Sebastian County, Arkansas

Sebastian County Education, Geography, and History

Sebastian County is a county located in the state of Arkansas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 125,744, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arkansas. The county has two county seats, Greenwood and Fort Smith. The county was formed on January 6, 1851, from parts of Crawford, Scott and Polk counties. Sebastian is named for US Circuit Court judge William K. Sebastian.

Sebastian County is part of the Fort Smith, AR-OK Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Sebastian County Name

Sebastian is named for US Circuit Court judge William K. Sebastian. William King Sebastian (1812 - May 20, 1865) was an American planter, lawyer, and US senator from Helena, Arkansas. He represented Arkansas as a US Senator from 1848 to 1861.

Sebastian withdrew from the Senate at the start of the Civil War and was later formally expelled by the Senate. He took no active part in the Confederate government, and was reinstated by a posthumous resolution in 1877

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Sebastian County History

Sebastian county was created on January 6, 1851, from parts of Crawford, Scott and Polk counties and was named for William K. Sebastian, a Judge, State Senator and US Senator from Arkansas. The county seats are Fort Smith and Greenwood. The economic base is solid and varied with manufacturing, service industries, and timber, agriculture (beef, dairy, spinach, and turnip greens). A strong oriental community brings a variety of influences, businesses and restaurants. The Westark Community College offers a four-year degree through the University of Arkansas. Fort Smith's arts center, Community Theater, and symphony further enrich the cultural life of the area. The stately limestone courthouse in Ft. Smith, which contains 254 rooms, houses early history of the county. Among several markers on the courthouse grounds is a statue of a Confederate soldier, on top of a pedestal nearly three stories tall that stands with its back toward a national cemetery a few blocks away from where it was originally planned to stand. The United States Secretary of War at the time refused to consent to the words "Lest we forget." The Confederate veterans and citizens who raised funds to erect the monument would not agree to the omission, and the statue was placed on the courthouse lawn. The Greenwood Courthouse, a more modern structure, is a living part of the community. On April 19, 1968, this building's predecessor shared the fate of much of the rest of this county seat when it was demolished by a tornado. A bronze plaque on the present building demonstrates the determination of county residents with the words "This building embodies the continuous spirit of Sebastian County as its courthouses have risen from ashes and other disasters since the county was created in 1851." The flag of the City of Greenwood is flown along with the Arkansas and American flags in front of the courthouse.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km²), of which 532 square miles (1,380 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.6%) is water. It is the second-smallest county by area in Arkansas.

 The landscape of Sebastian County is rolling farmlands, forested ridges, isolated mountains and lakes.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Crawford County
• Northeast: Franklin County
• East: Logan County
• Southeast: Scott County
• Southwest: Le Flore County, Okla.
• Northwest: Sequoyah County, Okla.

Education

Public education is provided by several school districts (listed below from largest to smallest):

• Fort Smith School District
• Greenwood School District
• Lavaca School District
• Hackett School District
• Hartford School District

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