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'{{About|the U.S. city|the American Civil War battle of the same name|Battle of Pine Bluff|other uses|Pine Bluff (disambiguation){{!}}Pine Bluff}} {{Short description|City in Arkansas, United States}} {{Use American English|date=December 2016}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Pine Bluff |settlement_type = [[List of cities and towns in Arkansas|City]] |official_name = City of Pine Bluff |motto = "City of Progress" |image_skyline = Pine Bluff AR - main street and courthouse.jpg<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change the image without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Pine Bluff, Arkansas]]. Thank you. --> |image_caption = [[Pine Bluff Commercial Historic District]] |image_seal = Pine Bluff AR city seal.png |seal_size = 100px |image_map = File:Jefferson County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Pine Bluff Highlighted 0555310.svg |map_caption = Location of Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, Arkansas. |pushpin_map = Arkansas#USA#North America |pushpin_label = Pine Bluff |pushpin_relief = yes |pushpin_map_caption = Location of Pine Bluff in the US |pushpin_label_position = left |coordinates = {{coord|34|13|42.4|N|92|00|11.5|W|type:city_region:US-AR_elevation:67|display=inline,title}} |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_type1 = [[List of states and territories of the United States|State]] |subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Arkansas|County]] |subdivision_type3 = [[List of Arkansas townships|Township]] |subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} |subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Arkansas}} |subdivision_name2 = [[Jefferson County, Arkansas|Jefferson]] |subdivision_name3 = Vaugine |government_type = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–Council]] |leader_title = [[Mayoralty in the United States|Mayor]] |leader_name = Shirley Washington |leader_party = [[Democratic Party of Arkansas|D]] |leader_title2 = [[City council|Council]] |leader_name2 = Pine Bluff City Council |established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] |established_date = {{start date and age|1839|01|08|p=1|br=1}} |area_total_sq_mi = 46.38 |area_total_km2 = 120.12 |area_land_sq_mi = 44.18 |area_land_km2 = 114.43 |area_water_sq_mi = 2.20 |area_water_km2 = 5.69 |population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]] |population_total = 41253 |population_metro = 100,258 |population_density_km2 = 360.50 |population_density_sq_mi = 933.71 |timezone = [[Central Time Zone|CST]] |utc_offset = −06:00 |timezone_DST = [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]] |utc_offset_DST = −05:00 |elevation_m = 67 |elevation_ft = 220 |website = {{official website}} |postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP code(s)]] |postal_code = 71601, 71602, 71603 |area_code_type = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code(s)]] |area_code = [[Area code 870|870]] |blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]] |blank_info = 05-55310 |blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID |blank1_info = {{GNIS4|78006}}, {{GNIS4|2404520}} |blank2_name = Major airport |blank2_info = [[Clinton National Airport|Clinton National]] ([[International Air Transport Association airport code|LIT]]) |pop_est_as_of = |pop_est_footnotes = |population_est = |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref> |population_footnotes = }} '''Pine Bluff''' is the tenth-largest city in the state of [[Arkansas]] and the [[county seat]] of [[Jefferson County, Arkansas|Jefferson County]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503072804/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> It is the principal city of the [[Pine Bluff metropolitan area|Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area]] and part of the [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]]-[[North Little Rock, Arkansas|North Little Rock]]-Pine Bluff [[Central Arkansas|Combined Statistical Area]]. The population of the city was 49,083 in the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010|url=https://www.census.gov|access-date=9 November 2012|date=1 April 2010}}</ref> with 2019 estimates showing a decline to 41,474.<ref name="USCensusEst2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=May 21, 2020}}</ref> The city is situated in the Southeast section of the [[Arkansas Delta]] and straddles the [[Arkansas Timberlands]] region to its west.<ref>{{cite web|url=ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/map/map_eco_lg.pdf|title=Ecoregions of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain|access-date=2010-10-07}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Its topography is flat with wide expanses of farmland, similar to other places in the Delta Lowlands. Pine Bluff has numerous creeks, streams, and bayous, including [[Bayou Bartholomew]], the longest bayou in the world and the second most ecologically diverse stream in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansas.com/lakes-rivers/river.aspx?id=40|title=Arkansas Lakes and Rivers|access-date=September 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501091152/http://www.arkansas.com/lakes-rivers/river.aspx?id=40|archive-date=May 1, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Large bodies of water include Lake Pine Bluff, Lake Langhofer (Slack Water Harbor), and the [[Arkansas River]]. ==History== {{More citations needed|section|date=January 2022}} ===Pre-Columbian era to colonial era=== The area along the [[Arkansas River]] had been inhabited for thousands of years by [[indigenous peoples]] of various cultures. They used the river for transportation as did European settlers after them, and for fishing. By the time of encounter with Europeans, the historical [[Quapaw]] were the chief people in the area, having migrated from the [[Ohio River]] valley centuries before. {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} The city of Pine Bluff was founded on a high bank of the Arkansas River heavily forested with tall pine trees.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/home/|title=History of Pine Bluff|access-date=2010-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630072121/http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/home/|archive-date=June 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The high ground furnished settlers a safe haven from annual flooding.<ref name="history" /> Joseph Bonne, a [[Métis]] [[fur trade]]r and trapper of mixed [[Quapaw]] and colonial [[French people|French]] ancestry, settled on this bluff in 1819.<ref name="history" /><ref>Arnold, Morris S. “Barthélémy Dit Charlot, a Colonial Arkansas Métis and Voyageur.” ''The Arkansas Historical Quarterly'', vol. 74, no. 1, Arkansas Historical Association, 2015, p. 12, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/24477497 JSTOR website] Retrieved 4 December 2021.</ref> ===1824–1860: Antebellum era=== After the Quapaw signed a treaty with the United States in 1824 relinquishing their title to all the lands which they claimed in [[Arkansas]], many other American settlers began to join Bonne on the bluff. In 1829 Thomas Phillips claimed a half section of land where Pine Bluff is located. [[Jefferson County, Arkansas|Jefferson County]] was established by the Territorial Legislature on November 2, 1829, and began functioning as a county April 19, 1830. At the August 13, 1832, county election, the pine bluff settlement was chosen as the county seat. The Quorum Court voted to name the village "Pine Bluff Town" on October 16, 1832.<ref name="history" /> Pine Bluff was incorporated January 8, 1839, by the order of County Judge Taylor. At the time, the village had about 50 residents. Improved transportation aided in the growth of Pine Bluff during the 1840s and 1850s. With its proximity to the Arkansas River, the small town served as a port for travel and shipping. [[Steamships]] provided the primary mode of transport, arriving from downriver ports such as [[New Orleans]]. From 1832–1838, Pine Bluff residents would see Native American migrants on the [[Trail of Tears]] waterway who were being forcibly removed by the US Army from the American Southeast to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city_detail.aspx?city=Pine+Bluff|title=Arkansas City Listings|access-date=2010-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430115552/http://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city_detail.aspx?city=Pine+Bluff|archive-date=April 30, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> From 1832–1858, Pine Bluff was also a station on the passage of Seminole and [[Black Seminoles]], who were forcibly removed from Florida to the Territory. They included the legendary Black Seminole leader [[John Horse]], who arrived in the city via the steamboat ''Swan'' in 1842.