Tucker, Arkansas

Tucker
Unincorporated community
Tucker

Location within the state of Arkansas

Coordinates: 34°26′40″N 91°57′16″W / 34.44444°N 91.95444°W / 34.44444; -91.95444Coordinates: 34°26′40″N 91°57′16″W / 34.44444°N 91.95444°W / 34.44444; -91.95444
Country United States
State Arkansas
County Jefferson
Elevation 226 ft (69 m)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
GNIS feature ID 55674[1]

Tucker is an Unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Arkansas. It has an elevation of 226 ft (69 m)[1] and is located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Little Rock.[2]

History

In 1871 John Woodfin Tucker established the Tucker Plantation, named after his wife, Sarah E. Tucker. The plantation, which mostly produced cotton, expanded to occupy 2,800 acres (1,100 ha). Paid farmworkers and resident sharecroppers worked the land. The Tucker family managed the post office and the store.[3]

Demographics

Circa 1958, Tucker had 74 residents.[4]

Government and infrastructure

Local government

The Tucker Volunteer Fire Department provides fire services.[5] The fire station is along Arkansas Highway 15.[6]

State representation

The Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) operates the ADC Complex in Tucker; the complex is off Arkansas Highway 15, 9 miles (14 km) south of England and 25 miles (40 km) north of Pine Bluff.[7] The two prison units in the complex are the Tucker Unit and the Maximum Security Unit.[8][9] The ADC training academy, the Willis S. Sargent Training Academy,[7] is in the complex, adjacent to the Maximum Security and Tucker units.[10]

In 1916 the state purchased 4,400 acres (1,800 ha) of land to establish the Tucker Unit. In 1933 the death chamber moved from the Arkansas State Penitentiary to the Tucker Unit, because the penitentiary closed. The final execution at Tucker, before the death penalty in Arkansas was declared to be unconstitutional, took place in 1964.[10] In 1974 male death row inmates, previously at the Tucker Unit, were moved to the Cummins Unit, which is not in Tucker.[11] In 1978 a new death chamber opened in Cummins, so Tucker Unit was no longer the point of execution.[10] In 1986, male death row inmates were moved to the Maximum Security Unit in Tucker.[11] In 2000, the ADC training academy moved to its current location from the former Barnes School building.[10] On Friday August 22, 2003, all 39 Arkansas death row inmates were moved from the Maximum Security Unit to the Supermax at the Varner Unit, which is not in Tucker.[12]

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates the Tucker Post Office.[13] When members of the Tucker family operated the post office, the family used the post office as a makeshift banking facility via money order sales; the scheme was used to support customers who were not able to afford establishing conventional bank accounts.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Tucker, Arkansas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ "Arkansas Inmate Nearly Dies After Left in Feces." (Archive) Associated Press at Fox News. June 22, 2009. Retrieved on April 15, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Tucker Plantation Records." University of Arkansas. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
  4. ↑ Federal Writers' Project. Arkansas: A Guide to the State. US History Publishers, 1958. 345. Retrieved from Google Books on March 6, 2011. ISBN 1-60354-004-0, ISBN 978-1-60354-004-9
  5. ↑ "Fire Department Ratings." Fox 16. Retrieved on March 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Tucker Volunteer Fire Station." United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on March 5, 2011. "Description: 10801 State Highway 15, Tucker, Ar 72168"
  7. 1 2 "Human Resources FAQs." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Tucker Unit." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Maximum Security Unit." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Prison History and Gallery." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
  11. 1 2 "2006 Facts Brochure." Arkansas Department of Correction. July 1, 2005–June 30, 2006. 25 (25/38). Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Death Row On The Move." KAIT. August 26, 2003. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Post Office Location - TUCKER." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
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