O'Kean is a town in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 201 at the 2000 census.
O'Kean is located at 36°10′5″N 90°48′57″W / 36.16806°N 90.81583°W / 36.16806; -90.81583 (36.167956, -90.815846), bordered by Greene County to the east, and one mile north of Lawrence County.
O'Kean was founded in 1869 in the southeast corner of Randolph County. Named after Father James P. O'Kean of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Pocahontas, O'Kean was located around the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad. O'Kean possesses a mayor/council type government.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.
As of the census of 2000, there were 201 people, 85 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was 77.6/km² (200.5/mi²). There were 93 housing units at an average density of 35.9/km² (92.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.52% White, 0.50% Pacific Islander, and 2.99% from two or more races. 0.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Arkansas (i/ˈɑːrkənsɔː/) is a state located in the Southern region of the United States. Its name is of Siouan derivation, denoting the Quapaw Indians. The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta. Known as "the Natural State", Arkansas has many diverse regions that offer residents and tourists a variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Arkansas is the 29th largest in square miles and the 33rd most populous of the 50 United States. The capital and most populous city is Little Rock, located in the central portion of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, including the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area and Fort Smith metropolitan area, is also an important population, education, and economic center. The largest city in the eastern part of the state is Jonesboro. The largest city in the southeastern part of the state is Pine Bluff.
"Arkansas", written by Eva Ware Barnett in 1916, is one of the official state songs of Arkansas. It was first adopted as the state song in the early 20th century, but was removed in 1949 due to a copyright dispute. After the state settled the dispute by buying all claims to its copyright, it was restored as state song in 1963.
In 1987, the General Assembly elevated the song to "state anthem" in order to designate "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)" and "Oh, Arkansas", both written for the state's 150th birthday in 1986, as state songs; it also designated "The Arkansas Traveler", the state song from 1949 to 1963, as "state historical song".
Another 1987 law requires the Secretary of State to respond to all requests for copies of the "state song" with this song. However, this was done only to preserve the historical status of this song; all four songs are either copyrighted by the state itself or in the public domain. Today, the Secretary of State posts the lyrics to all four songs on its website.
An old house and barn
Some good solid oak
A roof clad with tin
Blowin' in the wind
On some old Missouri backroad
Is where I call my home
She's layin' in a field
She's layin' there until
Stars start to shine
Sneakin' through the pines
In these Ozark hills
'Til God himself gets His fill
I lost my head
When I lost my heart
But I know these dreams
Will never end
Where they start
O Arkansas
Those beautiful hills
The trees standing tall
Cracked county roads
Like rivers that flow
Just a sweet southern drawl
And she is a part of it all
She's walking down a creek
Pebbles are folding
Move beneath her toes
Moon begins to show
Crickets are scolding
They don't know the heart
She is holding
I lost my head
When I lost my heart
But I know these dreams
Will never end
Where they start
O Arkansas
These fields last forever
Empty and vast
Gentle and rolling
Wind is consoling
Nothing to disturb this cast
Of tall prairie grass
The seed it is sown
Though it's just a hill
She knows where I stand
My caution be damned
And I will now leave these fields
To grow whatever they will
Stories are lost on the young
I'll never know what will be
But it's never too early to write
Our history
I lost my head
When I lost my heart
But I know these dreams
Will never end
Where they start