Country United States County Jefferson Elevation 63 m Zip code 72004 Population 923 (2013) | State Arkansas Township Plum Bayou Area 5.6 km² Local time Monday 12:56 AM Area code 870 | |
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Incorporated June 9, 1919; 97 years ago (1919-06-09) Named for Joseph and Louis Altheimer Weather 9°C, Wind N at 18 km/h, 95% Humidity | ||
Altheimer is a city in Plum Bayou Township, Jefferson County, Arkansas. It is situated on the Union Pacific Railway, 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Pine Bluff.
Contents
Map of Altheimer, AR 72004, USA
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.6 km²), all land. It is part of Timberlands Region, a region rich in natural resources that was discovered by pioneers from the eastern states in the early 19th century. Deer hunting, bass fishing, timber and oil are plentiful in this area.
History
The city was named for brothers Joseph and Louis Altheimer, two Pine Bluff merchants. Louis, who was born in Eberstadt in 1850, read stories by German adventurer Frederick Gerstacker telling of the rich natural resources in Arkansas, and left for America as a teenager, eventually settling in Pine Bluff. Louis brought his brother Joseph with him to the land that would eventually bear their name. Joseph's son, Benjamin, became a successful attorney, establishing the prominent Chicago law firm of Altheimer, Mayer, Woods, and Smith (later known as Altheimer & Gray), and serving twice as president of Chicago's Iroquois Club, the city's oldest Democratic Party political club. Benjamin owned 15,000 acres (61 km2) of land in Arkansas. His foundation, the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation, provided scholarships and funding for projects in the region and throughout the state and continues today as the Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Culture is on display for residents and tourists in the form of many restored pioneer-era log cabins, Victorian era plantation houses and museums. One of the most prominent locations is The Elms, a former plantation house on the Collier Estate built in 1886, renovated by Ben Altheimer in the 1930s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Elms is open to the public for retreats, family reunions and tours. Also located on the property are the Elms Duck Lodges, which provide hunting and fishing in the private lake and pond. Roselawn, also known as the Collier-Barnett House, was built in 1875 and added to National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Lake Dick is an oxbow lake located four miles (6 km) south of Altheimer. This area formerly held farmsteads of eighty Caucasian families who were moved into the area in 1936 as part of the Farm Security Administration. Lake Dick was added to the register in 1975.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 984 people, 361 households, and 248 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 10% White, 88.1% Black or African American, 1% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. 1.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 361 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 15 to 19, 7.0% from 40 to 44, 5.3% from 60 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.9 years.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $34,153. About 30.9% of families and 35.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 60.4% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Altheimer is served by the Altheimer Unified School District.