That portion of Northeast Arkansas now known  as  Craig-
head  County  has  undergone  many  changes in ownership and
government since the white man first  arrived and challenged
the red man for possesion. For untold  eons  this  land  was
occupied by the Indians. No one knows  for  sure  when  they
first arrived in this area or  from  whence they came. We do
know, however,  that  they  were  here  for  many many years
before the first European explorers penetrated  these unset-
tled wilds in search of new lands or wealth. This great vast
area west of the Mississippi River was not  owned or claimed
by any nation or country, and the Indian  was  free  to roam
at will and to live as he pleased. A great  change  was soon
to be wrought for both this country and the native  Indians;
however, as the European countries began to "spread out" and
establish colonies in the "new world".

    The  land  now occupied by Craighead County first became
the  possession  of  France   when  on April 9, 1682, Robert
Cavalier de LaSalle, a French explorer, laid  claim  to  all
the land drained by the Mississippi River and its  tributar-
ies  for  the nation of France. This vast area was given the
name "Louisiana" in honor of the French king, Louis XIV.

    In 1686 a  small settlement was established at the  con-
fluence  of the White and Arkansas Rivers a few miles inland
from the  Mississippi.  This  settlement was later to become
"Arkansas Post"  and was the first  white  settlement in the
lower  Mississippi  valley,  predating  both Natchez and New
Orleans by at least three decades.

    The "Seven Years War"  resulted  in severe reversals for
France and  in  1762  the  "Treaty  of  Fontainbleau" passed
ownership of the  city of New Orleans  and all of  Louisiana
west of the Mississippi River from France to Spain. But pos-
session of the land by Spain was limited to less  than  one-
half  century.  Napoleon  Bonaparte, Emperor of France, grew
increasingly jealous of the growing  importance of Spain and
England in the new world, and  by  the  Treaty of Ildefonso,
approved on  October 1, 1800,  forced  Spain  to  return  to
France  all  of the territory west of the Mississippi River.
Napoleon  had  grand  ideas  of establishing a vast colonial
empire in Louisiana, but  the  supremacy  of  England on the
high seas  prevented France from instituting any  possessory
acts such  as  transferring troops or colonists to the newly
acquired territory.

    President  Thomas  Jefferson  and other American leaders
were suspicious of Napoleon  and  were  afraid that he might
attempt to close the Mississippi River to American commerce.
They  decided  to  try  to  purchase  a  small area near the
mouth of the river  to  ensure that it would remain open. By
this time Napoleon had determined that his plans to colonize
Louisiana  would never  materialize, so he wisely offered to
sell all of Louisiana  to  the Americans for $15,000,000.00.
In a short time  the  transaction was closed. The treaty was
signed on  April  13, 1803, and was ratified by the American
Congress on October 21, 1803. Thus, what is now the State of
Arkansas, including the County of Craighead, became the pos-
session  of  three  nations  in a period of less than half a
century.

    The  territory now occupied by the State of Arkansas was
to undergo  many more changes  in  administration  following
its purchase by  the  United  States. An act of the American
Legislature  signed  into  law  on May 26, 1804, divided the
Louisiana  Purchase  into  two  districts. The southern part
was known  as  the  "Territory of Orleans", and the northern
part was  known as the "District of Louisiana".  The present
State of  Arkansas was included in the latter. A Territorial
government  was  provided  for the Territory of Orleans, but
the  District  of  Louisiana  was  attached  as  unorganized
territory to the Territory  of  Indiana  for  judicial  pur-
poses.

    On March 3, 1805, the northern portion of the  Louisiana
Purchase was awarded territorial status when  a  legislative
act was signed into law  changing  the "District of  Louisi-
ana"  to  the  "Territory  of  Louisiana"  and  providing  a
territorial government  therefore. The territory was divided
into five districts with the present state of Arkansas being
in the "New Madrid District". Finally, on June 27, 1806, the
name "Arkansas"  was  first  attached  to  a  political sub-
division when a legislative act was signed into law creating
the "District of Arkansas" from lands taken from  the south-
ern part of the New Madrid District.

    The name "Arkansas" was taken from the Indian tribe that
inhabited  the  area  around what became Arkansas Post. They
were known as "Arkansa"  or  "down  stream  people" by their
Indian neighbors in Illinois.  The  "Americanization" of the
word resulted in the present pronunciation and spelling.

    Additional  changes  in the government of this area were
quick to follow. On April 18, 1812, the  "Territory  of  Or-
leans" was admitted to the Union as  the  "State  of Louisi-
ana".  As  it would not be feasible to have both a State and
a Territory  with the same name, legislation was signed into
law on June 14, 1812, changing the name of the "Territory of
Louisiana", to  the "Territory of Missouri". The District of
Arkansas was now a part of the Territory of Missouri.

