Cross County

Cross County was formed November 15,1862 from parts of Crittenden, Poinsett, and St. Francis counties. It was named for Col. David Cross, a Confederate officer. Cross County has rich, flat delta farmland in the east and west and rolling hills in the center. Agriculture and related enterprises are major to the county with rice bringing in more than half the county's revenues. Soybeans and cotton are other main crops while peaches and other fruit crops are predominate on Crowly's Ridge. Village Creek State Park, almost 7,000 acres on Crowley's Ridge, has two fishing lakes, hiking trails, campsites, picnic sites, playgrounds, and many recreational areas, and is a poplar tourist area. The county seat is Wynne. The Wittsburg Natural Area preserves a good sample of Crowley's Ridge covered with beech and sugar maple trees, spring wildflowers, and the state's only natural distributions of tulip trees and pennywort. As of the 2000 census, Cross County had a population of 19,526 residents.