Wabbaseka, Arkansas

Wabbaseka, Arkansas
Town
Location in Jefferson County and the state of Arkansas Location in Jefferson County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Jefferson
Area
• Total	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Land	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	203 ft (62 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	255
• Density	637.5/sq mi (255/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	72175
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-72230
GNIS feature ID	0078663

Wabbaseka is a town in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 255 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Wabbaseka is located at (34.359964, -91.794090).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	333		—
1940	258		−22.5%
1950	375		45.3%
1960	432		15.2%
1970	644		49.1%
1980	428		−33.5%
1990	332		−22.4%
2000	323		−2.7%
2010	255		−21.1%
Est. 2014	238		−6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 323 people, 132 households, and 83 families residing in the city. The population density was 873.3 people per square mile (337.1/km²). There were 150 housing units at an average density of 405.5/sq mi (156.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.21% Black or African American, 15.17% White, and 0.62% from two or more races.

There were 132 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $14,792, and the median income for a family was $24,375. Males had a median income of $16,250 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,902. About 28.1% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.8% of those under age 18 and 31.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Willie K. Hocker; designed the Arkansas flag in 1912 and was one of only two females to submit accepted designs for state flags in the U.S.A. Her father moved the family to Dudley Lake in 1870 and became a farmer/planter in the area. After receiving her teacher certification from the University of Colorado in Boulder, she began teaching in Wabbaseka in 1897 and died there in 1944. The first school in Wabbaseka was named Willie K. Hocker High School and existed until racial integration in the late 1960s, at which time it merged with Wabbaseka High School. Throughout her thirty-four-year teaching career, she continually stressed Arkansas history. In addition to teaching, Hocker wrote short stories and poetry. Her best known poems are “Arkansas” and “Ozark Mountaineer.” More information about Ms. Willie Kavanaugh Hocker may be found at http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net

• Eldridge Cleaver, a civil rights activist, Black Panther, Mormon and evangelical at different points in his life.