Blytheville was born in 1879 when Henry T. Blythe, Methodist minister, built a post office on the land where Blytheville stands today. In 1881 the minister started to sell land lots to settlers. Mississippi county had thousands of acres of trees back then and the demand for wood from the north was enormous after the great fire in Chicago in 1871. The city grew fast and was incorporated in 1889. According to records the city had a large and diverse population in 1890. As the forrest got more and more decimated the people of Blytheville started growing crops instead, cotton among others. Blytheville was a huge agricultural community until just 25 years ago when farming was mechanized and a lot of people lost their jobs. Instead there has been a growth in industry which is now a provider of employment for a big part of Blytheville's population of 18,000.
Blythe himself lived to be 88 years old, married five timed, was widowed five times, had nine children and was greatly powerful in Blytheville's economy, politics, school, church and court. He past away in 1903.

City Officials

Position	Name
Mayor	Melisa Logan
City Clerk	Melody Lawson
Assistant To Mayor	Dorothy Erby
District Judge	Shannon Langston
City Attorney	Chris Brown
Police Chief	Ross Thompson
Fire Chief	Mike Carney
Director Of Public Works	Mark Key
Water Superintendent	John Callens
Wastewater Superintendent	Gary Carr
Code Enforcement Officer	Ricky Jefferson
Council Member	Jacquin Benson, Jr.
Council Member	R.L. Jones
Council Member	Barbara McAdoo-Brothers
Council Member	Shirley Middlebrook Marshall
Council Member	Linda Moore
Council Member	Matt Perrin
Finance Director	John Callens
Human Resources Director	Alisha Williams