Greene County, Arkansas

Greene County Education, Geography, and History

Greene County is a county located in the state of Arkansas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 42,090. The county seat is Paragould, which sits atop Crowley's Ridge. The county was established on November 5, 1833 and was formed from Lawrence County. Greene county is named in honor of Nathanael Greene (1742-1786), the Revolutionary War General.
Greene County comprises the Paragould, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Jonesboro-Paragould, AR Combined Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Greene County Name

Greene is named for supposedly Nathanael Greene, the American Revolutionary War general. Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 - June 19, 1786) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United States are named for him.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Greene County History

The Territorial Legislature from part of Lawrence County was created from Greene County on November 5, 1833. Greene county was named after Nathaniel Greene, an American General in the Revolutionary War. The county seat is Paragould. Crowley's Ridge rises above the flat delta on both sides and is composed of ocean-bottom sand, gravel, and clay, capped with wind-blown dust. Crowley's Ridge State Park developed in 1933 is located in a forest of hardwood and pine on the western slope. There are several recreational facilities, including swimming, canoeing and sand beaches. Also located on the grounds are a pioneer cemetery and the home site of Benjamin F. Crowley, a veteran of the War of 1812, after whom the ridge was named.  This is a very popular area for local citizens as well as many tourists. Greene County now enjoys a new courthouse that was completed in 1997. The new complex has 39,000 square feet. The building and furnishings were completed at a cost of $4.1 million. In August of 1995, the county voters approved a 1-cent; countywide sales tax to pay for the courthouse. The new courthouse has a link from the county's earliest days with the display of the fireproof safe that dated from the 1877 courthouse at Gainesville. The safe, which weighs between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds, is located to the right of the doors on the north side of the building.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 578 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Greene County has rich, flat delta farmland in the eastern and western parts of the county and rolling hills in the center that includes Crowley's Ridge. In the early days, railroads hauled timber out of the county but as more people settled in the area, agriculture replaced timber as a principal activity with top crops being rice, soybeans, and small grains. Crowley's Ridge rises above the flat delta on both sides and is composed of ocean-bottom sand, gravel, and clay, capped with wind-blown dust Lake Frierson, Lake Hubble and the Bland and Little Rivers offer good fishing. Hunters also enjoy two wildlife management areas. The St. Francis River, which forms the county's eastern border with Missouri and the Cache River along the western border, offers fishing and hunting.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Clay County; Dunklin County, Mo.
• South: Craighead County
• West: Lawrence County
• Northwest: Randolph County

Education

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