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sas. James Conway (after whom the city of Conway, but not the county of Conway, is named) was subsequently elected to be the state’s first governor. In the months leading up to statehood, Arkansas’ constitutional convention had drafted a document to qualify Arkansas for admission to the Union. Tis would become Arkansas’ first constitution. Unsurpris- ingly, this first constitution was brief (only four pages, front and back), flexible, general in language, and relatively lenient in terms of power. Much like the laws of Arkansas Territory had been, Arkansas’ first constitution was effectively silent on the issue of county establishment, except that no county then established “could be reduced by the establishment of any new county to less than 900 square miles,” nor be reduced to a lesser population than its ratio of representation in the House of Representatives, nor could any county be established that contained less than 900 square miles (with the exception of Washington County, which could be reduced to 600 square miles) or a less population than would entitle a county to a member in the House of Representatives. Before Arkansas’ secession from the United States and sub- sequent admission to the Confederate States of America, an- other 22 counties were established by the Arkansas Legislature. Tus, by the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Arkansas was divided into 56 counties (since Miller County had not yet been re-established). Te following counties were created between 1836 and 1859. • Benton County, established on Sept. 30, 1836, from Washington County and named after Tomas Benton, a U.S. senator from Missouri.
• Madison County, created on Sept. 30, 1836, from Wash- ington County and named after President James Madison.
• Franklin County, established Dec. 19, 1837 out of Crawford and Johnson counties and named for Benja- min Franklin.
• Poinsett County, created Feb. 28, 1838, out of Greene and St. Francis counties and named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, a U.S. secretary of war (and namesake of the poinsettia).
• Desha County, established Dec. 12, 1838, from Arkan- sas and Chicot counties, and named for Captain Benja- min Desha, a hero in the War of 1812.
• Searcy County, created Dec. 13, 1838, out of Marion County and named for Richard Searcy, a prominent civil servant, major landowner, and circuit court judge.
• Yell County, established Dec. 5, 1840, from Pope and Scott counties and named for Archibald Yell, the second governor of Arkansas.
• Bradley County, created on Dec. 18, 1840, out of Union County and named for Hugh Bradley, a soldier in the War of 1812 and a prominent area settler.
• Perry County, established Dec. 18, 1840, from Conway County and named after Commodore Oliver Perry, a
COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2020 naval officer in the War of 1812.
• Ouachita County, created in Nov. 29, 1842, out of Union County and named after the Ouachita River.
• Montgomery County, established Dec. 9, 1842, from Hot Spring County and named after Richard Mont- gomery, a general during the Revolutionary War.
• Newton County, created on Dec. 14, 1842, out of Car- roll County and named for Tomas Newton, a state senator, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Marshal.
• Fulton County, established Dec. 21, 1842, from Izard County and named for William S. Fulton, the last gov- ernor of the Arkansas Territory.
• Polk County, created on Nov. 30, 1844, out of Sevier County and named for President James Polk.
• Dallas County, established Jan. 1, 1845, from Clark and Bradley counties and named after George Dallas, the 11th vice president of the United States.
• Prairie County, created Oct. 25, 1846, out of Monroe and Pulaski counties
and named after the area’s
dominant characteristic, the Grand Prairie of eastern Arkansas.
• Drew County, established Nov.26, 1846, from Arkansas and Bradley counties and named for Tomas Stevenson Drew, the third governor of Arkansas.
• Ashley County, created Nov. 30, 1848, out of Chicot, Drew, and Union counties and named after Chester Ashley, a U.S. senator and otherwise prominent Arkan- san.
• Calhoun County, established Dec. 6, 1850, from Dallas and Ouachita counties and named for John C. Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States.
• Sebastian County, created on Jan. 6, 1851, out of Crawford, Polk, Van Buren, and Scott counties. It was named for William K. Sebastian, a judge, state senator and U.S. senator from Arkansas.
• Columbia County, established Dec. 17, 1852, from Lafayette, Hempstead, and Ouachita counties and named after the fictitious Columbia, a female personifi- cation of the United States.
• Craighead County, created Feb. 19, 1859, out of Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett counties and named after Tomas H. Craighead, who represented Missis- sippi and Crittenden counties in the state legislature. Only two Arkansas counties have the unique distinction of
having been established during the Civil War, each of which was created in 1862. Cross County was created on Nov. 15, 1862, out of St. Francis, Poinsett, and Crittenden counties and named for Col. David C. Cross, a Confederate soldier and prominent politician. Shortly thereafter, on Nov. 26,
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