September 3, 1891

Piggott (Clay County) was incorporated. A thriving agricultural town in northeast Arkansas, Piggott has several claims to fame, including its relationship with famed American writer Ernest Hemingway, its selection as a site for filming the classic movie A Face in the Crowd, and its reputation as a “marrying mecca.” This reputation was garnered In the late 1940s and early 1950s, when most states had a three-day waiting period for marriage licenses. Arkansas had a law that the waiting period could be waived in special cases, and the Clay County judge took the position that all marriages were special cases. People flocked to Piggott from neighboring states to be married. During the peak year of 1950, there were 5,960 marriages in Piggott, more than twice the entire population of the city.