Cleveland County

Cleveland County, a county of rolling hills, was formed April 17, 1873, and was originally called Dorsey County, named for Stephen W. Dorsey, a U.S. Senator from Arkansas, who later fell out of favor with Arkansans. Citizens petitioned for a change of name and in 1885 it was renamed Cleveland County in honor of Grover Cleveland, who had just been elected president of the United States. The county seat is Rison. Timber is the leading industry in the county. The Saline River was used for shipping logs before the railroads came to the county in 1881. The county has extended its economic base to produce tomatoes, broiler chicks and cattle. The Saline River provides excellent fishing and floating. As of the 2000 census, Cleveland County had a population of 8,571 residents.