Berryville, the county seat of Carroll County, is situated in Prairie Township, on a branch of Osage River, about the center of the county. The Congressional township is No. 21 north, Range 24 west, and the town plat forms part of the northeast quarter of Section 30. The place has the advantage of an elevated location. It is distant from Eureka Springs fourteen miles, from Carrollton twenty miles, and is conveniently accessible from all parts of the county.

The town site was originally entered by Joel Plumlee, one of the early settlers of this part of the county. He built a house near the large spring north of the town proper, and cleared a small farm. The surrounding prairie was covered at this time with heavy forest undergrowth, and there was nothing to indicate that a town would come into existence.

In 1850 Blackburn Henderson Berry, of Gunter's Landing, on the Tennessee River, in Northern Alabama, purchased Plumlee's farm and opened a store near the 'branch.' In the same year Dr. A. A. Baker removed from Carrollton to the site of his present residence, and engaged in the practice of his profession; he also opened an apothecary shop. The idea of founding a town seems to have occurred to both about the same time; and under their direction Arnold Champlin, a school teacher and surveyor, laid out the town in the autumn of 1850. The principal streets were named Main, Church and Forsythe, and the entire number of lots was twenty-four. Berry built the first business house on the northeast corner of the public square. One Brown established the first blacksmith shop, near his former location at the 'branch.' Thirteen lots were sold at the first sale. Isaac J. Thorn and Samuel Karns were among the first merchants after Berry. Benjamin Hailey built the first hotel, which still stands, not having yet been retired from active service. Within two or three years Berryville had become quite a trading point; and at the opening of the Civil War it contained fifty one houses, with a population of more than 200.

During the war it was the rendezvous of the military forces formed on both sides in the county. It was occupied for some time by Federal forces, and the aid and comfort thus involuntarily afforded rendered it the special object of attention from the bushwhackers. At the close of the war but one house remained, that of Mrs. (Hailey) Hubbard. The population had been scattered. The town was gradually rebuilt, but more slowly than at first. Dr. Baker was probably the first to return and rebuild; he had spent the last year of the war at Springfield, Mo. The first merchant after the war was Frank Hoggs, an ex-Federal soldier. He was son-in-law to Mr. Walker, hotel proprietor of what was lately known as the Southern House. William Sartain and P. Packwood were the next to engage in business. The removal of the county seat to Berryville in 1876 gave to the place a great impetus, and considering the disadvantages entailed by a long distance from railroads, the growth of the town has been encouraging. The population in 1880 was 253. There are now (1888) seventy three families, indicating about 400 inhabitants.