Rector, Arkansas
Location in Clay County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates: 36°15′48″N 90°17′36″W / 36.26333, -90.29333
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Clay
Area
- Total	1.3 sq mi (3.4 km²)
- Land	1.3 sq mi (3.4 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	285 ft (87 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,017
- Density	1,551.5/sq mi (593.2/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	72461
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-58490
GNIS feature ID	0058468

Rector is a city in Clay County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,017 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Rector is located at 36°15′48″N, 90°17′36″W (36.263320, -90.293464)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.

History

Rector is named after former Governor Henry Massey Rector.

In 1881 the St. Louis and Texas Railroad laid out the town of Rector about two miles to the south of an existing settlement named Scatterville, and the population of Scatterville gradually migrated to the new and booming town.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 2,017 people, 915 households, and 570 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,556.9 people per square mile (599.1/km²). There were 1,045 housing units at an average density of 806.6/sq mi (310.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.55% Native American, 0.20% Asian, and 0.99% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 915 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,051, and the median income for a family was $29,330. Males had a median income of $27,650 versus $19,293 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,931. About 17.9% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 31.6% of those age 65 or over.

Facts

• The Rector School District was known as Clay County Central from 1985 until 2000.
• The Rector Labor Day Picnic is held during Labor Day weekend each year, serving as a Homecoming for former and current residents. The weekend features a rodeo, a parade, beauty pagents, and is a popular political campaign stop.

Notable natives

• Thomas Dale Alford - U.S. Representative (1959-1961)
• Maurice Copeland - actor
• Denver "Bull" Randleman — sergeant in the famed Easy Company, 101st Airborne Division.
• Kenneth Camp - Arkansas House of Representatives (1971-1978)
• W.J. (Jack) Hurst - Arkansas State Senate (1951-1956)
• Cencil M. McNeil - Arkansas State Senate (1961-1968)

References

External links

• Rector, Arkansas is at coordinates 36°15′48″N 90°17′37″W / 36.26332, -90.293464 (Rector, Arkansas)Coordinates: 36°15′48″N 90°17′37″W / 36.26332, -90.293464 (Rector, Arkansas)
• Official City Website
• Clay County Democrat Newspaper

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Clay County, Arkansas
County seat: Corning & Piggott
Cities	Corning | Piggott | Rector | St. Francis
Towns	Datto | Greenway | Knobel | McDougal | Nimmons | Peach Orchard | Pollard | Success
Unincorporated community	Scatterville