As a consequence of the destruction of the early records of Poinsett County, by fire, but little can be said pertaining to its early courts.  Inasmuch as the creative act was approved February 28, 1838, it is evident that the county court was organized soon thereafter, or in the spring of that year, and that the circuit court was held also in the same year.  The county belongs to the Second judicial circuit, of which J. E. Riddick is the present judge.  
Poinsett was organized in accordance with the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of the State, approved February 28, 1838.  Its territory originally belonged to Lawrence County, and subsequently, and up to its formation as a separate county, to Greene.
Bolivar, a point about three miles north of the present site of Harrisburg, was chosen for the seat of justice, and here in 1838, the first court-house and clerk's office, consisting of a log cabin, was erected.  The county seat thus remained until September 1856, when it was moved to Harrisburg, where it has since continued.  The first commissioners of the new county seat were A. B. Scott and A. B. Puckett.  Here, also a log-cabin cour-house was erected in 1857, and in 1859-60 a fine brick courthouse was constructed, costing $8,800, by A. Hamilton, contractor.  In the spring of 1872 this building, together with the public county records, was destroyed by fire.  Then for a year or more, the building now known as Sloan's boarding house was used as a courthouse, after which the Methodist Episcopal Church edifice and one toher structure served a smiliar purpose.  In 1875 the courthouse was rebuilt, by Contractor A. Hamilton, and is still standing.  The Poinsett County jail was erected in 1886, at a cost of $1,600.  It is a one-story frame, containing two rooms, and a hallway six feet wide running length-wise of the building.  Prior to its construction the prisoners were kept in a cage, constructed for the purpose, in the courthouse.

TREASURERS

Richard Hall, 1838-40
Charles Shaver, 1840-42
William Smith, 1842-46
Samuel Read, 1846-48
J. P. Mardis, 1848-52
J. M. Hale, 1852-56
B. Brown, 1856-62
A. J. Goodloe, 1862-65
J. Z. H. Mayors, 1865-66
William Ainsworth, 1866-68
James P. Jones, 1868-72
H. J. Thorn, 1872-74
E. Mitchell, 1874-80
J. J. Smith, 1880-82
W. C. Landers, 1882-86
William Ainsworth, 1886-



CORONERS

J. C. Shaver, 1838-40
B. McCaven, 1840-42
B. F. Marcum, 1842-44
T. F. Arledge, 1844-46
Daniel McMillin, 1846-48
J. M. Broadway, 1848-50
G. J. Ward, 1850-52
E. Robinson, 1852-54
J. E. Dukes, 1854-56
J. M. Cross, 1956-58
W. H. Smith, 1858-62
B. Brown, 1862-64
J. H. Hall, 1864-65
W. S. Griffin, 1865-68
John Jones, 1868-74
F. Walbrink, 1874-78
J. P. Jones, 1878-80
W. J. Sligh, 1880-82
S. G. Stone, 1882-84
Lewis Minton 1884-86
James Houston, 1886-88
James Aston, 1888-



POST OFFICES--PAST AND PRESENT
Alto (1896/1928)
Beasley (1915-1927)
Bern (1892-1894)
Boatrun (1920-1922)
Bolivar (1839/1857)
Buffalo Lick (1878-1894)
Caseyville (1858-1860)
Dague (1902-1913)
Deckerville (1894-1932)
Edwards (1883-1888)
Farm Hill (1842-1858)
Fisher (1884-Date)
Fisherville (1883-1884)
Frys Mill (1916-1929)
Goldsborough (1852/1861)
Greenfield (1834/1931)
Harrisburg (1894-Date)
Harrisburgh (1857-1894)
Hatchie Coon (1916-1918)
Hydrick (1884-1933)
Idaville (1893-1894)
Johnston (1850-1859)
Judd Hill (1919-1926)
Kovics (1882-1883)
Lepanto (1892-Date)
Marked Tree (1888-Date)
Morning Sun (1867-1869)
Mosher (1896-1902)
Old River (1912-1918)
Payneway Rur. Sta. (1965-Date)
Perkins (1888-1892)
Pitts (1899-1938)
Poinsett (1902-1903)
Rivervale (1938-Date)
Smith's (1846-1847)
Trumann (1904-Date)
Tulot (1918-1974)
Tyers Hill (1839-1842)
Tyronza (1892-Date)
Waldenburg (1896-Date)
Walnut Camp (1835/1856)
Weiner (1884-Date)
Weona (1902-1904)
Weona (1916-1967)
West Prairie (1874-1884)
White Hall (1872-1894)
Whitehall (1894-1966)
Winningham (1880/1886)
Youngville (1885-1887)

Source: Used with permission from Jim Forte at http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp




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