Gurdon, Arkansas
Gurdon is a city located in Clark County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,276.
Geography
Gurdon is located at 33°54'60" North, 93°9'2" West (33.916618, -93.150566)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 km² (2.6 mi²). 6.5 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.71% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 2,276 people, 934 households, and 625 families residing in the city. The population density is 350.1/km² (908.0/mi²). There are 1,077 housing units at an average density of 165.7/km² (429.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.24% White, 35.76% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 934 households out of which 32.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% are married couples living together, 18.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% are non-families. 30.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.01.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,446, and the median income for a family is $33,564. Males have a median income of $25,479 versus $18,158 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,043. 19.0% of the population and 14.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 27.1% are under the age of 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older.
Interesting Facts
The town is known for the presence of a ghost light roughly five miles outside of town. The Gurdon Ghost Light, a series of natural phenomena which occur in a wooded area by railroad tracks, appears to viewers as a light or lights hovering in mid-air. Local folk legend explains the light appearances as a deceased railwayman's lantern. Scientific work on the origin of the lights has proven inconclusive.
The town further served as the founding place of the International Concatenated Order of the Hoo Hoo. This lumbermens' fraternity was founded by a set of lumber industry workers stranded in Gurdon by rainstorms in the late 19th Century, who devised the social organization as a joke, complete with colorful officer designations such as the Grand Snark. The joke actually took hold as a social organization, with branches world-wide. The Hoo Hoo Museum in Gurdon commemorates the organization. A small statue of a black cat with its tail curled upward in the shape of the number 9, the Hoo Hoo symbol, is located in town.
In 1923, blues musical artist Jimmie Witherspoon was born in Gurdon. He went on to appear on over 200 albums, establishing himself as a jazz-influenced bluesman.
Gurdon was for many years the home of noted mail art practitioner Buz Blurr (formerly Hoo Hoo Theaters).
The local high school sports teams are known as the Gurdon Go Devils. Their traditional arch-rivals are the nearby Prescott Curley Wolves.
The Gurdon Pond just outside town features easy-access shore fishing for bream and bass.
History
The town was founded in the late nineteenth century, one of numerous timber towns located along a railway. The town's name derives from the first name of a railroad executive.