Dumas, Arkansas

Dumas, Arkansas
City
Entering Dumas from the north on U.S. Route 65 Entering Dumas from the north on U.S. Route 65
Location in Desha County and the state of Arkansas Location in Desha County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Desha
Area
• Total	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Land	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	164 ft (50 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	4,706
• Density	1,500/sq mi (560/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	71639
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-19990
GNIS feature ID	0048697
Website	www.cityofdumasar.net

Dumas is a city in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,706 at the 2010 census. Dumas proudly proclaims itself as "Home of the Ding Dong Daddy", a reference to the vaudeville song "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas" by Phil Baxter. However, this is up for debate, as the city of Dumas, Texas, also lays claim, with some documentation, to the song being about them.

Geography and climate

Dumas is located in northwestern Desha County at (33.886626, -91.488544). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all of it land. The city is located in the Delta Lowlands sub-region of the Arkansas Delta with a topography that is largely flat.

U.S. Route 65 passes through the city, leading northwest 41 miles (66 km) to Pine Bluff and south (with U.S. Route 165) 19 miles (31 km) to McGehee. US 165 leads northeast from Dumas 34 miles (55 km) to DeWitt.

The climate in the area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Dumas has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	519		—
1920	1,124		116.6%
1930	1,669		48.5%
1940	2,323		39.2%
1950	2,512		8.1%
1960	3,540		40.9%
1970	4,600		29.9%
1980	6,091		32.4%
1990	5,520		−9.4%
2000	5,238		−5.1%
2010	4,706		−10.2%
Est. 2014	4,432		−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,238 people, 1,977 households, and 1,399 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,768.0 people per square mile (683.2/km²). There were 2,177 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile (284.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 26.62% White, 70.02% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 2.00% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 3.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,977 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 23.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,754, and the median income for a family was $32,255. Males had a median income of $28,396 versus $19,363 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,727. About 22.6% of families and 28.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.9% of those under age 18 and 23.4% of those age 65 or over.

2007 tornado

On February 24, 2007, Dumas was struck by a tornado at around 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET). More than 40 people were injured and many homes and business were damaged or destroyed. The local Dumas police stated on CNN that "the feed mill was the local employer and now it is gone". Following the storm, U.S. Senator Mark Pryor had criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to the recovery and cleanup efforts.

Schools

The Dumas Public Schools system operates public schools. Its schools include Central Elementary School, Reed Elementary, Dumas Junior High School, and Dumas High School.

Notable residents

• Ken Coon, the 1974 Republican gubernatorial nominee, lived in Dumas in the 1960s and joined the Jaycees there. He was state Jaycee president in 1972.
• Jim Hines, the 1968 Olympics gold medalist in the 100m was born here.

In popular culture

In September 2011 the feature film Mud, written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey, was filmed in and around Dumas. Several townspeople served as extras in the film, with a few having acquired small speaking roles.

The song, "Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas", written by Phil Baxter, is claimed by two towns, one being Dumas, Arkansas, the other being Dumas, Texas. It remains a mystery as to which town he was referring to when the song was written. Due to this, there has been somewhat of a "rivalry" between the two places as to who can actually lay claim to the song.

See also

• Arkansas portal

External links

• City of Dumas official website
• Dumas Public Schools
• History of Dumas' Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Dumas (Desha County)