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/preservation-services/trail-of-tears/pdfs/seminoles.pdf|title=The Seminoles|access-date=2009-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707162541/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/preservation-services/trail-of-tears/pdfs/seminoles.pdf|archive-date=July 7, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnhorse.com/|title=Rebellion: John Horse and the Black Seminoles|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anpa.ualr.edu/trail_of_tears/indian_removal_project/a_chronicle/seminole.htm#1842|title=Sequoyah Research Center: A Chronicle, 1830–1849|access-date=2011-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204190434/http://anpa.ualr.edu/trail_of_tears/indian_removal_project/a_chronicle/seminole.htm#1842|archive-date=February 4, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ===1861–1900: Civil War, Reconstruction and beyond=== Pine Bluff was prospering by the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]; most of its wealth was based on the commodity crop of cotton. This was cultivated on large plantations by hundreds of thousands of [[slavery|enslaved]] Africans throughout the state, but especially in the Delta. The city had one of the largest slave populations in the state by 1860,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=1275|title=Slavery In Arkansas|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> and [[Jefferson County, Arkansas]] was second in cotton production in the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.asp?id=973|title=Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Sherrill, Jefferson County|access-date=2010-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707162555/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.asp?id=973|archive-date=July 7, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> When [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] forces occupied [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], a group of Pine Bluff residents asked commanding Major General [[Frederick Steele]] to send Union forces to occupy their town to protect them from bands of Confederate [[bushwhackers]].<ref name="Pine Bluff Jefferson County">{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=908|title=Pine Bluff (Jefferson County)|access-date=2010-09-07}}</ref> Union troops under [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] [[Powell Clayton]] arrived September 17, 1863 and stayed until the war was over.<ref name="Pine Bluff Jefferson County"/> Confederate General [[J.S. Marmaduke]] tried to expel the Union Army in the [[Battle of Pine Bluff]] October 25, 1863, but was repulsed by a combined effort of soldiers and freedmen (former slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NjzBiMIfOlgJ:www.bismarcktribune.com/article_182d9210-25b7-11df-8adc-001cc4c002e0.html+Battle+of+pIne+bluff+slaves&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=Pine Bluff, Ark|access-date=2010-09-07}}</ref> In the final year of the war, the [[1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry (Colored)]] (composed primarily of escaped slaves from Arkansas and Missouri),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:eWdtAzkoH94J:www.factasy.com/civil_war/content/facts-about-u.s.-colored-troops+1st+kansas+colored+infantry+recruits+arkansas+soldiers&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=Facts About U.S. Colored Troops: American Civil War|access-date=2010-09-07}}</ref> was the first African-American regiment in the civil war to go into combat. It was dispatched to guard Pine Bluff and was eventually mustered out there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RkqxuznNayQJ:www.ozarkscivilwar.org/archives/1192+First+Kansas+colored+pine+bluff&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> Because of the Union forces, Pine Bluff attracted many [[refugee]]s and [[freedmen]] after the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] was issued in early 1863. The Union forces set up a contraband camp there to house the runaway slaves and refugees behind Confederate lines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=520|title=Action At Pine Bluff|access-date=2010-09-08}}</ref> After the war, freed slaves worked with the [[American Missionary Association]] to start schools for the education of blacks, who had been prohibited from learning to read and write by southern laws. Both adults and children eagerly started learning. By September 1872, Professor [[Joseph C. Corbin]] opened the Branch Normal School of the Arkansas Industrial University, a [[historically black college]]. Founded as Arkansas's first black public college, today it is the [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]]. Pine Bluff and the region suffered lasting effects from defeat, the aftermath of war, and the trauma of slavery and exploitation. Recovery was slow at first. Construction of [[railroad]]s improved access to markets, and with increased production of cotton as more [[plantations in the American South|plantation]]s were reactivated, the economy began to recover. The first railroad reached Pine Bluff in December 1873.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} This same year Pine Bluff's first utility was formed when Pine Bluff Gas Company began furnishing [[manufactured gas]] from [[Coke (fuel)|coke]] fuel for lighting purposes. The state's economy remained highly dependent on cotton and agriculture, which suffered a decline through the 19th century. As personal fortunes increased from the 1870s onward, community leaders constructed large [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-style homes west of Main Street. Meanwhile, the Reconstruction era of the 1870s brought a stark mix of progress and challenge for African Americans. Most blacks joined the Republican Party, and several were elected in Pine Bluff to county offices and the state legislature for the first time in history. Several black-owned businesses were also opened, including banks, bars, barbershops, and other establishments. But in postwar violence in 1866, an altercation with whites ensued at a refugee camp, and 24 black men, women and children were found hanging from trees in one of the worst mass [[lynching]]s in U.S. history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6iEYmdmB7cQJ:www.alaskool.org/resources/teaching/socialstudies/reconstruct_historiography.htm+pine+bluff+violence+blacks+reconstruction+24&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=Reconstruction Historiography: A Source of Ideas|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> The rate of lynchings of black males was high across the South during this period of social tensions and white resistance to Reconstruction. Armistad Johnson was lynched in 1889,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MQSmihDap60J:www.scribd.com/doc/7104660/Partial-List-of-Lynchings-in-the-United-States+Partial+list+of+lynchings+Pine+bluff+johnson&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=A Partial List of Lynchings|access-date=2010-09-10}}</ref> and John Kelly and Gulbert Harris in 1892 in front of the [[Jefferson County, Arkansas|Jefferson County]] Courthouse, after a mob of hundreds rapidly escalated to thousands of whites vehemently demanding execution, despite Kelly's pleas of innocence and lack of trial. The angry mob eventually forced over his custody from an Officer adamantly attempting to deliver the suspect to the jail house, then the crowd watched enthusiastically as he was hung and riddled with bullets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1892/02/15/104119250.pdf|title=Two Murderers Lynched|access-date=2010-09-06 | work=The New York Times|date=1892-02-15}}</ref> That same year the state adopted a [[poll tax]] amendment that disenfranchised many African-American and poor white voters. The Election Law of 1891 had already made voting more difficult and also caused voter rolls to decrease. With the Democratic Party consolidating its power in what became a one-party state,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2244|title=Separate Coach Law of 1891|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> the atmosphere was grim toward the end of the 19th century for many African Americans. Democrats imposed legal segregation and other [[Jim Crow]] laws. Bishop [[Henry McNeal Turner]]'s "Back to Africa" movement attracted numbers of local African-American residents who purchased tickets and/or sought information on emigration (Arkansas had 650 emigrants depart to the colony of [[Liberia]] in West Africa; more than from any other state in the United States. The majority of these emigrants came from the black-majority Jefferson, St. Francis, Pulaski, Pope, and Conway counties.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]] |url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4|title=Back to Africa|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref><ref name=hope>Barnes, Kenneth C. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cweGpOWk9jYC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=Pine+Bluff,+Arkansas+to+Liberia&source=bl&ots=meri3QVrVy&sig=C9a6hfWFjaqj5yrNndPKeJgMGeU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SFySU6KyO9KlyAShgYHQCg&ved=0CGMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Pine%20Bluff%2C%20Arkansas%20to%20Liberia&f=false Journey of Hope: The Back-to-Africa Movement in Arkansas in the Late 1800s.] [[Chapel Hill, NC]]: [[The University of North Carolina Press]], 2004. {{ISBN|0807828793}}. ''Google Books.'' Retrieved June 6, 2014.</ref> According to historian James Leslie, Pine Bluff entered its "Golden Era" in the 1880s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leslie |first=James W. |date=1981 |title=Pine Bluff and Jefferson County: A Pictorial History|location=Norfolk, Va. |publisher=Donning Co. |isbn=978-0898651485}}</ref> Cotton production and river commerce helped the city draw industries, public institutions and residents to the area, making it by 1890 the state's third-largest city. The first telephone system was placed in service March 31, 1883. [[Wiley Jones]], a freedman who achieved wealth by his own business, built the first mule-drawn, street-car line in October 1886.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1889 |title=Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas |url=https://archive.org/details/biographicalhistpjlf00good |location=Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis |publisher=[[Goodspeed Publishing|Goodspeed Publishing Co.]]}}</ref> The first light, power and water plant was completed in 1887; a more dependable light and water system was put in place in 1912. