Goodspeeds, 1890
The county of Izard was organized in accordance with an act of the legislature of the Territory of Arkansas, approved October 17, 1825. It was named in honor of George Izard, who was the governor of the Territory, and contained territory since cut off in the formation of Fulton, Baxter and Stone Counties. Various acts have been passed since its formation, by which it has been created as at present.

The original county seat was located on White River, at the mouth of Big North Fork, now in Baxter County. Soon after it was moved to Athens, on White River, at the mouth of Piney Creek, and from there, about the year 1844, to Mount Olive, in Section 31, Township 16 north, Range 10 west, another point on White River. Here it remained until May 15, 1875, when it was taken to its present (1890) site at Melbourne.

The first court house erected at the original site of the county seat was a hewed log cabin. The second was a small frame structure, built at Athens, and the third was also a frame erected at Mount Olive. The court house at Melbourne was built in 1878, but on the 11^th of April, 1889, it was consumed by fire, with all the public records and papers, supposed to have been of incendiary origin, as the fire occurred in the morning before daylight. The question of removing the county seat to some other point is now being agitated, but the probability is that it will remain at its present location.

The only public building the county possesses is the jail and jailer's residence combined, at Melbourne. This is a wooden building, the jail proper being frame on the outside, with a wall of squared timbers on the inside.

The county owns a poor farm, but it has never been improved or made available for the support of the paupers. The latter are let out on contract for their support, to the lowest responsible bidder.