The first marriage which appears on the records, after the organization of Page county, is that of Isaia Stonebraker to Mary Jones, March 23, 1852, W.C. Means officiating.

Page county was named in honor of Captain Page, a gallant young officer who was killed in the Mexican war.

The boundaries of the county were fixed finally in 1851.

Page county contains 555 square miles, and 355,200 acres of the richest land in the world.

The Sac and Fox Indians owned the territory in which Page county is located until 1842.

The first white man to settle in the county was George W. Farrens, who came from Jackson county, Missouri, in the spring of 1840. He was shortly followed by his brothers Henry and David, and they settled in what is now Buchanan township.

The first white settler who died in this county was Pleasant Wilson, who died in 1844, near Braddyville.

The first mill built was a grist and saw mill, built and operated by a Mr Stonebraker, in 1847, where Shambaugh's mill is now located.

Perry Hardee, son of Mr and Mrs William Hardee, was born in 1842, and was the first white child born in the county.

The first election was held at the home of Wm. Hardee in 1851. The county was then divided into two townships, Buchanan and Nodaway.

Captain Connor, elected in 1851 was the first county judge.

Buchanan township was named from Lieutenant Buchanan, a young officer who was crossing the county with a body of troops, in 1833, and was drowned, with his horse, in the East Nodaway.

Elisha Thomas, of Ohio settled in 1846 where Hawleyville now stands. His son, Erastus Thomas, was the first treasurer and recorder of the county.

W.L. Birge, from Bloomfield, was the first county attorney elected in 1854.

The first postoffice was established in 1850, at the mill on the Nodaway, Capt Connor being postmaster. Before that the settlers got their mail at Savannah, Mo., 60 miles away and later at Maryville, 35 miles away.

Page county was organized in 1851, by William Hudson, who was appointed organization sheriff by the third general assembly of the state.

The first land entries took place in 1853, the land office then being located at Council Bluffs.

The first railroad in Page county was the Nebraska City Branch from Red Oak, built in 1871. The Villisca and Clarinda branch was built in 1872 with $30,000 aid from Clarinda citizens, and was named the Brownville and Nodaway Valley railroad. The H & S. railway was built by the Q and the Wabash in 1880-'81. The Denver Short Line was built in 1881-82.

The Page County Agricultural Society was organized in the spring of 1859. The first county fair was held on October 14 and 15 of that year, on the old ground one half mile north of Clarinda. The gate receipts for the first fair were $13.50, the amount received on membership $52, and $52 was received from the state, making a total of $117.50. The next year $25 was taken in at the gate which, with the other sums received, cleared $4.25 for the society. A rather small sum, truly but better than many societies have done in recent years.

The first paper published at Clarinda was the Page County Herald. The first number was issued at Clarinda on May 24, 1859. The name of the Herald was changed in 1864 to the Southwestern Observer, but was changed back again in two years to the Herald.

The Page County Democrat was established in 1868 by James Arrick.