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, economic expansion was also fueled by the growing [[lumber industry]] in the region. ===1900–1941: 1900 through the Great Depression=== Situated on the Arkansas River, Pine Bluff depended on river traffic and trade. Community leaders were concerned that the main channel would leave the city. The [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] built a [[levee]] opposite Pine Bluff to try to keep the river flowing by the city. {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} During a later flood, the main channel of the river moved away from the city, leaving a small oxbow lake (later expanded into Lake Pine Bluff). {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} River traffic diminished, even as the river was a barrier separating one part of the county from the other. After many years of regional haggling, because the bond issue involved raised taxes, the county built the Free Bridge, which opened in 1914. For the first time, it united the county on a permanent basis. {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} African Americans in Pine Bluff were damaged by the state's [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disfranchisement]] in 1891–1892 and exclusion from the political system. But they continued to work for their rights; they joined activists in Little Rock and Hot Springs in a sustained boycott of streetcars, protesting passage in 1903 of the Segregated Streetcar Act, part of a series of [[Jim Crow]] laws passed by the white-dominated legislature. They did not achieve change then.<ref name="civil">[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4704 John A. Kirk, "Civil Rights Movement (Twentieth Century)"], ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas,'' 2015</ref> Development in the city's business district grew rapidly. The Masonic Lodge, built by and for the African-American chapter in the city, was the tallest building in Pine Bluff when completed in 1904.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/afric_amer.aspx |title=Things To Do: African American History |access-date=2010-09-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205132421/http://arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/afric_amer.aspx |archive-date=February 5, 2010 }}</ref> The Hotel Pines, constructed in 1912, had an intricate marble interior and classical design, and was considered one of Arkansas' showcase hotels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=1189|title=Hotel Pines|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> The 1,500-seat [[Saenger Theater (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|Saenger Theater]], built in 1924, was one of the largest such facilities in the state; it operated the state's largest pipe organ.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=1106|title=Saenger Theater|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> When [[Dollarway Road]] was completed in 1914, it was the longest continuous stretch of concrete road in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=5237|title=Dollarway Road|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> The first radio station (WOK) broadcast in Arkansas occurred in Pine Bluff on February 18, 1922.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=5755|title=WOK Radio Station|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> Two natural disasters had devastating effects on the area's economy. The first was the [[Great Mississippi Flood of 1927|Great Flood of 1927]], a [[100-year flood]]. Due to levee breaks, most of northern and southeastern Jefferson County were flooded. The severe drought of 1930 caused another failure of crops, adding to the problems of economic conditions during the [[Great Depression]]. Pine Bluff residents scrambled to survive. In 1930, two of the larger banks failed. The state's highway construction program in the later 1920s and early 1930s, facilitating trade between Pine Bluff and other communities throughout southeast Arkansas, was critical to Jefferson County, too. After the inauguration of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in 1933, he launched many government programs to benefit local communities. Through the [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) and public works funding, Pine Bluff built new schools and a football stadium, and developed Oakland Park as its first major recreation facility. To encourage diversification in agriculture, the county built a [[Meat packing industry|stockyard]] in 1936 to serve as a sales outlet for farmers' livestock.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} From 1936–1938, the WPA through the [[Federal Writers Project]] initiated a project to collect and publish oral histories of former slaves. Writers were sent throughout the South to interview former slaves, most of whom had been children before the Civil War.<ref name="WPA Slave Narratives">{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4041|title=WPA Slave Narratives|access-date=2010-09-08}}</ref> When the project was complete, Arkansas residents had contributed more oral slave histories (approximately 780) than any other state, although Arkansas' slave population was less than those of neighboring Deep South states.<ref name="WPA Slave Narratives"/> African-American residents of Pine Bluff/Jefferson County contributed more oral interviews of Arkansas-born slaves than any other city/county in the state.<ref>{{cite book|title=Bearing Witness:Memories of Arkansas Slavery|isbn=1557287473|last1=Project|first1=Federal Writers'|date=January 2003}}</ref> The city served to compile a valuable storehouse of oral [[slave narrative]] material. During the 1933 Mississippi River flood, country singer [[Johnny Cash]] evacuated to Pine Bluff.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Streissguth|first1=Michael|title=Johnny Cash: The Biography|date=2006|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=978-0-306-81368-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/johnnycashbiogra00stre_0/page/15 15]|url=https://archive.org/details/johnnycashbiogra00stre_0|url-access=registration|quote=johnny cash evacuate to pine bluff flood.|access-date=22 January 2015}}</ref> ===1941–1960: World War II and economic diversification=== [[File:Desegregated Freedom Train Line in Pine Bluff Arkansas.png|right|thumb|Desegregated [[Freedom Train]] line in 1947]] [[World War II]] brought profound changes to Pine Bluff and its agriculture, timber and railroad-oriented economy. The Army built Grider Field Airport which housed the Pine Bluff School of Aviation and furnished flight training for air cadets for the [[U.S. Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]]. At one time 275 aircraft were being used to train 758 pilots. Approximately 9,000 pilots had been trained by the time the school closed in October 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5761|title=Grider Army Airfield|access-date=2010-11-30}}</ref> The Army broke ground for the [[Pine Bluff Arsenal]] on December 2, 1941, on {{convert|15,000|acre|km2}} bought north of the city. The arsenal and Grider Field changed Pine Bluff to a more diversified economy with a mixture of industry and agriculture. The addition of small companies to the industrial base helped the economy remain steady in the late 1940s. {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} Defense spending in association with the [[Korean War]] was a stabilizing factor after 1950. In 1957, Richard Anderson announced the construction of a [[kraft paper]] mill north of the city.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} International Paper Co. shortly afterward bought a plant site five miles east of Pine Bluff. Residential developments followed for expected workers. The next year young minister [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] addressed students at the commencement program for Arkansas AM&N College (now the [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scipio.uark.edu/civilrights/posters/MLKingAtPodiumPineBluff.pdf|title=Geleve Grice:1922–2004|access-date=2010-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613075816/http://scipio.uark.edu/civilrights/posters/MLKingAtPodiumPineBluff.pdf|archive-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ===1960–present: The modern era=== The decade of the 1960s brought heightened activism in the civil rights movement: through boycotts and demonstrations, African Americans demanded an end to segregated public facilities and jobs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scipio.uark.edu/cdm4/index_Civilrights.php?CISOROOT=/Civilrights|title=Land of Unequal Opportunity|access-date=2010-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609224220/http://scipio.uark.edu/cdm4/index_Civilrights.php?CISOROOT=%2FCivilrights|archive-date=June 9, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Some whites responded with violence, attacking demonstrators, and bombing a black church in Pine Bluff in 1963.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WaronTerrorism/churchburn01a.htm |title=What Does it Mean to See a Black Church Burning |author= Michele M. Simmsparris |journal= 1 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law |pages=127–151 |date= Spring 1998|access-date=2010-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117193712/http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WaronTerrorism/churchburn01a.htm |archive-date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> Some civil rights demonstrators were shot.