    Still, more changes were to occur.  As settlers began to
slowly trek into the territory, it became necessary  to cre-
ate smaller political  subdivisions to make local government
more  accessable  to  the  people. On December 31, 1813, the
Missouri  Legislature  by  legislative act  created from the
District of  Arkansas a "County"  known  as Arkansas County,
then on January 15, 1815,  additional legislation was signed
into  law,  creating  another  county  known  as   "Lawrence
County". Lawrence County included most of what is  now north
Arkansas. The county seat was located at Davidsonville.

    An  interesting note is that the eastern Lawrence County
line dissected the present Craighead County with the western
approximately two-thirds of what is now Craighead County be-
ing in Lawrence County  and the western third being  in Ark-
ansas County. The eastern Lawrence County line  ran from the
mouth  of  the  Little  Red  River  (southwest  of Augusta),
northeast to the St. Francis River at the extreme  southwest
corner of the Missouri Bootheel. This line entered  the pre-
sent Craighead County near where  South  Culberhouse  inter-
sects the Poinsett County line, then  runs  northeast across
the county, passing just east of the present city of  Jones-
boro, to a short distance west of the present Dixie  commun-
ity, then on to the  St.  Francis  River  at  the  Arkansas-
Missouri State line.

    When  the  residents  of  the  Missouri  Territory began
agitating for statehood, they decided to leave  the District
of Arkansas out of their request.  Political  leaders  there
believed that asking statehood for that much territory would
not be looked on favorably by  the  U. S. Congress, and that
the  request  would  be  denied. When this occurred, leading
citizens in the District  of Arkansas began a petition drive
requesting Territorial  status for their district. They were
successful in their efforts, and on March  12,  1819, Presi-
dent James Monroe signed into law a  legislative  act creat-
ing the "Territory of Arkansas".

    Several new counties would be created over the next sev-
eral  years by the territorial legislature that would affect
the area now occupied by Craighead County. Crittenden  coun-
ty, created  October 22, 1825, included  all the land in the
Territory  of  Arkansas  east of the St. Francis River. That
portion  of present  day  Craighead County lying east of the
St. Francis was then a part of  Crittenden  County.  Jackson
County was created November 5, 1829, and included a  portion
of southern Craighead County west of the St.  Francis River.
Mississippi  County  was  created   November  1,  1833,  and
included  all of present  day  Craighead  County west of the
St. Francis.  The  original  Greene  County  also included a
portion of present day Poinsett County.

    In  1835 a special census  was  taken  that  showed  the
Territory  of Arkansas now had sufficient population to meet
the requirements  for  statehood.  However, the opponents of
statehood  were  fairly  strong,  and  Territorial  Governor
William S. Fulton refused to go along with a plan to adopt a
state  constitution  and  then  ask  Congress  to approve it
later. The legislature in 1835  authorized the  holding of a
constitutional convention, and Governor  Fulton  allowed the
bill to become law without his signature. The convention met
in  Little  Rock  in  January  1836.  A new constitution was
adopted on January 30, and a copy was sent to Washington for
consideration. Finally, after considerable  debate the  bill
was passed, and on June 15, 1836, President  Andrew  Jackson
signed into law the legislative act admitting  the "State of
Arkansas" to the Union.

    Over  the  next few  years, a vast migration of settlers
moved into the newly created state, and several more changes
were made in the area  now  occupied  by  Craighead  County.
Poinsett  County  was  created February 28, 1838, from lands
taken from St. Francis and  Greene Counties. This placed all
of  present  day  Craighead  County  west of the St. Francis
River, except a  six-mile-deep  strip  across  the  northern
edge,  in  Poinsett  County.  (The  original Greene-Poinsett
County line was established as the  line  dividing  township
fourteen and fifteen north).

    By  the  mid  1850's  the  population  of  this area had
increased  significantly.  The  Poinsett  County  Seat   was
located at "Old  Bolivar" until 1856, when it was  moved  to
the new town of Harrisburg. It was a long and difficult trip
by horseback or on  foot  from present-day Craighead  County
to the county seat to transact necessary business.  In  1858
Senator William A. Jones, who represented Poinsett  and  St.
Francis Counties in the state legislature, while campaigning
for reelection, promised the people in this area that if re-
elected  he  would  sponsor  legislation  to  create  a  new
county  in their area.  He  was  successful in his  bid  for
re-election, and made good on his promise.

