Lincoln, Arkansas


Lincoln is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,249 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas metro area.

History

Establishment

The area around Lincoln first saw white settlement in the late 1820s. It was first known as Blackjack after the blackjack oaks used to build the first schoolhouse. Joseph Carter built the first store in the area in 1874, still known as Blackjack. A nearby community on Beaty Mountain known as Mt. Hayes was settled in 1877. Starr Hill Township was also organized in the area during this period. The settlements drifted together and continued to grow until applying for a post office in 1884 within Carter's store under the name Georgetown. The name was rejected; the postal service not wanting to duplicate Georgetown in White County, Arkansas. Carter submitted Lincoln as the new name. He said he chose the name seemingly at random, having "seen it on a box", but others were skeptical that Carter had wanted to name the community for Abraham Lincoln all along, as he was a "Republican from the North". Local acceptance for the name Lincoln was slow during the Reconstruction era following the bitter Civil War.
The settlement remained unincorporated until the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway planned a branch line between Fayetteville and Oklahoma. The right-of-way acquisition process brought a railroad agent through town, and he platted a town on south of the proposed railroad in 1903, but modified the plat in 1907. Following this plat, the city of Lincoln was incorporated on November 23, 1907.
On August 3, 1919, Black veteran Clinton Briggs was lynched as part of the Red Summer of 1919.

Geography

Lincoln is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of.
Lincoln is about 25 miles southwest of Fayetteville and approximately eight miles east of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.

Protected areas

Lincoln Lake, a few miles north of the city, is a park surrounding the municipally-owned lake formerly used for water supply. The park offers of hiking and mountain biking trails, fishing, and non-motorized boating.

Region

The Northwest Arkansas region consists of three Arkansas counties: Benton, Madison, and Washington. The area had a population of 347,045 at the 2000 census which had increased to 463,204 by the 2010 Census. The region does not consist of the usual principal-city-with-suburbs morphology. The principal cities retain individual identities, but have grown together along Interstate 49. For more than the last decade, Northwest Arkansas has been one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.

Demographics

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 1,752 people, 723 households, and 472 families residing in the city. The population density was 983.2 people per square mile. There were 798 housing units at an average density of 447.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 91.78% White, 2.57% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 2.57% from other races, and 3.03% from two or more races. 5.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 723 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,639, and the median income for a family was $37,102. Males had a median income of $26,860 versus $18,958 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,232. About 12.7% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Mayor–city council

Lincoln operates within the mayor-city council form of government. The mayor is elected by a citywide election to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the city by presiding over all city functions, policies, and ordinances. Once elected, the mayor also allocates duties to city employees. The Lincoln mayoral election takes place during the United States midterm elections. Mayors serve four-year terms and can serve unlimited terms. The city council is the unicameral legislative of the City, consisting of eight city council members. Also included in the council's duties is balancing the city's budget and passing ordinances. Two city council members are elected from each of the city's four wards.

Human Resources

Education

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by the Lincoln Consolidated School District. Successful completion of the curriculum leads to graduation from Lincoln High School. The high school and athletics complex were built in 2012 for $16.2 million. The district briefly operated a district conversion charter school known as the Lincoln Academic Center of Excellence until 2012.

Higher education

Lincoln does not contain any higher education institutions, but is in proximity to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas Community College Washington County Campus in Springdale.

Library

Lincoln Public Library was demolished and rebuilt thanks to a bond, grants, and in-kind services. It is 10,200+ square feet, features 108 computers, tablets, and laptops. The public library has two meetings rooms, a demonstration kitchen, genealogy section and free internet extending into the square. The library is a member of the Washington County Library System.

Public safety

The Lincoln Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. The department has five officers as of 2018.
Superseding district court jurisdiction is the 4th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers Washington and Madison counties. The 4th Circuit contains eight circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide.

Culture

Lincoln is home to the Arkansas Country Doctor Museum, which includes a collection of medical instruments and personal artifacts from the 1930s to 1980s.

Annual cultural events

Lincoln is home to the Annual Arkansas Apple Festival, held every year the first weekend of October. For many years, it has attracted visitors to the area who come to see the arts and crafts of the Ozarks. Apple growing was once a major agricultural industry in Lincoln which has recently declined due to changing climate conditions and high costs of upkeep. In spite of the decline, Lincoln still hosts a successful Apple Festival that welcomes visitors and vendors from all over the nation. Serving free apple slices and a swig of Apple Cider to sightseers.
Local Apple farmers developed the following in the Area.