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]|url= http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4704|title=Civil Rights Movement: 20th Century History|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> Local leaders worked tirelessly, at times enlisting the support of national figures such as [[Dick Gregory]] and [[Stokely Carmichael]], to help bring about change over the period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crmvet.org/docs/sv/sv640225.pdf|title=Leaders call 72 Hour Truce|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0MQmZKxVxXkJ:www.crmvet.org/nars/rbcbking.htm+stokely+Carmichael+pine+bluff+hanson&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=Driving for Attorney C.B. King|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> Voter registration drives that enabled increased black political participation, selective buying campaigns, student protests, and a desire among white local business leaders to avoid damaging negative media portrayals in the national media led to reforms in public accommodations. During the 1960s and 1970s, major construction projects in the region included private and public sponsors: Jefferson Hospital (now Jefferson Regional Medical Center), the dams of the [[Arkansas River#Riverway commerce|McClellan-Kerr Navigation System]] on the Arkansas River (which was diverted from the city to create Lake Langhofer), a Federal building, the Pine Bluff Convention Center complex including The Royal Arkansas Hotel & Suites, Pine Bluff Regional Park, two industrial parks and several large churches. The 1980s and 1990s brought a number of significant construction projects. Benny Scallion Park was created, named for the alderman who brought a [[Japanese garden]] to the Pine Bluff Civic Center. The city has not maintained the garden, but a small plaque remains. {{citation needed|date=May 2017}} In the late 1980s, The Pines, the first large, enclosed shopping center, was constructed on the east side of the city. The mall attracted increased shopping traffic from southeast Arkansas. {{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} [[File:Main street, pine bluff, arkansas 002.jpg|right|thumb|Mural in downtown Pine Bluff]] The most important construction project of the 1990s was completion of a southern bypass, designated part of [[Interstate 530]]. In addition, a highway and bridge across Lock and Dam #4 were completed, providing another link between farm areas in northeastern Jefferson County and the transportation system radiating from Pine Bluff. Through a private matching grant, a multimillion-dollar Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas was completed downtown in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2527|title=Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas – Encyclopedia of Arkansas|website=www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net|access-date=2018-08-03}}</ref> In 2000, construction was completed on the {{convert|43000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QuAXMVpbcSkJ:findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5248/is_15_17/ai_n28771640/pg_3/+donald+reynolds+community+services+center+pine+bluff+built&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari|title=Lights Not Out Yet at Pine Bluff|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> Carl Redus became the first African American mayor in the city's history in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arblackhistoryquiz.com/home_files/2010%20Black%20History%20Study%20Guide.doc |title=Arkansas Black History Quiz Bowl Association |access-date=2010-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026003859/http://www.arblackhistoryquiz.com/home_files/2010%20Black%20History%20Study%20Guide.doc |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }}</ref> The [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] recently opened a $3&nbsp;million business incubator in [[downtown]] Pine Bluff.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hopes+for+downtown+Pine+Bluff+pinned+on+two+new+projects-a098752861|title=Hopes for Pine Bluff Pinned on Two Projects|access-date=2010-09-21}}</ref> Also, a new $2&nbsp;million [[farmers market]] pavilion was opened in 2010 on Lake Pine Bluff in downtown Pine Bluff.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/br/articles/?id=610|title=Market on Lake Part of Revitalization Plan|access-date=2010-09-21}}</ref> Shirley Washington is the first female African American mayor. She was elected in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arkansas black mayors talk election, job ahead|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/feb/26/arkansas-black-mayors-talk-election-job/|date=26 February 2019|first=Rachel|last=Herzog|work=Arkansas Democrat Gazette}}</ref> ==Geography== [[File:Bayou Bartholomew near Pine Bluff, AR.jpg|right|thumb|Bayou Bartholomew]] Pine Bluff is on the [[Arkansas River]]; the community was named for a [[Cliff|bluff]] along that river. Both Lake Pine Bluff and Lake Langhofer are situated within the city limits, as these are bodies of water which are remnants of the historical Arkansas River channel. (The former is a man-made expansion of a natural oxbow; the latter was created by diking the old channel after a man-made diversion.) Consequently, the [[Mississippi Alluvial Plain]] (or the [[Arkansas Delta]]) runs well into the city with [[Bayou Bartholomew]] picking up the western border as a line of demarcation between the [[Arkansas Delta]] and the [[Arkansas Timberlands]].{{Cn|date=January 2022}} A series of levees and dams surrounds the area to provide for flood control and protect from channel shift. One of the world's longest individual levees at 380 miles runs from Pine Bluff to [[Venice, Louisiana|Venice]], [[Louisiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.experiencefestival.com/topic/articles/article/5230311/a/Levee_-_Artificial_levees/id/5230311 |title=Artificial Levees |access-date=2010-10-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523035206/http://www.experiencefestival.com/topic/articles/article/5230311/a/Levee_-_Artificial_levees/id/5230311 |archive-date=May 23, 2009 }}</ref> ===Metropolitan statistical area=== {{Main|Pine Bluff metropolitan area|Little Rock – North Little Rock – Pine Bluff combined statistical area}} Pine Bluff is the largest city in a three-county MSA as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau including [[Jefferson County, Arkansas|Jefferson]], [[Cleveland County, Arkansas|Cleveland]], and [[Lincoln County, Arkansas|Lincoln]] counties. The Pine Bluff MSA population in 2000 was 107,341 people. The Pine Bluff MSA population in 2007 dropped to 101,484. Pine Bluff was the fastest-declining Arkansas MSA from 2000–2007. The Pine Bluff area is also a component of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff Combined Statistical Area which had a population of 902,443 people in the 2014 U.S. census estimate. ===Climate=== According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|46.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|45.6|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.2|sqmi|km2}} (2.65%) is water. {{Weather box |location = Pine Bluff (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1884–present) |single line = Y |Jan record high F = 83 |Feb record high F = 91 |Mar record high F = 96 |Apr record high F = 94 |May record high F = 100 |Jun record high F = 107 |Jul record high F = 110 |Aug record high F = 112 |Sep record high F = 110 |Oct record high F = 100 |Nov record high F = 88 |Dec record high F = 84 |year record high F = 112 |Jan high F = 51.7 |Feb high F = 56.1 |Mar high F = 64.5 |Apr high F = 73.8 |May high F = 81.5 |Jun high F = 88.5 |Jul high F = 91.8 |Aug high F = 91.4 |Sep high F = 85.9 |Oct high F = 75.5 |Nov high F = 63.4 |Dec high F = 54.5 |year high F = 73.2 |Jan mean F = 42.5 |Feb mean F = 46.1 |Mar mean F = 54.1 |Apr mean F = 63.0 |May mean F = 71.5 |Jun mean F = 79.0 |Jul mean F = 82.4 |Aug mean F = 81.7 |Sep mean F = 75.5 |Oct mean F = 64.1 |Nov mean F = 52.9 |Dec mean F = 45.0 |year mean F = 63.2 |Jan low F = 33.2 |Feb low F = 36.0 |Mar low F = 43.7 |Apr low F = 52.1 |May low F = 61.6 |Jun low F = 69.6 |Jul low F = 73.0 |Aug low F = 71.9 |Sep low F = 65.1 |Oct low F = 52.7 |Nov low F = 42.3 |Dec low F = 35.5 |year low F = 53.1 |Jan record low F = −6 |Feb record low F = −5 |Mar record low F = 11 |Apr record low F = 29 |May record low F = 36 |Jun record low F = 41 |Jul record low F = 55 |Aug record low F = 52 |Sep record low F = 36 |Oct record low F = 25 |Nov record low F = 14 |Dec record low F = 1 |year record low F = -6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 4.06 |Feb precipitation inch = 4.38 |Mar precipitation inch = 5.36 |Apr precipitation inch = 5.65 |May precipitation inch = 5.10 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.48 |Jul precipitation inch = 3.75 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.60 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.90 |Oct precipitation inch = 4.51 |Nov precipitation inch = 4.09 |Dec precipitation inch = 5.70 |year precipitation inch = 53.58 |Jan snow inch = 1.1 |Feb snow inch = 0.9 |Mar snow inch = 0.3 |Apr snow inch = 0.0 |May snow inch = 0.0 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.0 |Nov snow inch = 0.0 |Dec snow inch = 0.2 |year snow inch = 2.5 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 9.0 |Feb precipitation days = 8.4 |Mar precipitation days = 9.7 |Apr precipitation days = 8.8 |May precipitation days = 9.1 |Jun precipitation days = 7.1 |Jul precipitation days = 7.8 |Aug precipitation days = 6.3 |Sep precipitation days = 5.9 |Oct precipitation days = 7.2 |Nov precipitation days = 8.5 |Dec precipitation days = 9.0 |year precipitation days = 96.8 |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = 0.4 |Feb snow days = 0.7 |Mar snow days = 0.1 |Apr snow days = 0.0 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.0 |Nov snow days = 0.1 |Dec snow days = 0.2 |year snow days = 1.5 |source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name =nws> {{cite web | url = http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lzk | title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = June 19, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI> {{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00035754&format=pdf | title = Station: Pine Bluff, AR | work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = June 19, 2021}}</ref> }} {{Weather box |location = Pine Bluff ([[Grider Field]]) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present) |single line = Y |collapsed = Y |Jan