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Lawrence County was formed from New Madrid County, Missouri, by the Legislative Act of Missouri Territory on January 15, 1815.
Named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, a naval commander who was killed in the War of 1812, Lawrence County was the second county formed in what is now the State of Arkansas. Thirty-one other counties were formed from Lawrence County; thus it is called the "Mother of Counties".
When Lawrence County was formed, Davidsonville, which was first named Lawrence, was the county seat. In 1829, the county seat was moved to Jackson. In 1837, Smithville became the county seat. Powhatan became the county seat in 1869. At the completion of the Iron Mountain Railroad, the county seat responsibilities were shared by Powhatan in the west and Walnut Ridge for the east. Walnut Ridge became the sole county seat in 1963.
Lawrence County is surrounded by the following counties:
- Randolph to the north,
- Greene to the northeast,
- Craighead to the southeast,
- Jackson to the south,
- Independence to the southwest, and
- Sharp on the west.
