McGehee, Arkansas
| McGehee, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
|
 Location in Desha County and the state of Arkansas |
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| Coordinates: 33°37′32″N 91°23′40″W / 33.62556°N 91.39444°WCoordinates: 33°37′32″N 91°23′40″W / 33.62556°N 91.39444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Desha |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.8 sq mi (17.5 km2) |
| • Land | 6.8 sq mi (17.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,219 |
| • Density | 620/sq mi (240/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 71654, 71666 |
| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-42770 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0058148 |
| Website | cityofmcgehee |
McGehee is a city in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census.
The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of the railroad dates back to 1870 when a railroad was constructed from Pine Bluff southeast through Varner, to Chicot County.
In April 1923, the Gulf Coast Lines and the International-Great Northern were acquired, forming the Missouri Pacific Lines.
Important in the history of the town of McGehee is the McGehee family which came to the area from Alabama in 1857. Benjamin McGehee, his wife, Sarah, a son, Abner, and daughters Laura and Mary settled on land that is now a part of McGehee. Abner McGehee, son of Benjamin and Sarah McGehee, purchased 240 acres (0.97 km2) of land on July 1, 1876, on which the town of McGehee was later to be located.
When the railroad came into McGehee in 1878 and continued south and southwest, people began to move into the area. Abner McGehee constructed a large commissary building and entered the mercantile business to accommodate the new arrivals.
One of the first buildings in the area was a sawmill. The lumber cut in this mill was used to build shotgun-type rent houses.
A post office was established in the McGehee commissary, and in 1879 Abner McGehee became the first postmaster. The post office was named McGehee and served between 400 and 500 people.
An order of incorporation was signed March 5, 1906. The first meeting of the town council was held July 21, 1906.
During World War II, the outskirts of McGehee was the site of an American detention camp used to house Japanese and Japanese-American civilians who had previously lived on the U.S. West Coast.
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Wikipedia