Paragould, Arkansas

The city's name is a blend combining the last names of competing railroad magnates J. W. Paramore and Jay Gould. Paramore's Texas & St. Louis Railway (later the Cotton Belt) and Gould's St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (later the Missouri Pacific) intersected here in 1882. A group of citizens chose the name, and it is believed to be the only city in the world with this name. For a time, Gould objected to his name's being second and refused to list the new town on his schedules.Temple, Robert D. Edge Effects: The Border-Name Places (2nd edition, 2009), iUniverse, {{ISBN|978-0595477586}}, p. 320. In 1888, Paragould was the starting point for the Paragould and Buffalo Island Railway (later the Paragould Southeastern Railway), which eventually made its way to Blytheville, Arkansas.{{cite web|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yqUIjbBgY-IC&q=Paragould |title=Valuation Docket No. 142, St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company, et al| publisher=Interstate Commerce Commission |volume=149 |date=November 30, 1928 |pages=372, 393–394, 405, 419–423, 472–477 |via=Google Books |access-date=March 26, 2024}}

From 1888 to 1908, Paragould experienced a series of incidents in which White residents threatened and attacked Black residents. Some Black residents were flogged, and some of their homes and churches were burned. Arkansas Governor Jeff Davis ordered the state militia not to intervene on behalf of Black citizens. On numerous occasions White residents ordered Black citizens to leave and never return. In 1908, they threatened them to leave or die, which resulted in an almost complete depopulation of African-Americans in the county, and earned Paragould the designation of a sundown town.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Paragould Race Riots |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/paragould-race-riots-8446/ |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |access-date=February 7, 2022 |first=Nancy Snell |last=Griffith |date=September 7, 2021 }} Black children were not allowed to participate in any form of public education until 1948,{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Rex |title=Paragould to the Bootheel |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/jul/18/paragould-to-the-bootheel/ |newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |access-date=February 7, 2022 |date=July 18, 2020}} and then by busing them out of the county to Booker T. Washington High School in Jonesboro.{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/paragould-894/ |title=Paragould (Greene County) |date=November 12, 2020 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |first=Mack |last=Hamblen |access-date=February 7, 2022 }} In 1957, facing mandated integration, Jonesboro terminated this practice.{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/booker-t-washington-high-school-11951/ |title=Booker T. Washington High School (Jonesboro) |date=September 8, 2020 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |first=Amy |last=Ulmer |access-date=February 7, 2022 }} Prior to 1982, no hotel in Paragould would allow Black people to spend the night. In 1983, when two Black Union Pacific workers attempted to eat at a restaurant, they were locked out. When police reached the scene, they accused the workers of attempting to break into the restaurant.{{cite book |last1=Loewen |first1=James |title=Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism |date=2006 |publisher=Touchstone |isbn=978-0743294485 |page=278}} An informal ban on hiring African-Americans was alleged to exist in Paragould until at least 2002.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Sundown Towns |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/sundown-towns-3658/ |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |date=December 3, 2018 |first=James |last=Loewen |access-date=February 7, 2022}}

Paragould is located southeast of the middle of Greene County. U.S. Routes 412 and 49 intersect in the city west of downtown. US 412 leads east {{convert|9|mi|0}} to the Missouri state line at the St. Francis River, and a further {{convert|23|mi}} northeast to Kennett, Missouri; to the west US 412 leads {{convert|26|mi}} to Walnut Ridge. US 49 leads northeast {{convert|32|mi}} to Piggott and southwest {{convert|20|mi}} to Jonesboro. The closest major city is Memphis, Tennessee, {{convert|82|mi}} to the southeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|81.2|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|80.8|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.4|km2|order=flip|1}}, or 0.52%, is water.

Paragould has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

{{Weather box

|location = Paragould, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1979–present)

