Communities Of Crittenden County

In September 1961, Crittenden County had a three day Frontier Festival.  It celebrated our county and town.  For this special occasion a little booklet was put together with all kinds of history information about the county, the people and other items of interest.  The following was taken from this booklet.

Communities of Crittenden County

• Mexico.  Mexico was originally called "Annora," but the name was changed to Mexico when the post office was established on January 13, 1906, with John A. Myers as the Postmaster.
• Crayne. Crayne was once called "Crayneville".  The first Postmaster was Lee Cruce, and he was appointed on January 12, 1886.  Dow Husbands settled his hardy band of pioneers near Crayne over 200 years ago.
• Sheridan.  The Post Office at Sheridan was first established on April 13, 1880, and called "Amplias."  The first Postmaster was William E. Weldon.
• Tolu.  The whole section of the county around Tolu was known as Hurricane in the beginning.  The post office was located at the mouth of Hurricane Creek on the Ohio.  When the post office washed down the river in the flood of 1884, the government set up a new post office in the little settlement about one-half mile from the river, where there was located a general stone.  The general store was selling a very popular patent medicine made from the South American Tolu tree.  This medicine was good for man and beast alike.  Especially for man as a whiskey base it was very pleasing to man's taste.  It was suggested the new post office be named Tolu, so it was.
• Frances.  Frances, lies about ten miles South of Marion.  In its early days it was known as "Needmore," starting up at a crossroad with a general store and a Post Office.  Early settlers laughingly thought this a good name because it needed more of everything.  Around 1886 Marion, a young lad, suggested naming the village after President Grover Cleveland's wife, Frances.
• Dycusburg.  In about the year of 1835 a Mr. Shelby opened the first ferry here on the Cumberland River.  Then came Mr. Berry Dycus who built a warehouse.  From then on Dycusburg was the shipping point for the towns for miles around.   The first fluorspar that was ever shipped in Crittenden  County was put in barrels and shipped by river from Dycusburg.
• Shady Grove.  Shady Grove is located in the Eastern part of Crittenden County and bordered by Webster and Caldwell County lines.  It was founded in the early 1800's and incorporated in 1904 with Dennie Hubbard as City Judge and John A. Moore as Attorney.
• Marion.  Marion, the county seat of Crittenden County, was named for General Francis Marion of Revolutionary fame.  It was incorporated in 1844, and is located in a valley near the center of the county.  It is bounded on three sides by rivers, on the northwest by the great Ohio, on the southwest by the Cumberland, and on the northeast by the Tradewater.