record high F = 85 |Feb record high F = 84 |Mar record high F = 92 |Apr record high F = 95 |May record high F = 98 |Jun record high F = 104 |Jul record high F = 108 |Aug record high F = 110 |Sep record high F = 104 |Oct record high F = 96 |Nov record high F = 87 |Dec record high F = 81 |year record high F = 110 |Jan high F = 51.8 |Feb high F = 56.1 |Mar high F = 64.8 |Apr high F = 73.8 |May high F = 81.6 |Jun high F = 88.9 |Jul high F = 91.7 |Aug high F = 91.3 |Sep high F = 85.9 |Oct high F = 75.3 |Nov high F = 63.0 |Dec high F = 54.0 |year high F = 73.2 |Jan mean F = 42.8 |Feb mean F = 46.5 |Mar mean F = 54.6 |Apr mean F = 63.1 |May mean F = 71.6 |Jun mean F = 79.1 |Jul mean F = 81.9 |Aug mean F = 80.9 |Sep mean F = 74.7 |Oct mean F = 63.7 |Nov mean F = 52.5 |Dec mean F = 45.0 |year mean F = 63.0 |Jan low F = 33.8 |Feb low F = 37.0 |Mar low F = 44.3 |Apr low F = 52.5 |May low F = 61.6 |Jun low F = 69.3 |Jul low F = 72.1 |Aug low F = 70.6 |Sep low F = 63.5 |Oct low F = 52.0 |Nov low F = 42.1 |Dec low F = 36.0 |year low F = 52.9 |Jan record low F = −2 |Feb record low F = −1 |Mar record low F = 17 |Apr record low F = 26 |May record low F = 35 |Jun record low F = 49 |Jul record low F = 56 |Aug record low F = 52 |Sep record low F = 38 |Oct record low F = 28 |Nov record low F = 16 |Dec record low F = -2 |year record low F = -2 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 3.82 |Feb precipitation inch = 4.27 |Mar precipitation inch = 5.29 |Apr precipitation inch = 5.35 |May precipitation inch = 4.80 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.27 |Jul precipitation inch = 3.69 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.38 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.09 |Oct precipitation inch = 4.58 |Nov precipitation inch = 3.97 |Dec precipitation inch = 5.30 |year precipitation inch = 50.81 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 9.6 |Feb precipitation days = 9.7 |Mar precipitation days = 10.9 |Apr precipitation days = 9.4 |May precipitation days = 11.2 |Jun precipitation days = 8.6 |Jul precipitation days = 8.9 |Aug precipitation days = 7.9 |Sep precipitation days = 7.0 |Oct precipitation days = 8.7 |Nov precipitation days = 9.1 |Dec precipitation days = 9.5 |year precipitation days = 110.5 |source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name =nws/><ref name=NCEIairport> {{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00093988&format=pdf | title = Station: Pine Bluff Grider FLD, AR | work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = June 19, 2021}}</ref> }} ==Demographics== {{US Census population |1850= 460 |1860= 1396 |1870= 2081 |1880= 3203 |1890= 9952 |1900= 11496 |1910= 15100 |1920= 19300 |1930= 20800 |1940= 21300 |1950= 37200 |1960= 44000 |1970= 57400 |1980= 56600 |1990= 57100 |2000= 55085 |2010= 49083 |2020= 41253 |footnote=sources:<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title = Census of Population and Housing|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|access-date = 2009-07-02|df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="eahc">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=908|title=Pine Bluff (Jefferson County)|first=Russell E.|last= Bearden|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> }} ===2020 census=== {| class="wikitable" |+Pine Bluff racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0555310&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-13|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> !Race !Num. !Perc. |- |[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic) |7,284 |17.66% |- |[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic) |31,744 |76.95% |- |[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] |117 |0.28% |- |[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] |314 |0.76% |- |[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] |54 |0.13% |- |[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] |982 |2.38% |- |[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] |758 |1.84% |} As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 41,253 people, 16,966 households, and 9,629 families residing in the city. ===2010 census=== As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2010, there were 49,083 people, 18,071 households, and 11,594 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,048.8 people per square mile (404.6/km²). There were 20,923 housing units at an average density of 447.1 per square mile (172.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.6% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 21.8% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.2% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.63% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.68% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.1% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. There were 18,071 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,415, and the median income for a family was $39,993. Males had a median income of $38,333 versus $28,936 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,334. About 24.3% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 45.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over. == Crime == Pine Bluff had 29 homicides in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murell |first1=I.C. |title=Pine Bluff records first two homicides of 2022 overnight; chief calls for all-out patrol |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jan/08/pine-bluff-records-first-two-homicides-of-2022-ove/ |access-date=26 March 2022 |agency=Arkansas Democrat Gazette |date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> Pine Bluff had 23 murders in 2020 - a rate of 56.5 murders per 100,000 people. The national average was 6.5 murders per 100,000 people in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stebbins |first1=Samuel |title=Pine Bluff, AR Reported One of the Highest Murder Rates in the US |url=https://247wallst.com/city/pine-bluff-ar-reported-one-of-the-highest-murder-rates-in-the-us/ |website=24/7 Wall Street |access-date=26 March 2022}}</ref> ==Economy== Jefferson County is located in the heart of a rich agricultural area in the Arkansas River Basin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lmvmapping.erdc.usace.army.mil/Arkansas_rvr.htm/ |title=Arkansas River Basin |access-date=2010-10-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130080125/http://lmvmapping.erdc.usace.army.mil/Arkansas_rvr.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2010 }}</ref> The leading products include [[cotton]], [[soybean]]s, [[cattle]], [[rice]], [[poultry]], [[timber]] and [[catfish]]. {{Citation needed|date=April 2020}} Major area employers include Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Simmons First National Corp., [[Tyson Foods]], Evergreen Packaging, the [[Pine Bluff Arsenal]] and the [[Union Pacific Railroad]]. It is the large number of paper mills in the area that give Pine Bluff its, at times, distinctive odor, a feature known prominently among Arkansans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinebluff.com/|title=Pine Bluff.Com|access-date=2010-10-04}}</ref> In 2009, Pine Bluff was included on the ''[[Forbes]]'' list of America's 10 most impoverished cities.<ref name="forbes.com">[https://www.forbes.com/2009/10/12/most-impoverished-cities-business-beltway-poverty-cities_slide_4.html "America's Most Impoverished Cities"], ''[[Forbes]]'', October 12, 2009.</ref> [[Saracen Casino Resort]] in Pine Bluff was the first purpose-built casino in Arkansas. Completed in 2020 at a cost of $350 million, it will employ over 1,100 full-time staff.<ref>{{cite news | date = October 20, 2020 | title = Quapaw Nation Cuts Ribbon on Casino Resort | url = https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/quapaw-nation-cuts-ribbon-on-casino-resort/ | work = KARK.com}}</ref> ==Arts and culture== {{unreferencedsection|date=August 2021}} {{See also|Culture of Arkansas}} The Pine Bluff Convention Center is one of the state's largest meeting facilities. The Arts and Science Center features theatrical performances and workshops for children and adults. Pine Bluff did also boast the only Band Museum in the country but it has closed. Other areas of interest include [[downtown]] murals depicting the history of Pine Bluff, the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum, Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Railroad Museum. ===Annual cultural events=== *[[King Cotton Classic]]- Running from 1982 to 1999, the King Cotton Classic was one of the premier high school basketball tournaments in the country. It featured many future [[NBA]] players, including [[Corliss Williamson]] and [[Jason Kidd]]. ==Government== [[File:Jefferson County Courthouse.jpg|right|thumb|South façade of the [[Jefferson County Courthouse (Arkansas)|Courthouse]]]] The City of Pine Bluff is governed by the [[mayor–council government]] system, with the mayor, city attorney, city clerk and treasurer are all elected at large. The Pine Bluff City Council is the legislative body of the city. This group is constituted of eight members, with two members representing each of the city's four wards.<ref>{{cite web |title= Government |url= http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/government/ |publisher= City of Pine Bluff |access-date= January 25, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151004201327/http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/government/ |archive-date= October 4, 2015 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Each council member serves a four-year term, and elections are staggered every two years. Meetings of the city council are held in the Pine Bluff City Council Chambers on the first and third Monday of every month unless otherwise scheduled.