Howard County

Howard County was formed in 1873 from parts of Hempstead, Sevier, Polk and Pike Counties. Center Point was the County Seat. In 1905 the county seat was moved to Nashville. The Arkansas & Louisiana Railroad ran from Hope to Nashville. The present day courthouse was built in 1938. Howard County is made up of 384,000 acres or about 600 sq. miles. Of the 384,000 acres, Weyerhaeuser Company owns 189,000. There are approximately 800 miles of roads in Howard County. The total population of Howard County is 14,300. Rural area population is 6,604. There are four incorporated cities in Howard County. Dierks, population, 1230, first known as Hardscramble Mineral Springs, population 1264, first known as Saline Nashville, population 4878, earlier known as Mine Creek & Hell's Valley Tollette, population 324, known as Blackland Township Smaller unincorporated communities: Saratoga first known as Crackers Neck Umpire was named for a baseball game between Galens & Bethel. Billy Faulkner, from Mena, was the "Umpire" Athens, first known as Athens, then Venetia Grove, Ft. Logan and then Athens Official census includes: Year Population Year Population 1880 9,917 1940 16,621 1890 13,789 1950 13,342 1900 14,076 1960 10,878 1910 16,898 1970 11,412 1920 18,565 1980 13,459 1930 17,489 1990 13,569 2000 14,300 Farming was the main source of income, the major crops were cotton, corn, peaches and cattle. Now, Howard County has several large industries that provide approximately 4,500 jobs. The major industries are: Frigidare Home Products James Hardy Gypsum Jan-Eze Planting Mission Plastics Pilgrims Pride Tyson's Trucking Industries Weyerhaeuser Company Oxbodies The total number of county employees is 86. County Road Dept. has 20. Sanitation has 20. Communities not to be forgotten that had schools, churches, cemeteries and stores: Northern Hills Baker Springs Burg Pates Bethel Galena Three Chutes Blue Ridge Mineola Flower Springs Central Plains Antioch County Line Mt. Carmel Salem Blue Bayou Fellowship Muddy Fork Sardis Briar Creek Greens Plains Pleasant Valley Temperancevill Center-Rosedale Kolb Town Polk Wakefield Chapel Hill Longview Possum Hollow Bethany Welcome Corinth Madison Twp Pump Spgs. York's Chapel Southern Prairies Blackland Midway Sorghum City Bluff Springs Schaal Buck Range Shiloh

8708457500

County Officials				Phone		Fax		E-Mail
County Judge		Kevin S. Smith		(870) 845-7500		(870) 845-7505		howcojudge1@sbcglobal.net
County Clerk		Brenda Washburn		(870) 845-7502		(870) 845-7505		howardclerk@arkansasclerks.com
Circuit Clerk		Bobbie Jo Green		(870) 845-7506		(870) 845-7505		bobbie.jo.green@arkansas.gov
County Sheriff		Randall Morris		(870) 845-2626		(870) 845-7542		howardco1@sbcglobal.net
County Collector		Randall Morris		(870) 845-7508		(870) 845-7505		hococollect06@sbcglobal.net
County Treasurer		Sheri Mixon		(870) 845-7504		(870) 845-7505		howcotreas@sbcglobal.net
County Assessor		Debbie Teague		(870) 845-7511		(870) 845-1986		dtassessor@yahoo.com
County Coroner		John Gray		(870) 451-0400
Justice of the Peace		Martha Hobbs
Justice of the Peace		Janice Huffman
Justice of the Peace		Gerald Nutt
Justice of the Peace		Brent Pinkerton
Justice of the Peace		Louis E. Smith
Justice of the Peace		Kerry Strasner
Justice of the Peace		J.D. Tomerlin
Justice of the Peace		Bobby Don Turner