Cross

Formed November 15, 1862 (56^th county)

Cross County (16,830), Wynne (8,315)

The Modern style brick structure which is Cross County courthouse was built in 1969 at the corner Falls and Union streets.  Falls Street is Arkansas State Highway 1.  The firm of Stuck, Frier, Lane, and Scott were the architects.  An earlier courthouse was also in Wynne.  Wittsburg (1862 & 1868), Pineville (1863), Cleburne (1865), Vanndale (1886), and Wynne (1903) have all served as the county seat.  There are two stories for the origin of the county’s name.  Confederate Colonel David Cross and Congressman Judge Edward Cross are the two sources for the county name.  Wynne was named for Captain James Wynne, a banking officer.  Cross County was formed on November 15, 1862 from parts of Crittenden, Poinsett, and St. Francis counties as the 56^th county. 

Cross County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges serve Cross, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, Saint Francis, and Woodruff counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Cross County (judicial.)  The county is in the east central part of the state west of Memphis, Tennessee.  The center of the county is 7.8 miles North-Northwest of Wynne nearer Vanndale.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Poinsett, Crittenden, St. Francis, Woodruff and Jackson counties.  The St. Francis River crosses the eastern part of the county.  The county is a rectangle.  Wynne is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Wynne is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 49.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WIN.

The area of the county is 622.3 square miles.  It is 49 of 75 in size.  It ranks 44 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 27.0 persons per square mile making it 39 out of 75 in the state.  Cross County has 58.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 49 comes into the western part of the county from Poinsett County, north, and goes into Woodruff County, west.  United States Highway 64 goes east to west from Crittenden County into Woodruff County. 

Wynne