Editing Clay County, Arkansas (section)

==History==
When Clay County was created as Arkansas's 67th county on 24 March 1873 (along with [[Baxter County, Arkansas|Baxter County]]), it was named Clayton County, after [[John M. Clayton (Arkansas politician)|John M. Clayton]], then a member of the [[Arkansas Senate]] and a brother of then-[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Powell Clayton]],<ref name="EncOfAR">{{Cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=755 |title=Clay County |website=EncyclopediaOfArkansas.net |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-date=7 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007102358/http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=755 |url-status=live }}</ref> though some sources suggest it may have been named for Powell Clayton instead.<ref name="CouchGenWeb">{{Cite web |title=Brief History of Clay County, Arkansas (CouchGenWeb.com) |url=http://www.couchgenweb.com/arkansas/clay/clayhist.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028101341/http://couchgenweb.com/arkansas/clay/clayhist.htm |archive-date=28 October 2010}}</ref>

Two years later on 6 December 1875,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stout |first=Scot |date=7 March 2012 |title=Early History of the County Seats and Courthouses of Clay County, Arkansas |url=http://www.argenweb.net/clay/earlyhistory.htm |access-date=8 May 2012 |website=ARGenWeb: Arkansas Genealogy Resources Online |publisher=The ARGenWeb Project |archive-date=24 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424025610/http://www.argenweb.net/clay/earlyhistory.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> the county's name was shortened to "Clay" by the [[Arkansas General Assembly]]. Some claim it was renamed for the statesman [[Henry Clay]],<ref name="EncOfAR" /><ref name="CouchGenWeb" /> while others say John M. Clayton remained its official namesake.<ref>[http://local.arkansas.gov/local.php?agency=Clay+County Clay County (Local.Arkansas.gov)] ("Senator James M. Clayton", probably referring to John M. Clayton)</ref> The name change apparently was inspired by lingering distrust of Powell Clayton, as he had declared [[martial law]] and suspended elections in the county in 1868 when he was [[Governor of Arkansas]] and it was still part of [[Greene County, Arkansas|Greene County]].<ref name="EncOfAR" />

The first [[county seat]] was Corning,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clay County, Arkansas |url=http://www.argenweb.net/clay/ |website=www.argenweb.net |access-date=13 January 2011 |archive-date=13 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113125023/http://www.argenweb.net/clay/ |url-status=live }}</ref> established in 1873, with the arrival of the [[Missouri Pacific Railroad|St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway]], as the first incorporated town in the county. The county seat was moved to Boydsville in 1877, in what was known as "Old Bradshaw Field", because people living east of the Black and Cache Rivers had difficulty getting to Corning during the flood season. However, this caused problems for those living west of the rivers, and in 1881 Corning was re-established as the seat of the Western District, with Boydsville remaining the seat for the Eastern District. With the arrival of the [[St. Louis Southwestern Railway|St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railroad]] in 1882, other towns such as Greenway, Rector and Piggott experienced growth. In 1887, the Eastern District seat was moved to Piggott, and the dual county seat system remains in place today.<ref>Rector Waterworks Building. {{Cite web |title=History & Architecture: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program |url=http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=2460 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728211602/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=2460 |archive-date=28 July 2014 |access-date=23 May 2013}}, Retrieved on 23 May 2013.</ref> Important county functions (such as the Quorum Court) alternate between Piggott and Corning as their venues.

In the early 20th century, Clay, [[Greene County, Arkansas|Greene]], and [[Craighead County, Arkansas|Craighead]] counties had [[sundown town]] policies forbidding African Americans from living in the area.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Neville |first=A. W. |date=2 March 1945 |title=Backward Glances |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29073821/ |work=The Paris News |location=Paris, Texas |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |quote=On the survey from [[Bird's Point, Missouri|Bird's Point, Mo.]], to [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro, Ark.]], I had a Negro cook. As Negroes were not allowed to live in Clay, Greene and Craighead Counties, Ark., my cook was a curiosity to the children. The women used to bring the children to camp to see him.}}</ref>

On 6 April 1972, [[Sheriffs in the United States|Sheriff]] [http://www.odmp.org/officer/1582-sheriff-douglas-lucian-batey Douglas Batey] and deputies [http://www.odmp.org/officer/1270-deputy-sheriff-glendale-ray-archer Glen Ray Archer] and [http://www.odmp.org/officer/7513-deputy-sheriff-troy-key Troy Key] were shot and killed while trying to serve a warrant on Bert Grissom. Grissom opened fire as soon as the men stepped out of their car. He later surrendered without resistance to another deputy, and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. [http://www.odmp.org/officer/10748-sheriff-william-thomas-pond William Thomas Pond] became sheriff, but he died in an automobile accident on 8 June 1973. Four of the five police officers who have lost their lives serving the Clay County Sheriff's Office died in these two incidents.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}