Prairie

Formed October 25, 1846 (49^th county)

Prairie County (8,284), Des Arc (1,909), De Valls Bluff (521)

The two courthouses in Prairie County were built in 1904 at Des Arc and 1910 in De Valls Bluff.  The clock tower and columns on the Des Arc building stand it out in the community. H. J. Harker is the designer of the De Valls Bluff Classical Revival and Art Deco style courthouse.  This building was remodeled in 1930.  The small brown brick structure in De Valls Bluff is in contrast to its bigger county seat partner. The De Valls Bluff courthouse is on Magnolia between Prairie and Hazel streets.  United States Highway 70 is two blocks east.  The Des Arc courthouse is at Court Square, 2^nd, Main, and 3^rd streets.  Arkansas State Highway 18 is five blocks northwest of the site.  R. P. Morrison was the designer of the Romanesque Revival Des Arc building.  There has been a previous courthouse in Des Arc.  Brownsville was the first county seat.  De Valls Bluff replaced Brownsville in 1873 and Des Arc was added in 1875.  Des Arc comes from the French phase “at the curve.”  A local settler, C.C. DeVall provided the basis for the name of De Valls Bluff.  Prairie County was named for its geographical location on the prairie.  On October 25, 1846, Prairie County was cut from Arkansas and Pulaski counties as the 49^th county. 

Prairie County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges serve Prairie and White counties and Two District Court Judges, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Prairie County (judicial.)  The county is located in the eastern Arkansas between Little Rock, Arkansas, west, and Memphis, Tennessee, east.  The center of the county is 9.8 miles West-Southwest of De Valls Bluff nearer Hazen.  The county is surrounded clockwise by White, Woodruff, Monroe, Arkansas, and Lonoke counties.  The county is overall rectangular but there are many cuts, turns, and inlets on the borders.  Des Arc is in the northeast corner of the county.  De Valls Bluff is in the eastern quarter.  Des Arc is one of the county seats and the largest city.  De Valls Bluff is the other county seat.  Des Arc is 23.0% of the county population while De Valls Bluff is 6.3% of the county population.  The county seats are pronounced DES-ARK and DEE VALLS BLUFF.

The area of the county is 675.8 square miles.  It is 34 of 75 in size.  It ranks 67 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.3 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 75 in the state.  Prairie County has 52.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses the county east to west, Monroe County to Lonoke County.  United States Highway 70 parallels Interstate Highway 40 from Monroe County to Lonoke County.  United States Highway 79 cuts the southeast corner from Monroe County in the east to Arkansas County in the south.  The White River crosses the east side of the county and makes the southeast border of the county.