street in Malvern.[17]

Malvern hosts one of two Whitewater Parks in the state of Arkansas, located on the Ouachita River. The other park is in Siloam Springs AR, which opened in 2013. Used for training Olympic kayakers and river rescue teams, the river-wide ledge runs year-round, and is dam-released. A zip line and nature hike is also available along Ouachita Bend.

Education

Ełementary and secondary education

Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is provided by:

Postsecondary education

Malvern is home to the following colleges and universities:

Media

The city's daily newspaper is the Malvern Daily Record, which was established in 1916. It publishes an afternoon edition Tuesday through Friday with a Saturday morning "Weekend Edition"[19] The city also has two radio stations, namely KHRK (101.5), which plays oldies, and KBOK-AM (1310), which plays country music.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Amtrak station.

Malvern is connected on road by Interstate 30, U.S. Route 270, and U.S. Route 67. Amtrak's Texas Eagle provides daily passenger train service to Malvern on a route extending from Chicago to Dallas and Los Angeles, and railroad freight service to Malvern is provided by Union Pacific Railroad and the Arkansas Midland Railroad, the latter operating over the route of the original Hot Springs Railroad. The Malvern Municipal Airport (FAA Identifier: M78) serves the Malvern area.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ Schultz, Marvin (October 17, 2012). "Malvern (Hot Spring County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 197.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  10. ↑ Climate Summary for Malvern, Arkansas
  11. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  14. ↑ Schultz, Marvin (August 4, 2009). "Malvern Brickfest". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  15. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  16. ↑ Barry, Helen and Arkansas Historical Preservation Program (November 7, 1996). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Hot Spring County Courthouse" (PDF). Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Hot Spring County Museum/The Boyle House". Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "Raymond Franklin "Frank" Page". findagrave.com. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  21. ↑ Frederick Yates

Further reading

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