Wilson, Arkansas

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wilson, Arkansas
settlement_type = Town


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Mississippi County and the state of Arkansas


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Arkansas
subdivision_name2 = Mississippi
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2.8
area_total_sq_mi = 1.1
area_land_km2 = 2.8
area_land_sq_mi = 1.1
area_water_km2 = 0
area_water_sq_mi = 0
elevation_ft = 240
elevation_m = 73
population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 939
population_metro =
population_density_km2 = 335.4
population_density_sq_mi = 853.6
timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
latd = 35 |latm = 34 |lats = 4 |latNS = N
longd = 90 |longm = 2 |longs = 37 |longEW = W
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 72395
area_code = 870
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 05-75920
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0058899
footnotes =
website =

Wilson is a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 939 at the 2000 census.

The town was named after Robert E. Lee Wilson, a landowner and logging business owner in the area in the late 19th century.http://www.uark.edu/misc/ardiglib/leewilson/history.html University of Arkansas]

In 1900, a prehistoric mastodon skeleton was discovered 4 mi (6,4 km) southeast of Wilson.cite book | title = The Island 35 Mastodon: Its Bearing on the Age of Archaic Cultures in the East | author = Williams, Steven | year = Apr., 1957 | location= | publisher= American Antiquity, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 359-372 | id = doi:10.2307/276134]

In the first half of the 20th century, archeological artifacts from an aboriginal village dated 1400-1650 CE were found about 5 mi (8 km) east of Wilson, at the Nodena Site.http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/united_states/map/u58270/nodena.html TravelJournals.net] http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/hampsonmuseum/ ArkansasStateParks.com, Hampson Museum]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 939 people, 364 households, and 264 families residing in the town. The population density was 338.8/km² (873.9/mi²). There were 386 housing units at an average density of 139.3/km² (359.3/mi²). At the time of the survey 73.27% of the population was White, 26.30% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.32% from other races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 364 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,625, and the median income for a family was $38,971. Males had a median income of $30,526 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,738. About 10.7% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 20.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Agriculture is the dominant source of income in the area surrounding Wilson, especially the cultivation of cotton and of trees for timber production.

After the abolition of slavery, sharecropping was the primary means of income for low income families in the area. Mostly for the cultivation of cotton, land would be used by sharecroppers in return for a share of the crop to the landowner.

Modern machines like the cotton picker have made the manual cultivation obsolete over time as they took over the work from the hand laborers.

History

Prehistoric Mastodon skeleton

Mastodons are members of the prehistoric, extinct genus "Mammut", they resemble modern elephants. Native to North America they are said to have lived on the North American continent from almost 4 million years ago until their eventual disappearance about 10,000 years ago. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6913366.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Greek mastodon find 'spectacular'|date=24 July 2007|accessdate=2007-07-24]

In 1900, archaeologist Dr. James K. Hampson documented the find of skeletal remains of a mastodon on Island No. 35 of the Mississippi River, approximately 4 mi (6,4 km) southeast of Wilson and 23 mi (37 km) south of Blytheville, Arkansas.

In 1957 the site was reported as destroyed.

Aboriginal village 1400-1650 CE

About 5 mi (8 km) east of Wilson, at the Nodena Site, archeological artifacts from an aboriginal village dated 1400-1650 CE were found in the first half of the 20th century. A collection of these artifacts is on display at the Hampson Museum State Park in Wilson, Arkansas.http://visionmena.com/Arkansas%20State%20Parks/hampson_museum.htm Visiomania.com, Hampson Museum]

In 1964 the Nodena Site was declared a National Historic Landmark.cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=108&ResourceType=Site
title=Nodena Site|date=2007-09-26|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service] In 1966 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

1811 and 1812 earthquakes

In 1811 and 1812 several earthquakes spreading out from the New Madrid Seismic Zone caused a tectonic shift which changed the course of the Mississippi River near Wilson, cutting off the western tip of Tipton County, Tennessee and placing the settlement of Reverie, Tennessee west of the Mississippi River, on the Mississippi County, Arkansas side.http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/local/tipton www.tnhistoryforkids.org]

In 2007, the town of Reverie, Tennessee is located on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River two miles south of Wilson.

Early 20th century slavery

In the earlier part of the 20th century, Frisco Railway trains stopped at Wilson, AR to kick hobos off. Regardless of race, the hobo's became slaves to the Wilson Plantation. If they were caught trying to run away, they would be shot and killed.

It is rumored that a ditch near Wilson has the decayed remains of several who attempted escape and did not make it.

The modern day slavery ring finally ended in the 1960s when a rich young man and his butler were kicked off the train at Wilson. The butler escaped and sent word to the young man's father in Chicago about what had happened. A Senate investigation finally broke up the slavery ring.

Geography

Geography

Wilson is located at coor dms|35|34|4|N|90|2|37|W|city (35.567868, -90.043637).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²), all land.

The area is dominated by the Mississippi River flood plains, trees and fields.

Along and parallel to the Tennessee/Arkansas state line, the former course of the Mississippi River as it was before the New Madrid earthquakes is still visible in the landscape almost 200 years after the events. The former riverbed has shrunk to small side arms of the Mississippi River which, dependent on the water level and precipitation, are still partly connected to the river.

Postal

The ZIP code for Wilson, Arkansas is 72395. This ZIP code is cross-referenced with the town of Reverie, TN, AR 72395. [http://www.usps.com United States Postal Service]

Culture

Hampson Museum State Park

The Hampson Museum State Park exhibits an archeological collection of early American aboriginal artifacts from the Nodena Site east of Wilson, Arkansas.

The museum documents the culture of a civilization which existed in a 15 acre (60,703 m²) palisaded village on a meander bend of the Mississippi River in the Wilson, Arkansas area around 1400-1650 CE. Cultivation of crops, hunting, social life, religion and politics of that ancient civilization are topics of the exhibition.

The Nodena Site east of Wilson was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

ee also

* Hampson Museum State Park
* New Madrid earthquake
* New Madrid Seismic Zone
* Reverie, Tennessee
* Nodena Site
* Island 35 Mastodon

References

External links