Formation. -- The State Legislature, by an act approved March 12, 1883, divided Carroll County into districts for judicial purposes, that portion of the county received from Madison in 1869 to constitute the western district and the residue the eastern district. The act provided that circuit, chancery, and probate courts should be established in the western district, with original and exclusive jurisdiction within its limits. The sheriff, clerk, treasurer, and probate judge are elected for the county at large.
Deputy Clerks. -- The following named persons have been incumbents of this position: ----- Jones, J. H. Hamilton, William McCormick, Gip Taylor.
Marriage and Divorce Statistics. -- Fifty-nine divorces were granted in the district from its organization until January 1, 1887. Marriage licenses have been granted as follows: 1883, 49; 1884, 65; 1885, 55; 1886, 92; 1887, 78; total to January 1, 1888, 339.
The debt of Carroll County January 28, 1879, was $11,854.57; February 148, 1880, $11,961.21; October 3, 1881, $10,350.45; October 8, 1882, $14,855.74. During this time there was a general county fund; but upon the formation of the western district, in 1883, there arose a necessity for the creation of two other funds, that of the eastern and that of the western district. Then general indebtedness November 19, 1883, was $19,769.00, this being the total amount of warrants called in for re-issue. The amount of warrants on record not issued was $7,915.65. The following is a statement of county finances from November 19, 1883, to February 1, 1888:
| General prior indebtedness | $19,769.00 | |
| Warrants not issued | 7,915.65 | |
| Total allowances, general fund | 11,916.12 | |
| Total allowances, western district | 20,149.41 | |
| Total allowances, eastern district | 30,093.50 | |
| $89,843.68 | ||
| Contra. | ||
| County warrants canceled | $11,989.30 | |
| Eastern district warrants canceled | 19,386.90 | |
| Western district warrants canceled | 16,122.05 | |
| Total amount | $47,448.25 | |
| Outstanding indebtedness | $42,395.43 | |
The Carroll County Agricultural and Mechanical Association was organized in 1876. The fifth and last annual fair was held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, September 29 and 30 and October 1, 1881. The officers at this time were W. J. Hailey, president; J. A. Meek, vice-president; L. L. McKennon, secretary; J. W. Freeman, treasurer. The association owned sufficient land for its purposes, but was not a success financially, The annual fair was held at Berryville. During its short existence the association did much to promote the best interests of the county.
Medical Societies. -- The first medical society in the county was organized at Eureka Springs in 1881, but disbanded several years later. The second effort was made at Berryville, where the Carroll County Medical Society was organized February 4, 1884. Its existence ceased in 1887.
The Eureka Springs and Carroll County Medical Society was organized June 5, 1887, with seven members of whom the following were officers: --- Visart, president; J. O. Ducker, vice-president; J. B. Bolton, secretary; W. A. Reese, treasurer. Examining board: An act of the Legislature provides for the appointment of three physicians as an examining board by the county court. Drs. W. P. George, D. F. Ray and W. R. Hardesty, the first board, served from 1881 to 1887. Drs. J. H. Malloy, Winfield Poynor and J. B. Bolton constitute the present board. It is the duty of this board to pass upon the qualifications of all persons desiring to practice medicine in the county.
The First Court in Carroll County was held at the residence of Charles Sneed, on Osage, probably in the year 1833; Archibald Yell presided, and David Walker was prosecuting attorney. The county formed part of the third judicial circuit, of which Samuel S. Hall was the regular judge.
Circuit Judges. -- The county has always been embraced in the fourth judicial circuit, to which judges have been commissioned as follows: J. M. Hoge, November 13, 1840; S. G. Sneed, November 18, 1844; A. B. Greenwood, March 3, 1851; F. I. Batson, August 20, 1853; J. M. Wilson, February 21, 1859; J. J. Green, August 23, 1860; Y. B. Sheppard, May 9, 1863; Thomas Boles, August 3, 1865; W. N. May, April 24, 1868; M. L. Stephenson, July 23, 1868; C. B. Fitzpatrick, March 23, 1871; J. H. Huckleberry, April 10, 1872; J. M. Pittman, October 31, 1872; J. H. Berry, October 21, 1878; J. M. Pittman, October 31, 1882.
