The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

CRITTENDEN, a county in the E. part of Arkansas, bordering on the Mississippi river, which separates it from Tennessee, contains 994 square miles. The St. Francis river forms the entire W. boundary. The surface is an alluvial plain, part of which is often overflowed by the Mississippi. The soil is very fertile where it is not occupied by swamps. Cotton and Indian corn are the chief productions. In 1850 there were raised 163,970 bushels of corn; 698 bales of cotton, and 26,843 pounds of butter were made. It contained 2 churches, and 55 pupils attending public schools. The St. Francis river is navigable from its mouth to the upper part of the county. Capital, Marion. Population, 2648, of whom 1847 were free, and 801, slaves.