|single line = Y

|width = auto

|Jan record high F = 76

|Feb record high F = 78

|Mar record high F = 89

|Apr record high F = 93

|May record high F = 94

|Jun record high F = 103

|Jul record high F = 106

|Aug record high F = 105

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 93

|Nov record high F = 84

|Dec record high F = 77

|year record high F = 106

|Jan high F = 45.7

|Feb high F = 50.4

|Mar high F = 59.5

|Apr high F = 70.2

|May high F = 78.9

|Jun high F = 87.3

|Jul high F = 89.8

|Aug high F = 88.9

|Sep high F = 83.1

|Oct high F = 72.6

|Nov high F = 59.0

|Dec high F = 48.7

|year high F = 69.5

|Jan mean F = 37.0

|Feb mean F = 40.9

|Mar mean F = 49.6

|Apr mean F = 59.8

|May mean F = 69.1

|Jun mean F = 77.5

|Jul mean F = 80.4

|Aug mean F = 79.0

|Sep mean F = 72.3

|Oct mean F = 61.1

|Nov mean F = 49.0

|Dec mean F = 40.2

|year mean F = 59.7

|Jan low F = 28.2

|Feb low F = 31.4

|Mar low F = 39.7

|Apr low F = 49.3

|May low F = 59.3

|Jun low F = 67.8

|Jul low F = 71.0

|Aug low F = 69.1

|Sep low F = 61.5

|Oct low F = 49.6

|Nov low F = 39.0

|Dec low F = 31.7

|year low F = 49.8

|Jan record low F = −14

|Feb record low F = −2

|Mar record low F = 5

|Apr record low F = 14

|May record low F = 34

|Jun record low F = 50

|Jul record low F = 53

|Aug record low F = 50

|Sep record low F = 36

|Oct record low F = 28

|Nov record low F = 16

|Dec record low F = −6

|year record low F = −14

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.89

|Feb precipitation inch = 4.03

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.88

|Apr precipitation inch = 5.19

|May precipitation inch = 5.14

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.56

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.24

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.84

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.31

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.40

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.64

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.62

|year precipitation inch = 51.74

|Jan snow inch = 1.0

|Feb snow inch = 0.8

|Mar snow inch = 0.4

|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 = 0.3

|year snow inch = 2.5

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 10.0

|Feb precipitation days = 9.4

|Mar precipitation days = 11.3

|Apr precipitation days = 10.4

|May precipitation days = 11.4

|Jun precipitation days = 8.8

|Jul precipitation days = 8.9

|Aug precipitation days = 8.6

|Sep precipitation days = 6.9

|Oct precipitation days = 8.7

|Nov precipitation days = 9.8

|Dec precipitation days = 11.2

|year precipitation days = 115.4

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.6

|Feb snow days = 0.6

|Mar snow days = 0.2

|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 = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.5

|year snow days = 1.9

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=meg

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 22, 2021}}

{{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=USC00035563&format=pdf

| title = Station: Paragould 1S, AR

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 22, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1890= 1666

|1900= 3324

|1910= 5248

|1920= 6306

|1930= 5966

|1940= 7079

|1950= 9668

|1960= 9947

|1970= 10639

|1980= 15248

|1990= 18540

|2000= 22017

|2010= 26113

|2020= 29537

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

File:Paragould AR 2011 06 23 003.jpg is one of twelve sites in Paragould listed on the National Register of Historic Places.]]

File:Green County Museum Paragould AR 002.jpg

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,537 people, 10,755 households, and 7,439 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 26,113 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.8% Black, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, <0.1% from some other race and 1.2% from two or more races. 2.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 22,017 people, 8,941 households, and 6,133 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|714.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 9,789 housing units at an average density of {{convert|317.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White, <0.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,941 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,815, and the median income for a family was $39,431. Males had a median income of $28,103 versus $20,623 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,076. About 8.4% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

File:Paragould AR 2011 06 23 014.jpg

Paragould is governed by a mayor and city council. Other city offices include an attorney, treasurer, and chief administrative officer. A city clerk records government activity and is a point of contact for citizens, while various boards and commissions assist with governmental functions.{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofparagould.com/27/Government |title=Government |website=City of Paragould |access-date=May 25, 2023 }}

The city's primary utility provider is Paragould Light Water and Cable.{{cite web |url=https://www.paragould.org/your-chamber/chamber-news/649 |title=Paragould Becomes a Gig City |date=July 21, 2021 |website=Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce |access-date=May 25, 2023 }} Its formerly used City Light and Water Building from 1938 has faced demolition.{{cite web|last=Heard|first=Kenneth|url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2017/aug/13/38-building-faces-demolition-20170813/|title=1938 building faces demolition|newspaper=Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette|date=August 13, 2017|accessdate=May 15, 2023}}

File:Paragould High School.jpg]]

Paragould is home to Crowley's Ridge College, and a campus of Black River Technical College.

Paragould has two public school districts serving different parts of the city: the Greene County Tech School District and the Paragould School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05055_greene/DC20SD_C05055.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Greene County, AR|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=August 5, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05055_greene/DC20SD_C05055_SD2MS.txt Text list] It also has Crowley's Ridge Academy and St. Mary's Catholic School private school systems.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

The Northeast Arkansas School District was formed on July 1, 1985, by the merger of the former Paragould School District with the Oak Grove School District."[https://web.archive.org/web/20150912013154/http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Legal/ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls]." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on October 13, 2017. By 1997 the name of the new district became the Paragould School District.[https://web.archive.org/web/19970211220905/http://rams.nesd.k12.ar.us/ Home]. Paragould School District. February 11, 1997. Retrieved on October 14, 2017. "Paragould School District is a consolidated district comprising the former districts of Oak Grove, Stanford, and Paragould."

KPMF-LD, a MyNetworkTV/Quest affiliated TV station serving the Jonesboro and Memphis markets, and owned by HC2 Holdings.

K17LV-D, translator station of ABC/NBC/CW+ affiliated station KAIT in Jonesboro, and owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television.