<ref>{{cite web |title= City Council Page |url= http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/city-government/elected-officials/city-council-page/ |publisher= City of Pine Bluff |access-date= January 25, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141002072850/http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/pbar/city-government/elected-officials/city-council-page/ |archive-date= October 2, 2014 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> The city also has ten commissions for citizens to serve upon, with approval required by both the mayor and city council. They are: Advertising and Promotion, Aviation, Civic Auditorium Complex, Civil Service, Historic District, Historical Railroad Preservation, Parks and Recreation, Pine Bluff / Jefferson County Port Authority, Planning and Wastewater Utility. The city also has four boards and one commission that fills their own vacancies: Arkansas River Regional Intermodal Facilities Board, [[Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas]] Board of Trustees, Cemetery Committee, Library Board and Taylor Field Operations Facilities Board.{{Cn|date=January 2022}} As the county seat of Jefferson County, Pine Bluff also hosts all functions of county government at the [[Jefferson County Courthouse (Arkansas)|Jefferson County Courthouse]] in downtown Pine Bluff.{{Cn|date=January 2022}} ==Education== {{More citations needed|section|date=January 2022}} The [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] (UAPB) is the second oldest public educational institution in the state of Arkansas, and the oldest with a black heritage. It maintains one of the nation's few aquaculture research programs and the only one in the state of Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkapu.org/aapu-members/university-of-arkansas-at-pine-bluff/|title=University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff|access-date=2010-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814192430/http://www.arkapu.org/aapu-members/university-of-arkansas-at-pine-bluff/|archive-date=August 14, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It also houses the University Museum and Cultural Center dedicated to preserving the history of UAPB and the [[Arkansas Delta]]. The newly accredited [[Southeast Arkansas College]] features technical career programs as well as a 2-year college curriculum. Pine Bluff is served by three school districts: [[Pine Bluff School District]], [[Watson Chapel School District]], and [[White Hall School District]],<ref name=2020CensusMap>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05069_jefferson/DC20SD_C05069.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, AR|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2021-06-29}} - The map shows Dollarway School District as not yet merged into Pine Bluff School District.</ref> as well as a number of charter schools and the [[Ridgeway Christian School]] also serve the city. The Main Library of the [[Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System]] contains an extensive genealogy collection, including the online [https://pbjcl.tlcdelivers.com:8080/?config=obit#section=home obituary index] of the ''Pine Bluff Commercial'', Arkansas census records, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20161210041312/http://www.pineblufflibrary.org/digital-collections digital collections], which consists of many county and city records for much of southeast Arkansas. In addition to downtown Pine Bluff's Main Library, PBJCLS branch libraries can also be found in the city's [[Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Watson Chapel]] area, as well as in [[White Hall, Arkansas|White Hall]], [[Redfield, Arkansas|Redfield]], and [[Altheimer, Arkansas|Altheimer]]. ===Colleges and universities=== * [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] * [[Southeast Arkansas College]] ===Public schools=== * [[Pine Bluff School District]], including [[Pine Bluff High School]] and [[Dollarway High School]] * [[Watson Chapel School District]], including [[Watson Chapel High School]] * [[White Hall School District]] includes parts of Pine Bluff; [[White Hall High School]] is in neighboring [[White Hall, Arkansas|White Hall]]. Prior to integration, black students attended separate, segregated schools. These included [[Merrill High School (Arkansas)|Merrill High School]], [[Townsend Park High School]], [[Coleman High School (Arkansas)|Coleman High School]], and Southeast High School.{{fact|date=February 2021}} In December 2020 the Arkansas State Board of Education ruled that the [[Dollarway School District]] should merge into the Pine Bluff School District as of July 1, 2021. According to the consolidation plan, all schools of the two districts will continue to operate post-merger.<ref>{{cite web|last=Howell|first=Cynthia|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/dec/11/state-votes-to-combine-dollarway-pb-schools/|title=State votes to combine Dollarway, Pine Bluff schools|newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]]|date=2020-12-11|access-date=2021-02-23}}</ref> Accordingly the attendance boundary maps of the respective schools remained the same for the 2021-2022 school year, and all DSD territory went into the PBSD territory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nj-q3uIhvI4tRY-hBGp6nPGk-MlPTSuMNQrts8o7wMw/edit|title=Annexation/Transition FAQ|publisher=Pine Bluff School District|access-date=2021-02-23}}</ref> The exception was with the pre-kindergarten levels, as all PBSD areas are now assigned to Forrest Park/Greenville School, including the territory from the former Dollarway district.<ref>{{cite web|last=Murrel|first=I. C.|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jun/28/dollarway-alumni-honor-district/|title=Dollarway alumni honor district|newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat Gazette]]|date=2021-06-28|accessdate=2021-07-04}}</ref> ===Private schools=== There are two private schools in Pine Bluff, [[Ridgway Christian School]] (K3–12th) and Maranatha Baptist Academy K3-12. The city formerly hosted Catholic schools: * [[St. Joseph Catholic School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|St. Joseph Catholic School]] – Grades 5–12, opened in 1993,<ref name="About SJC: History & Heritage">{{cite web|url=http://www.sjcpinebluff.com/about-us-2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429131526/http://www.sjcpinebluff.com/about-us-2|archive-date=April 29, 2014|title=SJC: History & Heritage|author=SJCHS|url-status=dead|access-date=2012-07-27}}</ref> closed in 2013<ref name=Hebda>{{cite news|author=Hebda, Dwain|url=http://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/3475/The-last-class-graduates-from-St-Joseph-in-Pine-Bluff|title=The last class graduates from St. Joseph in Pine Bluff|newspaper=[[Arkansas Catholic]]|date=2013-05-16|access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref> * [[St. Peter's Catholic School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|St. Peter's Catholic School]] – The first school in Arkansas for black children to be established,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://katv.com/archive/two-pine-bluff-catholic-schools-could-be-closing|title=Pine Bluff Catholic school to Close|publisher=[[KATV]]|date=2012-05-02|access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref> was established in 1889 by St. Joseph Church Pastor Monsignor John Michael "J.M." Lucey as the Colored Industrial Institute and in 1897 became St. Peter Academy a.k.a. St. Peter High School. It closed in 1975, and reopened as an elementary school (Grades Preschool through 6) operated by the [[School Sisters of Notre Dame]] in 1985. It closed permanently in 2012. It was the last Catholic school established for black students in the State of Arkansas.<ref name=HargettLastBlackCath>{{cite news|author=Hargett, Malea|url=http://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/2994/States-last-black-Catholic-school-to-close|title=State's last black Catholic school to close|newspaper=[[Arkansas Catholic]]|date=2012-05-12|access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref> * St. Raphael School – A majority black school, it closed in 1960<ref name=HargettLastBlackCath/> ===Public libraries=== The [[Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System]] maintains its main library in the Civic Center in downtown. The city received its first library in 1913.<ref>"[http://pine-bluff.pineblufflibrary.org/ Pine Bluff Public Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802041117/http://pine-bluff.pineblufflibrary.org/ |date=August 2, 2017 }}." Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> The library system also operates the Watson Chapel Dave Burdick Library in the [[Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Watson Chapel]] neighborhood.<ref name=Libpage>"[http://watson-chapel.pineblufflibrary.org/ Watson Chapel Public Library]." Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> == Infrastructure == {{More citations needed|section|date=January 2022}} === Highways === * [[File:I-530 (AR 1961).svg|25px]] [[Interstate 530 (Arkansas)|Interstate 530]] * [[File:US 63 (1961).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 63 in Arkansas|US Route 63]] * [[File:US 65 (1961).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 65 in Arkansas|US Route 65]] * [[File:US 79 (1961).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 79 in Arkansas|US Route 79]] * [[File:US 270.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 270]] * [[File:US 425.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 425]] * [[File:Arkansas 15.