    The  Arkansas  State General Assembly met in Little Rock
on November 1, 1858,  and  was in session until February 21,
1859. On February 4, 1859, Senator James F.  Davis  of  Ran-
dolph  and  Greene  Counties  introduced Senate  Bill  #180,
which called for creation of a new county  from  lands taken
from Greene, Poinsett  and  Mississippi  Counties.  The  new
county was to be known as "Crowley County", named  in  honor
of Crowley's Ridge which runs through the center of the pro-
posed county.  The bill was read twice, then referred to the
committee on counties and county  lines.  On  Saturday, Feb-
ruary 12 a majority of the  committee  recommended  its pas-
sage. Senator Thomas B. Craighead,  who  represented Missis-
sippi  and  Crittenden Counties, offered a motion  to reject
the recommendation of the committee. The motion  was defeat-
ed. Senator F. P. Redman of  Phillips  and  Monroe  Counties
then offered  a motion that  the name of the proposed county
be changed  from "Crowley" to "Buchannan" County in honor of
President James Buchannan. The motion  passed,  and the bill
was so changed. It was read the third time,  and  a vote was
about to be taken on it when  the  senate  voted  to adjourn
until Monday February 14.

    On  Monday  Senator  Jones  of  St. Francis and Poinsett
Counties offered a motion to  bring  the bill up for a vote.
The  motion  passed.  Senator  A. H.  Carrigan of Hempstead,
Sevier, and Lafayette Counties  then  offered  a  motion  to
change the name of  the  proposed county from "Buchannan" to
"Craighead" County. It is not known whether this was done to
honor Senator Craighead  or to aggravate him because  of his
opposition to the bill. We do know that he was  a  well-res-
pected and honored member of the Senate. However, we find it
difficult to understand why his colleagues would  honor  him
by attaching  his  name  to the county when he so vigorously
opposed its creation.

    The  amendment  to  change  the name was passed, and the
bill was read for  the  third and final time before the vote
was to be taken. Senator Craighead now made his final effort
to prevent  its  passage. He spoke against it and demanded a
"count vote".  The  vote was taken and recorded as "for--12"
and "against--9".  The  bill  had  passed the Senate. It was
entitled "An Act to Establish the County of Craighead".

    On  February  16  Samuel M. Scott, clerk of the House of
Representatives,  reported  to  the Senate that the bill had
passed the lower house, and  on  February 19, 1859, Governor
Elias  N.  Conway  signed  into  law what became "Act 171 of
1859"  creating officially "The County of Craighead". A town
site was later laid out for a centrally located county  seat
and was  named "Jonesborough" in honor of Senator William A.
Jones.

    Other  changes  were to be made in the geographical make
up of Craighead  County  over the next few years. One little
known fact is  that  the  original Craighead-Poinsett County
line was established six miles south  of  its  present loca-
tion. (The original line was established as the line between
Townships eleven and twelve north), the land now occupied by
the City of Trumann, the northern part of the city of Lepan-
to, and the northern part of the City of Weiner was  then in
Craighead County. Of course, there  were  no  towns  located
there at that time  and probably no people in the area. Leg-
islative Act 2 of 1862, the  act  to  create  Cross  County,
dated November 15, 1862,  removed  this  six-mile strip from
Craighead County and restored  it  to  Poinsett County. This
latest legislative  action  established the Craighead County
lines  at  their  present  location.  However, some internal
changes were to be made in the county at a later date.

    The town site for Jonesboro, the county  seat  of Craig-
head County, was laid out in 1859. A small village had exis-
ted at "Old Town" (now Lake City) for several years prior to
the founding of Jonesboro. Immediately following the  ending
of the Civil War, the population of the "east  bottoms" sur-
rounding the Old Town  increased  dramatically. At that time
the land between Jonesboro  and  Old  Town was a vast, dense
swamp,  which  was  virtually impassable except in extremely
dry weather.  In  the  early 1880's, leading citizens in the
eastern section of the county began a  campaign to establish
a court house at Old Town, changed to  Lake City in 1881, to
relieve them of the long, difficult trip to the county seat.
They were successful in their efforts, and on March 6, 1883,
Act 61 of 1883 was signed into law,  creating  the  "Eastern
District of Craighead County" and establishing a court house
at Lake City, in addition to the one at Jonesboro.

    The  original  line  separating  the Eastern and Western
Districts was fixed as the line between ranges four and five
east. Two years later in  1885  the line was moved six miles
to the east and fixed as  the  line  between ranges five and
six.

    In 1887 yet another change was made when legislation was
passed  removing  seven sections of land (4480 acres) in the
Lunsford area from  the Eastern District and restoring it to
the  Western  District.  This  was lands owned by the Taylor
family at Lunsford, who were wealthy landowners and influen-
tial citizens. The Taylors simply did not want  to be in the
newly created Eastern District. At that time they were rela-
ted to several county officials by linage or  marriage,  and
it was not very difficult to muster the necessary support to
have the changes made.

    Finally, everyone  seemed  to be somewhat satisfied with
the geographical makeup of the county. No major changes have
been noted during the past century. However, we would not at
all be surprised, with the modern highways and rapid  trans-
portation facilities that we enjoy today, if sometime in the
near future the dual county seat system were  abolished, and
only one court house  serves  the  county. We do not wish to
see this happen, but time marches  on, and progress, if this
is progress, must in no wise be retarded.


HLE/glm
2/21/91
Edited 4/8/91 June Masson