Dover, Arkansas

Dover, Arkansas
City
Main Street Main Street
Location in Pope County and the state of Arkansas Location in Pope County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Pope
Area
• Total	1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2)
• Land	1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	446 ft (136 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	1,329
• Density	738.3/sq mi (282.8/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	72837
Area code(s)	479
FIPS code	05-19600
GNIS feature ID	0079133

Dover is a small town in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,329 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Dover is located at (35.400597, -93.112534).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	368		—
1890	528		43.5%
1900	373		−29.4%
1910	385		3.2%
1920	388		0.8%
1930	510		31.4%
1940	493		−3.3%
1950	510		3.4%
1960	525		2.9%
1970	662		26.1%
1980	948		43.2%
1990	1,055		11.3%
2000	1,329		26.0%
2010	1,378		3.7%
Est. 2014	1,397		1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,329 people, 529 households, and 372 families residing in the city. The population density was 732.7 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 579 housing units at an average density of 319.2 per square mile (123.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 529 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 79.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,697, and the median income for a family was $33,879. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $19,073 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,261. About 10.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

General info

Dover was either named by British aristocrats in the 1830s for Dover, Kent, England or by Stephen Rye in 1832 for Dover, Tennessee. Dover was the county seat for Pope County in the 1800s. The original Pope County Courthouse was located where Dover Supermarket now sits. Dover is a small town near Russellville; it has several churches, a grocery store and a hardware store. Dover acts like a satellite city in relation to nearby Russellville and many residents commute regularly for work and education.

The Dover massacre

On December 22, 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons, of Dover, killed all fourteen members of his family during a Christmas reunion in Dover. Two days later, he continued his killing spree in the county seat of Russellville, having targeted previous employers and co-workers, killing two and wounding two more. Simmons was arrested without resistance, was sentenced to death on December 10, 1989, and executed on June 25, 1990, the quickest sentence-to-execution time in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Notable people

• L.J. Churchill (December 8, 1902 – October 2, 1987) was a highly regarded civic and political figure in Dover. A Cumberland Presbyterian and a Mason, Churchill served as mayor and on the municipal school board, both nonpartisan positions. He had been state chairman of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Prior to his retirement, he operated L.J. Churchill's General Merchandise Store and was a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Dover. In 1960, he was a Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives, having been defeated by the incumbent Democrat Dale Alford of Little Rock. Churchill was married to the former Audra Hill and had a son, Eunice Vance "Buck" Churchill, and two daughters, Ola Elaine Churchill Berry and Mary Janea "Polly" Churchill Massey, all of Dover.
• Robert E. Dale, Republican former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Dover, 2009 to 2015
• Jeff Davis, 20th Governor of Arkansas (1901-1907), later a US Senator (1907-1913). A very controversial figure, Davis was known for demagoguery and fiery rhetoric to appeal to his agrarian political base while disparaging city dwellers, blacks and Yankees
• Trevor Drown, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Pope and Van Buren counties since 2015; succeeded Robert Dale
• Virginia Hudson, American flautist and teacher began her musical education at Dover High School.
• Jared Keylon, rodeo cowboy who qualified for 2012 National Finals Rodeo (birthplace).
• Ronald Gene Simmons, retired United States Air Force master sergeant who killed sixteen people over a weeklong period in 1987, beginning in Dover