Clay

Formed March 24, 1873 (66^th county)

Clay County (14,548), Corning (3,225), Piggott (3,625)                

Another dual courthouse county, the two buildings are very similar.  Both are modern one-story, brick structures.  Corning’s 1966 building is at Market and 2^nd streets.  It is four blocks southwest of United States Highway 62.  The Corning courthouse was designed by Donnellan and Porterfield in Modern style.  Piggott’s 1966 structure is on a square at Main, 2^nd, Court, and 3^rd streets.  United States Highway 62 is Main Street through the city.  The Piggott courthouse was also designed by Donnellan and Porterfield in Modern style.  There have been two courthouses in each Corning and Piggott serving the county.  Clay County is named for State Senator John M. Clayton.  Corning is named for H. D. Corning, a railroad officer.  Piggott was named for a settler, Dr. James A. Piggott.  The county was originally called Clayton County when it was created on March 24, 1873 from parts of Randolph and Greene counties as the 66^th county.  Both county seats were designated at that time.  The name changed to Clay County in 1875. 

Clay County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Eleven Circuit Court Judges serve Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Clay County (judicial.)  Clay County government consists of a County Judge, a sheriff, and 11 Justices of the Peace.  serve Clay County.  The county is located in the further northeast corner of the state with Missouri on its north and east border.  The St. Francis River is its eastern border.  The center of the county is 12.7 miles West-Southwest of Piggott.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Green and Randolph counties.  The county is shaped like a flat rectangle with bulge on the east border.  Memphis, Tennessee is to the southeast and Jonesboro, Arkansas is to the south.  Corning is in the western third and Piggott is in the eastern third of the county.  Corning is one of the county seats.  Piggott is also a county seat and the largest city.  Corning is 22.2% of the county population while Piggott is 24.9% of the county population.  The county seats are pronounced KORN-ING and PIG-GUT.

The area of the county is 641 square miles.  It is 42 of 75 in size.  It ranks 51 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 22.7 persons per square mile making it 45 out of 75 in the state.  Clay County has 68.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 49 begins in the county and heads south into Greene County.  United States Highway 62 enters from Missouri to the east and exits into Randolph County to the west.  United States Highway 67 comes in from the north, Missouri, joins United States Highway 62, and goes into Randolph County.