Desha

Formed December 12, 1838 (38^th county)

Desha County (11,395), Arkansas City (381), Dumas (4,002)

The red roofed and tall clock tower of the majestic courthouse stands out in this small community.  This 1900 structure is located at Robert Morse and President streets.  Arkansas State Highway 4 is one block northwest of the site.  Rome Harding is the architect for this Romanesque style courthouse.  There was a renovation in 2005.  An annex was added in 2003 using the old high school building.  It is the only courthouse in Arkansas City.  Belleville (1839), Napoleon (1843), Watson (1847), and Arkansas City (1881) have all been county seats.  Captain Benjamin Desha, a local landowner, provided the source for the county’s name.  The county seat was named for the river, which empties into the Mississippi River north of the city.  It is also the source of the name for Arkansas County.  Arkansas and Union counties were the source for Desha County on December 12, 1838 as the 38^th county. 

Desha County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges serve Desha, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, and Drew counties and Two District Court Judges, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Desha County (judicial.)  The county is located the southeast part of Arkansas on the border with Mississippi.  Memphis, Tennessee is North and Jackson, Mississippi is Southeast of the county.  The center of the county is 33.2 miles North-Northwest of Arkansas City nearer Dumas.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Arkansas and Phillips counties and Mississippi and Chicot, Drew, and Lincoln counties.  The county is a 7 shape with the wavy lines of the rivers on the north and east.  Arkansas City is in the southeast quarter of the county almost on the Mississippi River.  Dumas is in the extreme northwest corner of the county.  Arkansas City is the county seat and Dumas is the largest city.  Arkansas City is 3.3% of the county population while Dumas is 35.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced DE-SHAE.  The largest city is pronounced DUE-MAS.

The area of the county is 819.5 square miles.  It is 17 of 75 in size.  It ranks 58 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 13.9 persons per square mile making it 62 out of 75 in the state.  Desha County has 78.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 65 enters from Lincoln County, northwest, exits into Drew County, reenters Desha County, and exits into Chicot County, south.  United States Highway 165 comes from the north, Arkansas County, joins United States Highway 65, and goes to the south, Chicot County.  United States Highway 278 originates in Desha County and goes west into Drew County.  The Arkansas River makes the northern border while the Mississippi River is the eastern border with Mississippi. 

Tillar