Randolph County has a long history beginning before the 1880s. It has been part of:

    The family of Dr. Ransom S. Bettis is given the distinction of being the first settlers on the land that is now called Pocahontas. Dr. Bettis' daughter, Cinderella, married Thomas S. Drew and lived on 800 acres where the town of Biggers now exists. Bettis and Drew led the founding of Pocahontas as the county seat of Randolph County.

    In 1835 the Territorial Legislature granted the formation of Randolph County from part of the area then called Lawrence County. The county was named after John Randolph who was one of the first settlers in the area.

    Randolph County is famous for many "firsts": Arkansas' oldest town, Davidsonville, was established in 1815. The first Arkansas post office was built in Davidsonville in 1817, and the first state state courthouse was established in 1818. The earliest land claim was in 1809 near what is now Ravenden Springs. The first actual term of court convened in Arkansas was in 1815 in a part of Lawrence County that was given over to Randolph County. And the country's first overland route, the Natchitoches Trail, went through parts of Randolph County.

    Randolph County encompasses the rolling hills of the Ozarks to the west and rich, flat farmland of the Delta to the east. Five rivers flow through the county providing access to fishing and canoeing. Soybeans, rice and other grains are the principle crops in the Delta region, while cattle ranching dominates the hill country. The poultry industry is also a vital part of the area economy.

    The industrial base is diversified with products such as shoes, large truck trailers, technical components for communications, picture frames, golf bags and luggage, tool boxes, wood products and many more.

    Pocahontas is the county seat with a population of 6,151. The other 10,407 residents of Randolph County live in the rural areas and five incorporated communities - Maynard, Biggers, Reyno, Ravenden Springs, and O'kean.