Prosecuting Attorneys for the fourth circuit during the same period have been as follows: A. M. Wilson, November 13, 1840; A. B. Greenwood, January 4, 1845; H. F. Thomasson, September 6, 1853; Lafayette Gregg, August 23, 1856; B. J. Brown, December 1, 1862; J. E. Cravens, January 7, 1865; 'Squire Boon, October 15, 1866; Elias Harrell, August 11, 1868; S. W. Peel, April 26, 1873; E. I. Stirman, October 13, 1876; H. A. Dinsmore, October 14, 1878; J. Frank Wilson, October 30, 1884; J. V. Walker, October 30, 1886.
County Judges. -- George Campbell, 1834-35; William King, 1835-38; Hiram Davis, 1838-40; M. Perryman, 1840-42; W. J. Estis, 1842-44; J. D. Blair, 1844-46; Matthew Bristow, 1846-48; T. H. Clark, 1848-50; James Simmons, 1850; Samuel H. Ewing, 1850-52; Matthew Bristow, 1852-54; J. B. Turney, 1856-58; G. W. Alker, 1858-60; J. B. Turney, 1860-64; Samuel H. Ewing, 1864-68; Robert Rains, 1868-71; Cyrus Maxwell, 1871; A. Fanning, 1874-80; T. S. Bunch, 1880-82; William Walker, 1882-84; H. A. Pearce, 1884-86; R. H. Jones, 1886; Bradley Bunch, 1887.
Attorneys. -- A. M. Wilson was the first resident practicing attorney at Carrollton, and seems to have been there as early as 1836. John Wilson was his brother and partner, and their office was on the southwest corner of the square. David Walker, from Fayetteville, subsequently United States Senator from Arkansas, was also an early attorney. W. D. Reagan, J. P. Neill, J. M. Pittman, the present presiding judge of the fourth circuit; James H. Berry, at present member of the United States Senate from Arkansas, and ex-governor of the State, and George J. Crump, of Harrison, one of the most prominent attorneys in the northwestern part of the State, are among the former members of the local bar. The following is a list of resident practicing attorneys in the county: O. W. Watkins, Henry Glitsch, R. H. Jones, J. H. Show, A. Davis, M. R. Baker, George Weymouth, E. R. Ray, George W. Ray, John Watkins, John B. Pendergrass, John Chiles, Joseph Maples, J. E. Jones, Charles Watson, John I. Worthington.
The First Circuit Court for the western district began its session May 7, 1883, Judge Pittman presiding. No jury commissioners having been appointed the court, as its first proceeding, directed the sheriff to impanel the grand and petit juries. These respective bodies, the first for the western district, were constituted as follows:
Grand Jury. -- R. J. Insenberry, W. H. Jones, Wesley Kelley, Samuel Gregg (foreman), Bart Moore, L. B. White, F. J. Russell, F. S. Riley, Henry Arney, D. B. Jeringan, Z. P. Freeman, A. T. Wilson, D. A. Powell, Edward Pickering, W. W. Davis, James Ramey.
Petit Jurors. -- L. Collins, J. V. Rawlins, Isaac Chidester, Samuel Montgomery, A. B. Combs, W. D. Ingram, I. E. Perrin, P. Landaker, E. A. Trayder, S. S. Purcell, Samuel Hollsman, J. W. Cary, L. M. Lane, H. M. White, N. B. Barfield, W. W. Hudson, David Conway, K. B. Thornton, G. A. Beaver, T. O. P. Terry, J. H. Hamilton, T. W. Norwood, Philip Noll, William Leach, impanelled May 8, 1883.
First Case, etc. -- The first case tried was that of George P. Young vs. J. H. Nuttall, and resulted in a verdict of $68.17 in favor of the defendant. The first person admitted as an attorney after examination was John Carroll, who applied for a committee to inquire as to his qualifications May 8, 1883.
The first murder in the county was committed by W. W. Hutson, who was confined in jail, but escaped. Louis Russell, William Goforth and Jack Musick served as coroner's jury in making the inquest. The second murder was that of Thomas H. Clark, during his incumbency as county judge, 1848-50. His brother-in-law, Rudd, and a son of the latter were accused, and a change of venue was taken to Washington County. A nolle pros. was granted in the case of Rudd, Jr., and Rudd, Sr., was acquitted through lack of circumstantial evidence. The third murder was that of Louis Williams by his father-in-law, James Shropshire. H. F. Thomasson was prosecuting attorney. W. D. Reagan and John Wilson appeared for Shropshire, who was convicted and sentenced to be hung, but excaped from jail a short time before the time set for execution. There has been a number of murder trials, and several indictments now appear upon the records, but no judicial execution has yet occurred.