Drew County, Arkansas

Drew County Education, Geography, and History

Drew County is a county located in the southeast region of the US state of Arkansas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 18,509, making it the thirty-ninth most populous of Arkansas's seventy-five counties. The county seat and largest city is Monticello. Drew County was formed on November 26, 1846.  Drew county is named for Thomas Drew, the 3rd governor of Arkansas.

Etymology - Origin of Drew County Name

Drew county is named for Thomas Stevenson Drew, the third governor of Arkansas. Thomas Stevenson Drew (August 25, 1802 - January 1879) was a Democratic Governor of the US state of Arkansas. He was born in Wilson County, Tennessee. Drew moved with his family to Louisiana and then in 1818 to Arkansas. He worked as a traveling salesman and school teacher. Drew settled in the area around Batesville, Arkansas.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Drew County History

Drew county was created in 1846 and named after Thomas S. Drew who served as Governor of Arkansas from November 1844 to 1849. Monticello is the county seat. The landscape of Drew County is rich, flat, delta farmland in the eastern half and rolling hills in the western half. Many of the settlers came from Virginia. The name of Monticello was adopted for the county seat and the first term of court was held in October 1850. Spanish, French, US, Confederate and Arkansas flags have flown over the territory in Drew County. A lot of history is preserved in the county. The Historical Museum, a 14-room mansion is maintained by the county historical society. Sixty of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. The economic base for the county is the timber industry, manufacturing of boats, carpets, furniture, and by other service industries. A branch of the University of Arkansas is located in Monticello. Bayou Bartholomew, the longest bayou in the world, runs the length of the eastern side of the county. Hunting and fishing in the area offer several recreational activities.

Located on the edge of the Arkansas Timberlands and the Arkansas Delta, fertile soils brought early settlers prosperity through crops of corn and cotton as well as apples, peaches and tomatoes. Following the Civil War, the boundaries of Drew County changed and timber harvesting became an important industry. As a variety of industries began to move to the county, several colleges were founded in the county in the early part of the 20th century, one evolving into University of Arkansas at Monticello. Today the county has a diverse economy and is an economic focal point in southeast Arkansas.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 836 square miles (2,170 km²), of which 828 square miles (2,140 km²) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km²) (0.9%) is water.

The landscape of Drew County is rich, flat, delta farmland in the eastern half and rolling hills in the western half. Loggy Bayou is a swamp in Drew County, not to be confused with a bayou in northwestern Louisiana, also called Loggy Bayou.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Lincoln County
• Northeast: Desha County
• Southeast: Chicot County
• South: Ashley County
• Southwest: Bradley County
• Northwest: Cleveland County

Education

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