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 15|Highway 15]] * [[File:Arkansas 54.svg|20px]] Highway 54 * [[File:Arkansas 81.svg|20px]] Highway 81 * [[File:Arkansas 190.svg|25px]] [[Arkansas Highway 190|Highway 190]] * [[File:Arkansas 365.svg|25px]] [[Arkansas Highway 365|Highway 365]] Pine Bluff is served by a network of five U.S. and five state highways radiating from the city. Interstate 530, formerly part of US 65, connects [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]] to southeast Pine Bluff. Multiple Interstates can be accessed in approximately 40 minutes from any point in the city. === Water === Located on the navigable [[Arkansas River]], with a slackwater harbor, Pine Bluff is accessible by water via the Port of Pine Bluff, the anchor of the city's Harbor Industrial District. === Air === Daily commercial air freight and passenger services, along with scheduled commuter flights, are available at the [[Clinton National Airport]] (formerly Little Rock National Airport), Adams Field, (LIT), some 40 minutes driving time from Pine Bluff via [[Interstate 530]] and interstate connectors. Pine Bluff's municipal [[airport]], [[Grider Field]] (PBF), is located four miles southeast of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/KPBF |title=KPBF – Grider Field Airport |publisher=AirNav |access-date=2016-10-31}}</ref> The airport serves as home base for corporate and [[general aviation]] aircraft. Charter, [[air ambulance]] and [[cargo airline]] services are also available. === Buses === Royal Coach Lines offers local access to intrastate, regional, and charter services. The city-owned Pine Bluff Transit operates six routes on a 12-hour/day, weekday basis, to various points including government, medical, educational and shopping centers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/transit/route.htm |title=Pine Bluff Transit |website=Cityofpinebluff.com |access-date=2016-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108201827/http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/transit/route.htm |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Two of the buses have professional-quality murals advertising the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. === Railroad === [[File:Union Station Pine Bluff Arkansas.jpg|right|thumb|[[Union Station (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|Union Station]], listed on the NRHP]] Current freight rail service to and through Pine Bluff is provided by the [[Union Pacific]] Railroad. === Correctional facilities === In 1972, the City of Pine Bluff and the "Fifty for the Future," a business leader group, donated {{convert|80|acre|ha}} of land to the [[Arkansas Department of Correction]] (ADC). This parcel was developed as the Pine Bluff Complex.<ref name="ADCHist">"[http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/history_gallery.html Prison History and Gallery]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.</ref> Since 1979 it has included the ADC state headquarters;<ref>"[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US0555310&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Pine Bluff city, Arkansas]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.</ref><ref>"[http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/facilities.html#central Central Office]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. Retrieved on June 28, 2010.</ref><ref>"[http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/pdf/facts_brochure2006.pdf 2006 Facts Brochure]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006. 25 (25/38). Retrieved on August 15, 2010.</ref> the administrative Annex East is on Harding Avenue south of city hall.<ref>"[http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/facilities/facilities1.html#annex Facilities]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. Retrieved on June 28, 2010.</ref> The [[Ester Unit]] (formerly the Diagnostic Unit),<ref>"[http://adc.arkansas.gov/facilities/details/barbara-ester-unit Barbara Ester Unit]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. Retrieved on August 1, 2017.</ref> the Pine Bluff Unit, and the [[Randall L. Williams Correctional Facility]] are in the "Pine Bluff Complex,"<ref>"[http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/facilities/facilities5.html#pine Pine Bluff Unit/Randall L. Williams Correctional Facility]." [[Arkansas Department of Correction]]. Retrieved on June 28, 2010.</ref><ref name="PineBluffUnit">"[http://arkcs.arkansas.gov/schools/adc_pg3.html School Sites]." [[Arkansas Correctional School]]. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.</ref> as are the headquarters of the [[Arkansas Correctional School]] system.<ref name="PineBluffUnit"/><ref>"[http://arkcs.arkansas.gov/contacts.html Contact Us]." [[Arkansas Correctional School]]. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.</ref> The ADC Southeast Arkansas Community Corrections Center is in Pine Bluff.<ref>"[http://www.dcc.arkansas.gov/locations_area_offices_offices.html#A01rf Locations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226104645/http://www.dcc.arkansas.gov/locations_area_offices_offices.html#A01rf |date=February 26, 2011 }}." [[Arkansas Department of Community Corrections]]. Retrieved on March 5, 2011. "7301 West 13th Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71602"</ref> === Utilities === ==== Water ==== [[Liberty Utilities]] (formerly United Water), a subsidiary of [[Algonquin Power & Utilities]], a privately held company, treats [[potable water]] and operates the [[water distribution system]] in Pine Bluff (including [[Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Watson Chapel]]), as well as Hardin, Ladd, and [[White Hall, Arkansas|White Hall]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Community |url= http://www.libertyutilities.com/ar/about/community.html |publisher= Liberty Utilities |access-date= January 25, 2015 }}</ref> This partnership began in 1942 between the City of Pine Bluff and Arkansas Municipal Water Company, which has been acquired and merged to become Liberty Utilities.<ref>{{cite web |title= Water Quality Information |publisher= United Water Arkansas |year= 2007 |url= https://www.unitedwater.com/uploadedFiles/Localized_Content/UW_Bethel/50/UWAR_Consumer_Confidence_Report.pdf |access-date= January 25, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160313230451/https://unitedwater.com/uploadedfiles/localized_content/uw_bethel/50/uwar_consumer_confidence_report.pdf |archive-date= March 13, 2016 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Water is pumped from 12 wells that pump from the Sparta Sand Aquifer to three water treatment plants capable of producing {{convert|20000000|gal|L}} per day (total). Each plant uses a process of pre-chlorination, aeration, filtration, and chlorine residual. [[Hexafluorosilicic acid|Hydrofluosilic acid]] and [[zinc orthophosphate]] are also added in addition to chlorine. The water is then distributed to approximately serving over 18,000 customers via {{convert|388|mi|km}} of water distribution mains.<ref>{{cite web |title= Water Quality Information |publisher= United Water Arkansas |date= June 2011 |url= https://www.unitedwater.com/uploadedFiles/Localized_Content/UW_Arkansas/20/UWAR_Consumer_Confidence_Report.pdf |access-date= January 25, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225355/https://www.unitedwater.com/uploadedFiles/Localized_Content/UW_Arkansas/20/UWAR_Consumer_Confidence_Report.pdf |archive-date= March 3, 2016 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> A Source Water Vulnerability Assessment was conducted by the Arkansas Department of Health in 2013; it concluded that Pine Bluff's water supply is at medium susceptibility to contamination<ref>{{cite web |title= Annual Drinking Water Quality Report |url= http://www.libertyutilities.com/ar/saving/documents/LU_WaterQuality_2013.pdf |year= 2013 |publisher= Liberty Utilities |access-date= January 25, 2015 }}</ref> ==== Wastewater ==== The Pine Bluff Wastewater Utility provides operation and maintenance of the city's municipally owned [[sewage]] collection and conveyance system. This system includes over {{convert|450|mi|km}} of pipe and 52 lift stations to collect municipal and industrial wastewater and convey it to the Boyd Point Treatment Facility (BPTF). This facility treats and discharges treated effluent in accordance with a permit issued by the [[Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality]] (ADEQ). The BPTF was most recently renovated in 2010 and is currently permitted to discharge a maximum daily flow of {{convert|30000000|gal|L}}.<ref>{{cite web |title= Boyd Point Treatment Facility |url= http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/ftproot/Pub/WebDatabases/PermitsOnline/NPDES/Permits/AR0033316.pdf |work= NPDES Permit AR0033316 |publisher= Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality |access-date= January 25, 2015 }}</ref> The utility has been awarded by the [[National Association of Clean Water Agencies]] for its performance. In an Enforcement Compliance review completed in March 2014, it was noted that zero permit violations had occurred within the past three years.<ref>{{cite web |title= Enforcement Compliance Review |url= http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/ftproot/Pub/WebDatabases/PermitsOnline/NPDES/PermitInformation/AR0033316_Enforcement%20Compliance%20Review_20140320.pdf |work= NPDES Permit AR0033316 |date= March 20, 2014 |publisher= Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality |access-date= January 25, 2015 }}</ref> ==Parks and recreation== Townsend Park was built on a {{convert|100|acre|ha|adj=on}} plot of land meant for a park for black people. The land was donated by the president of the [[Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College]] to the state government. It was named after Merrill High School principal William J. Townsend.<ref name=Pickhardtp359360>{{cite journal|last=Pickhardt|first=John B.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40543600|title=We Don't Intend to Have a Story: Integration in the Dollarway School District|journal=[[The Arkansas Historical Quarterly]]|publisher=[[Arkansas Historical Association]]|volume=68|issue=4|date=Winter 2009|pages=357–387|jstor=40543600}} - cited pages 359-360.