Woodruff County is a county in the Arkansas Delta of eastern Arkansas. It is a mostly rural part of the state, and at the 2010 census its population was 7,260. The county seat is Augusta, a river town that has long served as the area's administrative center.
Geography and setting
The county lies in the fertile lowlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, where flat terrain, seasonally wet ground, and wide-open farm country shape daily life. Like much of the Delta, Woodruff County has historically depended on agriculture and natural-resource industries rather than large-scale urban growth. Rice, soybeans, cotton, and timber have all been important to the local economy at different times.
History
Woodruff County was created on November 26, 1862, during the Civil War period when Arkansas was reorganizing many of its local jurisdictions. It was named for William E. Woodruff, an early Arkansas journalist and politician associated with the state's frontier-era development. Augusta became the county seat and remained the main center for county government and public services.
Communities and character
- Augusta, the county seat
- McCrory
- Cotton Plant
- Patterson
These small towns, together with surrounding farms and woodlands, give Woodruff County a distinctly rural character. The county is also notable for its small population compared with many other Arkansas counties, which has helped preserve a quieter pace of life and a strong connection to local history, waterways, and agriculture.