Visitors Guide to Clay County, Arkansas

Clay County is a predominantly rural area with small cities and towns. Clay County lies within the Mississippi River Embayment. The county is divided by Crowley’s Ridge, following a northeast to southwest direction. The St. Francis, Cache, Black, and Current Rivers flow through the county. Approximately a fourth of the county is upland, with the remainder consists of bottomland. Native American tribes, including the Quapaw and Osage, hunted in the area but their villages were located in Missouri. Native American artifacts can still be found in northeast Arkansas. An extensive artifact collection can be viewed at the Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center in Piggott.

European settlement in the Clay County area began in the early 1800s with Pierre LeMieux, a Frenchman who settled east of the Black River. By the time the U.S. Congress created the Arkansas Territory in 1819, the European population of the region was already growing. In addition to French settlers, veterans of the War of 1812 were given land grants. Overland roads were crude so travel by water, usually in keelboats and flatboats, was the primary mode of transportation. Where possible steamboat travel was preferred as it was faster and more comfortable, and steamboats could carry more freight. Steamboats were able to traverse both the St. Francis and the Black Rivers in Clay County. In the 1840s, Abraham Seitz established a home and ferry on the St. Francis River above the town of St. Francis, providing a crossing for settlers traveling west or east. It was another thirty to forty years before railroads replaced water transportation.

Clay County saw action during the Civil War. Skirmishes were fought at Scatterville (near present-day Rector) on August 3, 1862, and July 28, 1864. The Battle of Chalk Bluff was fought from May 1 to May 2 in 1863 where Confederate Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke successfully got his forces across the St. Francis River after a failed raid into Missouri. Chalk Bluff Battlefield Park sits on the battle site and provides historical interpretation as well as recreational opportunities. Guerrilla forces proved a hardship for settlers during wartime. Although settlers hid livestock, foodstuffs, and valuables wherever they could, much was lost to raiding parties.

During Reconstruction, Clayton County was created by the Arkansas legislature in 1873 from portions of Greene and Randolph counties from the south and west. The new county was named in honor of state senator John M. Clayton. Local citizens were displeased that the namesake of Clayton County was the brother of Powell Clayton, the first Republican Reconstructionist governor, who had declared martial law in the area did not allow the county to participate in the fall elections of 1868. The populace successfully changed the name to Clay County in honor of Secretary of State Henry Clay in 1875. The location of the county seat was highly debated between Corning and Boydsville several times between 1873 and 1881. Finally legislation was passed by the state legislature on February 23, 1881, to divide the county into two judicial districts with Corning serving the western district and Boydsville serving the eastern district. In 1888 Piggott replaced Boydsville to serve the eastern district.

Railroad expansion developed rapidly in the years following the Civil War. The Missouri Pacific was laid through the western portion of Clay County and the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad, or Cotton Belt, entered from the northeast and extended to southwest, eventually to Texas. Railroads did more than provide transportation for agricultural and industrial goods. They also brought more settlers into the area.

At the start of the twentieth century, the timber industry reached its zenith. The cleared timberland and the drainage of the lowlands brought about the development of large farming operations. Property values shifted during this time with timberland became less desirable than agricultural property. Arriving by railroad in 1909, Paul M. Pfeiffer acquired over 13,000 acres and began draining the lowlands. Eventually, Pfeiffer became the largest landowner in Clay County and one of its most public-minded citizens. Pfeiffer’s daughter Pauline married writer Ernest Hemingway, who wrote portions of A Farewell to Arms at the Pfeiffer mansion in Piggott. In 1932, the town hosted the world premier of the movie based on the novel. Today Pfeiffer’s home has been turned into a museum and the property is home to the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center and Matilda & Karl Pfeiffer Museum & Study Center and together they explore the various aspects of culture, history and nature in northeast Arkansas. These facilities are operated by Arkansas State University.

Clay County boasts a number of attractions and annual events. Chalk Bluff saw action during the Civil War. The Dave Donaldson/Black River Wildlife Management Area, located south of Corning, provides fishing and hunting opportunities. Other annual attractions include Fourth of July picnics in Corning and Piggott and a Labor Day picnic in Rector. Rector has recently added a museum in the town’s library that houses articles donated by the community.

Explore the Upper Delta Region of the Mississippi River