Gurdon, Arkansas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gurdon is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,276 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Interesting facts
4 Notable residents
5 History
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Gurdon is located at 33°55' North, 93°9'2" West (33.916618, -93.150566)^GR1.

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 (2.71%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,276 people, 934 households, and 625 families residing in the city. The population density was 350.1/km² (908.0/mi²). There were 1,077 housing units at an average density of 165.7/km² (429.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 934 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,446, and the median income for a family was $33,564. Males had a median income of $25,479 versus $18,158 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,043. About 14.1% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Interesting facts

The town is known for the presence of a ghost light roughly five miles outside of town. Known as the Gurdon Light, a series of unexplained 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 light has been featured on local media and on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries. The location is still in use by the railroad.

The town further served as the founding place of the International Concatenated Order of the Hoo Hoo. This lumbermen's 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 worldwide. 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.

The local high school sports teams are known as the Gurdon Go Devils. Their traditional arch-rivals are the nearby Prescott Curley Wolves. Former running back Chris Harper (heavily recruited on the college level prior to a knee injury) led the Go-Devils to the semi-finals in the State Tournament of 1987, losing to McGhee, Arkansas.

The Gurdon Pond just outside town features easy-access shore fishing for bream and bass.

[edit] Notable residents

In 1923, blues musical artist Jimmy Witherspoon was born in Gurdon. He went on to appear on over 200 albums, establishing himself as a jazz-influenced bluesman.

Gurdon is the hometown of Daniel Davis. He is best known for playing the role of Niles the butler, in the CBS sitcom The Nanny. Davis' natural accent is Southern American, however his English accent as Niles was so accurate that many viewers have become convinced that Davis is actually English. The character Niles was mostly the comic relief, frequently using deadpan one-liners.

Musical performer, performance artist, actor, filmmaker, and photographer Tav Falco was raised in Gurdon.

Gurdon was for many years the home of noted mail art practitioner Buz Blurr (formerly Hoo Hoo Theaters).

[edit] 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.