Page Contents for Norphlet, Arkansas

Statistics & Facts

History & History-related items

Government

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

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Statistics & Facts

The Arkansas state capital is Little Rock.
The population of Norphlet is approximately 706 (1990), 844 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 330 (1990), 320 (2010).
The amount of land area in Norphlet is 5.219 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Norphlet to Washington DC is 990 miles.
The distance to the Arkansas state capital is 98 miles. (as the crow flies)
Norphlet is positioned 33.31 degrees north of the equator and 92.66 degrees west of the prime meridian.

History & History Related Items

Norphlet was called Jessie in the 1880’s. The town was platted and the post office created in 1891. It was originally centered around James Murphy’s Sawmill. The town was named for Nauphlet Goodwin. The name of the town was misspelled by the Postal Department when the Post Office was created. The word, Nauphlet, was written in long hand and looked like Norphlet to the people in the Postal Department. So, the papers for the post office were issued for Norphlet. On August 1st, 1849, Jesse Murphy had purchased the land on which the town was located from the Choctaw Indians. The deed was signed by president Zachary Taylor.

Oil was discovered at Norphlet in 1921. The word, Norphlet, has become a geological term. The formation in which oil was discovered at Norphlet is called the Norphlet Formation. A Norphlet Formation is a Jurassic Sandstone Formation. A large natural gas field off the coast of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida is called the Norphlet Trend.

Once a oil boom town located just north of El Dorado, Arkansas. Though the area had been populated for many years,the oil boom caused it to spring up virtually overnight. Work was plentiful in a time where jobs were scarce. Many a family were housed in tents and braved the elements of nature in order to survive, for, after all, America was in the midst of a depression. In and around the oil fields of Norphlet, they were drilling for oil and help was needed. Sometimes, they were bringing in 4 or 5 wells a day. With all the oil being produced from the area, they brought in Mc Millian refinery, which hired even more men. Now Norphlet Arkansas was on the map with rail service installed and families moving there for jobs. All sorts of small business started, truly the heart of America where men, women and children with strong values and determination made it work.

Norphlet has not grown much since the 1930’s oil boom, but is a very nice little suburb of El Dorado.
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The settling of Norphlet

1880's

The founding of Norphlet

1891

The incorporation of Norphlet

1922

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Norphlet City Government

City Hall
PO Box 23
Norphlet, AR 71759-0023
Phone: 870-546-2534

Norphlet Libraries

Norphlet Library
101 E Padgett
Norphlet, AR 71759
Phone: 870-546-2274

Norphlet Schools

Norphlet High School
600 School St
Norphlet, AR 71759
Phone: 870-546-2512

Norphlet Superintendent
600 School St
Norphlet, AR 71759
Phone: 870-546-2781