Some Crittenden County Early History

 Some interesting history written by the Rev. James F. Price in the 1920's that he remembered about Crittenden County.  He was a well-known Preacher and Historian of the time.

Early Mineral Development

• Andrew Jackson became interested in the development of the old Columbia Lead Mines in the early 1830's. It was reported that he was searching for silver. He and his son, Andrew Jackson, Jr. did considerable development in that section. The Page and Krause mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, erected a lead smelter and considerable pig lead was produced about 1870.

• Blood and Walker, Nashville, Tenn, built the Hurricane furnace in the early 1840's and made quite a lot of high grade pig iron. This furnace was operated until near the time of the Civil War. Western Kentucky pig iron was sought by blacksmiths in that day above any other pig iron. It was very malleable and tough.(can be hammered, pressed and shaped without breaking).

• John Bell, of Tennessee, opened what is known as the old Bell Coal Mines in the northeastern part of the county about 1840. The Bells coal took the premium over all other coals in the United States as an all-round coal at the  Chicago Exposition in 1893.

• Fluorspar and zinc are so recent in their mining and so well known that they are only mentioned.

• Bell afterwards became a candidate for President on the Bell and Everett ticket, known as the Union Party. On account of conditions brought about by the Civil War Bell failed and his property was sold under attachments sued by Madison Lamb and Solomon Blue.

The First Grand Jury

The first grand jury in Crittenden County were as follows: Alexander Dean, foreman, Edward Ashley, Wm. Ashley, Matthew Parmley, Martin Hammonds, Wm.Hogard, John W. Wilson, Isaac Loyd, David Gill, George Uselton, John E. Wilson, Uri G. Witherspoon, Andrew J. Hill, Thomas Akers and Angus McAlester.

The First Lawyers in Crittenden County

The first lawyers were Col. George W. Barbour, Francis H. Dallam, Robert H. Marr, Patterson C. Lander, Sumner Marble, David W. McGoodwin, Willis G. Hughes, Robert A. Patterson, Livingston Lindsey, W. H. Calvert, Hiram McElroy and John W. Headley.

The first court case in court in Crittenden County was Isaac Shelby against James A. Ramey.

The first three indictments by the grand jury were: 

1. The Commonwealth against John Elder, for standing a bull without license;

 2. The Commonwealth against John Gregory and Rachael Lacy, for fornication; 

3. The Commonwealth against James Long and Lucinda Ferrell, for adultery.

There has been only one legal execution in Crittenden County. W. T. Wallingford was tried and convicted for murder and hanged September 17^th, 1852, near Marion. The jury which tried him were W. P. Stallions, W. H. Minner, J. S. Adams, James B. Fogg, William Fritts, Thomas S. Alvis, Richard Williams, A. B. Perkins, Anderson Woodall, James H. Travis, Wm. Banks and J. A. Johnson.

 The first County Judge was Hon. David W. Carter, who presided over court, May 2, 1851. The first magistrates, or justices of the peace as they were then called, were Joseph Hughes, James Cruce, Peter Clinton, Sam L. Phillips, Robert H. Haynes, Abner Larrowe (later LaRue), Henry D. Coleman, John D. Gregory, Robert Hill and Martin Williams.

The commissioners to locate the county-seat were F. D. Work, T. Leeper and Thomas Flanary. The county attorney, Sumner Marble for $40.00 a year for his services and the sheriff got $40.00 a year. The only tax levied was a poll tax of $1.50.