Marion Co TOC

The following is a version of how Marion County became a county in the last session of the Arkansas Territorial Council before Arkansas Territory became a state. The actual records for this session were lost.

Before the territory became a state, Izard County was being represented in the Territorial Council by Major Jacob Wolf. Both Searcy and Marion counties were made from territory belong to Izarad County. Major Wolf was elected to the Council and Brown C. Roberts to the Legislature. Roberts presented a petition signed by a majority of the citizens of the district desiring to be stricken from Izard County to become a new county called Marion. Wolf was opposed and stated to the members that he believed the petition had a majority of names forged on it. Wolf was very popular and a resolution was proposed to expel Roberts upon the statement of Wolf. Before a vote could be taken, Roberts prevailed upon the House to stop the proceedings until he could write home for proof of the genuineness of the petition.

When Roberts received a favorable report from the petitioners, the bill came up for a final vote. C.F.M. Nolan, Representative from Lawrence County, made a motion to change the name from Marion to Searcy, which was adopted in the final vote. Roberts, to retaliate, introduced a resolution to change the name of Independence County. When the House adjourned, Nolan drew his "buie" knife, caught Roberts by the ear, and told him he would cut if off if he did not withdraw his resolution. Roberts, knowing Nolan would do what he said, withdrew the resolution in less time than it takes to write it. The members felt sorry for Roberts and proposed a compromise to divide Searcy County and call the north part Marion, which was agreed to.

Because of his success informing Marion County, Roberts was returned several times to the Legislature after the adoption of the Territory as a state. (it appears that these events occurred about 1834 or 1835)