The seat of justice for the people of the Upper Current River was at Greenville, a distance of 80 to 100 miles from the communities along the Eleven Point and Current Rivers. Rather than traveling that far distance many of the people tried to pass as residents of Crawford County, organized January 23, 1829. It was closer to do business with the court at the Crawford County seat of justice in the house of James Harrison located on Mill Creek. The confusion and ill feeling from this inconvenience developed into a move to establish a new county. The residents of the Eleven Points River area combined with the residents; of the Current River area to make the 500 persons required to issue the requisite petition. The petition for the new county was presented on January 12, 1831, to the legislature. Ripley County, named For Elazor W. Ripley, a General in the War of 1812, was created on January 5, 1833, from part of Wayne County and part of the unattached territory. The boundaries were defined as beginning on Cane Creek where it crosses the Missouri-Arkansas state line in Range 5 East. Thence went the North Fork of the White River. Thence in a northerly direction on the dividing ridge between the head-waters of the Spring, Eleven Points and Current Rivers; and the head-waters of the Osage and Gasconade Rivers, to a point at the southwest corner of Washington County. Thence east along Township 34 line to the Madison County line. Thence south along the Black River to a point due west of Cedar Cabin. Thence south along the Wayne County line to the point of beginning.
The county seat was located at Vanburen and Rhomas Cilton was elected to represent the county in the 8th General Assembly in 1834.