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Halley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Desha County, Arkansas, United States.[1] It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 44.[2]

History

This farm south of Halley was damaged when an EF2 tornado struck Chicot and Desha counties on December 20–21, 2013.[3]

John J. Bowie (eldest brother of James Bowie) purchased land in the area in 1857.[4]

Construction of the Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River Railroad—the first chartered railway in Arkansas—began in 1852, and 7 mi (11 km) of track had been laid west from Eunice by the start of the Civil War. The line passed through Bowie's land, and a stop there was called "Bowie Station". The railroad was completed after the war, but abandoned in 1875 after flooding on the Mississippi River damaged the railbed and bridges. Highway 208 between Eunice and Halley was built on the abandoned railbed.[4][5][6][7]

Bowie Station was later renamed "Halley" after early settlers, the Halley family.[4]

In 1901, a line of the Missouri Pacific Railroad was built through Halley.[8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
202044—
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
2020[10]

2020 census

Halley CDP, Arkansas – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2020[10] % 2020
White alone (NH) 28 63.64%
Black or African American alone (NH) 15 34.09%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1 2.27%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0 0.00%
Total 44 100.00%

Infrastructure

The Halley Volunteer Fire Department is located in the settlement.[11]

Education

It is in the Dermott School District.[12]

Notable person

  • Dewey Corley (1898–1974)[13] – blues multi-instrumentalist musician in Memphis jug band ensembles, who was born in Halley.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Halley
  2. ^ "Halley CDP, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  3. ^ "Tornado Damage and Flooding on December 20-21, 2013". National Weather Service. December 25, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Kelley, George P. "John J. Bowie, 1787-1859". Rootsweb. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  5. ^ Stroud, Hilliard; Merritt, Jim (1981). "McGehee: The Town and the Man". Rootsweb.
  6. ^ Schexnayder, Charlotte Tillar (January 31, 2014). "Desha County". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
  7. ^ Zbinden, Van (November 18, 2011). "Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River Railroad". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
  8. ^ "Missouri Pacific Railroad" (PDF). La Belle Woodworking. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  10. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Halley CDP, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "Halley". Arkansas Rural & Volunteer Firefighters Association. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  12. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Desha County, AR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2023. - Text list - 2010 map
  13. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
  14. ^ "Dewey Corley". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley,_Arkansas