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|

• 23px US 49
• 27px U.S. Route 49B
• 27px U.S. Highway 412
• 20px Arkansas Highway 1
• 20px Arkansas Highway 69
• 23px Arkansas Highway 135
• 23px Arkansas Highway 358

}}

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center is Paragould's only hospital. The 127-bed acute-care hospital's campus includes a professional office building with a community wellness center.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

On December 15, 2012, it was announced that "beginning in 2013, the department would deploy a new street crimes unit to high crime areas on foot to take back the streets."{{Cite web|url=http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2012/12/15/top_story/doc50cbbb312e241511092932.txt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131054735/http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2012/12/15/top_story/doc50cbbb312e241511092932.txt|url-status=dead|title=Armed task force to patrol streets|archive-date=January 31, 2013}} The remaining town hall meetings to inform the public of the new plan were cancelled due to the volume of threats received as a result of national media exposure. This was done for public safety, as continuing to hold the meetings may have posed a danger to attendees.{{Cite web|url=http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2012/12/18/top_story/doc50d08e9fb2588217300183.txt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131112527/http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2012/12/18/top_story/doc50d08e9fb2588217300183.txt|url-status=dead|title=PPD cancels town hall events|archive-date=January 31, 2013}}{{Update inline|date=June 2017}} The planned unit was not deployed.

The documentary short film Udaan (2021) was made by Pakistani film maker Amman Abbasi about Baneen Khan, a female Pakistani student from Karachi enrolling at Black River Technical College.{{cite magazine |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/111689-what-we-were-met-with-during-the-filming-were-the-true-difficulties-and-trauma-that-can-be-associated-with-migrating-amman-abbasi-on-his-caamfest-selected-short-udaan/ |title=Amman Abbasi on his CAAMFest-selected short 'Udaan' |date=May 18, 2021 |magazine=Filmmaker |first=Lauren |last=Wissott |access-date=August 27, 2021 }}

{{div col}}

• Weldon Bowlin, Major League Baseball player{{cite web |url=https://uwaathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame/weldon-hoss-bowlin/40 |title=Hall of Fame: Weldon 'Hoss' Bowlin |website=University of West Alabama |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=a native of Paragould, Ark. }}
• Jeanne Carmen, actress, glamour girl and famed trick-shot golfer{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/jeanne-laverne-carmen-12463/ |title=Jeanne Laverne Carmen (1930–2007) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |first=Nancy Darlene |last=Cook |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=born ... in Greene County near Paragould}}
• Iris DeMent, singer-songwriter{{cite news |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/how-iris-rose-dements-roots-are-in-arkansas-gospel-but-she-blooms-with-missouri-folk-6425351 |title=How Iris Rose Dement's Roots Are in Arkansas Gospel, But She Blooms with Missouri Folk |date=June 8, 1994 |newspaper=The Phoenix New Times |first=Larry |last=Crowley |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=Iris ... born to [parents] of the cotton-farming community of Paragould, Arkansas}}
• Van Des Autels, film actor, radio announcer and TV news anchor{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/798375881/?clipping_id=125505483 |title=Death Takes Van Des Autels |date=September 3, 1968 |newspaper=El Paso Herald-Post |first= |last= |page=20 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=Mr. Des Autels was born in Paragould, Ark., and came to El Paso as a youngster. }}
• Jimmie Lou Fisher, Arkansas State Treasurer, 2002 Democratic nominee for governor of Arkansas{{cite encyclopedia|last=Dumas |first=Ernest |title=Jimmie Lou Fisher (1941–2022) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/jimmie-lou-fisher-8164/ |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=died ... at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and is buried ... in Paragould }}
• Junius Marion Futrell, governor of Arkansas, 1933–1937{{cite web|url=https://www.nga.org/governor/junius-marion-futrell/ |title=Gov. Junius Marion Futrell |date=January 15, 2019 |publisher=National Governors Association |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=buried at the Linwood Cemetery, Paragould, Arkansas }}
• Trice Harvey, California politician{{cite news |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/trice-harvey-dies-at-80/article_9c3ac839-4690-5be1-8789-bfb1fad832aa.html |title=Trice Harvey dies at 80 |date=January 31, 2017 |newspaper=The Bakersfield Californian |first=Robert |last=Price |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=Harvey ... was born ... in Paragould, Ark. }}
• Homer Lenderman, former state representative for Craighead and Greene counties{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/119172/homer-lenderman-jr |title=Homer Lenderman, Jr.'s Biography |website=Vote Smart |access-date=December 12, 2022 |quote=Home City: Paragould, AR }}
• Sam O'Steen, Academy Award-nominated editor
• Lee Purcell, Emmy Award-nominated actress
• Marlin Stuart, Major League Baseball player
• Marko Stunt, Professional Wrestler for All Elite Wrestling
• George Taylor, Medal of Honor awardee for his actions during the Civil War
• Richard Travis, actor from 1940s films
• James Wayne Wood, former aeronautical engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot and astronaut

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Portal|Arkansas}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://www.cityofparagould.com/}}
• [http://www.paragould.org/ Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce]

{{Paragould, Arkansas}}

{{Greene County, Arkansas}}

{{Arkansas county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Arkansas

Category:Cities in Greene County, Arkansas

Category:County seats in Arkansas

Category:Populated places established in 1883

Category:1883 establishments in Arkansas