History of Bollinger County, Missouri
Source: Excerpts from Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, by The Goodspeed Publishing Company.
Contributed by Anna Newell ©

Bollinger County lies between Cape Girardeau County on the east and Madison and Wayne Counties on the west.
It has an area of 381,000 acres. The surface is generally broken and in some parts almost mountainous.
The highest point is called Turkey Hill. In the north and east are Big and Little White Water Rivers, and in the southwest the Castor River. Through the center flows Crooked Creek and at Marble Hill it forms a junction with Hurricane Creek.

Bollinger County was organized March 1, 1851.
It is named in honor of Major George F. Bollinger, one of its first settlers, a prominent member of the Territorial Legislature.
The county seat , Marble Hill, was so named from the alleged natural character of the site. It was originally called Dallas.

The act for the organization of Bollinger County was approved on March 1, 1851.
It was formed from portions of Wayne, Cape Girardeau, and Stoddard Counties.
The county court was organized at the storehouse of John C. Whybark on March 24, 1851,
by Reuben Smith, John Stevens, and Drury Massey, justices.
Oliver E. Snider qualified as clerk and William C. Grimsley, as sheriff.
The records of the courts were burned on March 2, 1866.

Soon after the organization of the county a brick courthouse about 30 feet square and two stories high was erected.
It was destroyed by fire and a similar building was completed the same year. In March 1844 it was also destroyed by fire.