</ref> ==Notable people== {{More citations needed|section|date=January 2022}} {{div col}} * [[Blanch Ackers]], painter * [[Larry D. Alexander]], visual artist, writer,<ref>[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=7313 Encyclopedia of Arkansas - Larry Dell Alexander]</ref> * [[Broncho Billy Anderson]], actor, honorary [[Academy Award]] winner * [[Camille Bennett]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of [[Arkansas House of Representatives]]; former Pine Bluff resident * [[John Barfield]], [[Major League Baseball]] player * [[Mark Bradley]], [[National Football League]] player * [[Clifton R. Breckinridge]], [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] from Arkansas * [[Big Bill Broonzy]], musician, member of [[Blues Hall of Fame]] * [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]], [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] inductee, blues musician/singer * [[Jim Ed Brown]], country music artist * [[The Browns]], country music trio * [[Bill Carr]], 1932 Olympic double gold medalist * [[Harvey C. Couch]], founder, Arkansas Power & Light * [[Joe Barry Carroll]], basketball player, top pick of [[1980 NBA Draft]] * [[Monte Coleman]], NFL player, [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] head coach * [[Junior Collins]], jazz musician * [[Joseph Carter Corbin]], Educator, first principal of the [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]], principal of [[Merrill High School (Arkansas)|Merrill High School]]<ref name="e of A Corbin">{{cite web |title=Joseph Carter Corbin |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1624 |access-date=17 November 2018}}</ref> * [[CeDell Davis]], blues musician * [[Janette Davis]], singer * [[L. Clifford Davis]], civil rights attorney, judge<ref name="ABL">{{cite web |last1=Kilpatrick |first1=Judith |title=Desegregating the University of Arkansas School of Law: L. Clifford Davis and the Six Pioneers |url=https://arkansasblacklawyers.uark.edu/articles/ahq68-2.pdf |website=Arkansas Black Lawyers |access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref> * [[Larry Davis (blues musician)|Larry Davis]], blues musician * [[Jay Dickey]], lawyer and politician * [[The Buddy Deane Show]], national TV program of local radio DJ * [[Jeff Donaldson (artist)|Jeff Donaldson]], visual artist, founder [[AfriCobra]] * [[Marty Embry]], professional basketball player, chef, author * [[Ken Ferguson (politician)|Kenneth B. Ferguson]], Democratic member of Arkansas House of Representatives for Jefferson and [[Lincoln County, Arkansas|Lincoln]] counties since 2015 * [[Stephanie Flowers]], [[African-American]] Democratic member of [[Arkansas State Senate]] since 2011; former member of Arkansas House of Representatives; Pine Bluff lawyer * [[Vivian Flowers]], African-American Democratic member of Arkansas House of Representatives from Pine Bluff since 2015; diversity officer at [[UAMS Medical Center]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/362/Vivian-Flowers|title=Vivian Flowers|publisher=arkansashouse.org|access-date=April 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416073021/http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/362/Vivian-Flowers|archive-date=April 16, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> * [[Rodney Shelton Foss]], possibly first American killed in World War II * [[Charles Greene (athlete)|Charles Greene]], Olympic gold medalist, track & field * [[George W. Haley]], U.S. ambassador * [[Isaac Scott Hathaway]], visual artist, first African American to create a coin for the U.S. Treasury * [[George Edmund Haynes]], first executive director of [[National Urban League]], first African-American to receive PhD from [[Columbia University|Columbia]] * [[Chester Himes]], novelist, * [[George Howard, Jr.]], federal judge * [[Mike Huckabee]] (born 1955), [[List of Governors of Arkansas|44th Governor of Arkansas]] * [[Bobby Hutton]], founding member of Black Panther Party * [[Torii Hunter]], Major League Baseball player, 5-time All-Star * [[Don Hutson]], member of [[College Football Hall of Fame|College]] and [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] * [[George James (writer)|George G.M. James]], author * [[Joseph Jarman]], jazz saxophonist * [[Charles Johnson (Negro leagues)|Charles Johnson]], [[Negro league baseball]] player * [[David Johnson (tight end)|David Johnson]], football player * [[Kenneth Johnson (producer)|Kenneth Johnson]], television producer * [[E. Fay Jones]], architect and designer * [[Theresa A. Jones]], neuroscientist * [[Camille Keaton]], actress * [[Carl Kidd]], player in [[Canadian Football League|Canadian]] and National Football Leagues * [[Fat Lever|Lafayette Lever]], NBA player * [[Henry Jackson Lewis]], political cartoonist * [[Kay Linaker]], actress * [[Dallas Long]], Olympic gold medalist * [[Martell Mallett]], player in Canadian and National Football Leagues * [[Andy Mayberry]], member of [[Arkansas House of Representatives]] * [[Carl McVoy]], rock 'n' roll pianist/vocalist * [[Peter McGehee]], novelist * [[Dwight McKissic]], [[Southern Baptist]] minister * [[Chris Mercer (activist)|Chris Mercer]], the first African-American deputy state prosecutor in the South, one of the "six pioneers" who integrated the [[University of Arkansas Law School]].<ref name="uark death">{{cite web |title=University of Arkansas Mourns Death of Civil Rights Activist Christopher Mercer |url=https://news.uark.edu/articles/19732/university-of-arkansas-mourns-death-of-civil-rights-activist-christopher-mercer |access-date=12 December 2018 |date=26 November 2012}}</ref> * [[Constance Merritt]], poet * [[Martha Mitchell]], wife of U.S. Attorney General [[John N. Mitchell]]. *[[Raye Montague]], US Navy engineer, created first computer generated draft of a naval ship<ref name="e of A Montague">{{cite web |title=Raye Jean Jordan Montague |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5565 |access-date=17 November 2018}}</ref> * [[Bitsy Mullins]], jazz trumpeter * [[Smokie Norful]], [[Grammy Award]]-winning gospel singer * [[Freeman Harrison Owens]], inventor * [[Ben Pearson (bowyer)|Ben Pearson]], bowyer * [[Edward J. Perkins]], U.S. ambassador * [[Elizabeth Rice]], actress * [[Andree Layton Roaf]], justice of [[Arkansas Supreme Court]] (mother of Wille Roaf) * [[Willie Roaf]], NFL Hall of Famer (son of Andree Layton Roaf) * [[John Selden Roane|John Roane]] (1817–1867), 4th [[Governor of Arkansas]]; Brigadier General in provisional Army of Confederate States * [[Bobby Rush (musician)|Bobby Rush]], musician, member of Blues Hall of Fame * [[William Seawell]], brigadier general in U.S. Air Force * [[Peggy Shannon]], actress * [[Les Spann]], jazz musician * [[Jeremy Sprinkle]], (White Hall) tight end for NFL's [[Washington Commanders]] * [[Katherine Stinson]], aviator * [[James L. Stone]], Medal of Honor recipient * [[Francis Cecil Sumner]], psychologist * [[Jerry Taylor (American politician)|Jerry Taylor]], businessman, legislator, Mayor of Pine Bluff * [[Clark Terry]], [[Grammy Award]]-winning jazz musician * [[Sue Bailey Thurman]], African-American author, lecturer, and historian * [[Krista White]], winner of ''America's Next Top Model'' Cycle 14 * [[Reggie Wilkes]], football player, financial advisor * [[J. Mayo Williams]], blues/gospel/jazz producer, member of [[Blues Hall of Fame]] * [[Mary Mouser]], actress known for the role of Samantha LaRusso in ''Cobra Kai'' {{div col end}} <!--Please keep list alphabetized when editing--> ==Sister city== *[[Bandō, Ibaraki]], Japan– sister city since October 9, 1989{{Cn|date=January 2022}} ==See also== *[[Hestand Stadium]] *[[List of municipalities in Arkansas]] *[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Arkansas]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== *{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=Feb 22, 1895 |title=Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, Arkansas: Descriptive Pamphlet |url=https://archive.org/details/pinebluffjeffers00jeff |publisher=Jefferson County Exposition and Bureau of Agriculture, Manufactures and Immigration |via=Graphic Printing Company, Pine Bluff, Ark.}} *{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=May 1893 |title=Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, Arkansas: Full Description |url=https://archive.org/details/pinebluffjeffers00jeffer |edition=World's Fair |publisher=Jefferson County Bureau of Agriculture, Manufactures and Immigration}} ==External links== <!-- =============================================================================== WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS. Only a limited number of new links should be added to this article. PLEASE DO NOT ADD external links to sites with information already in the article or in its sources. See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for further details =============================================================================== --> * {{official website}} * {{osmrelation-inline}} * {{Ballotpedia|Pine_Bluff,_Arkansas|Pine Bluff, Arkansas}} * {{worldcat id|id=lccn-n81050846}} <!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please follow the [[WP:EL]] guideline where possible and consider discussing on the talk page. Thank you. --> {{Pine Bluff, Arkansas}} {{Navboxes |title=Articles relating to Pine Bluff, Arkansas |list= {{Jefferson County, Arkansas}} {{Arkansas}} {{Arkansas county seats}} }} {{Subject bar|portal1=Arkansas|portal2=Cities|commons=y|commons-search=Category:Pine Bluff, Arkansas|voy=y|voy-search=Pine Bluff|wikt=y|wikt-search=Pine Bluff}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pine Bluff, Arkansas}} [[Category:Pine Bluff, Arkansas| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard--> [[Category:1839 establishments in Arkansas]] [[Category:Arkansas in the American Civil War]] [[Category:Arkansas populated places on the Arkansas River]] [[Category:Cities in Arkansas]] [[Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Arkansas]] [[Category:Cities in Pine Bluff metropolitan area|*]] [[Category:County seats in Arkansas]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1839]]'