In August, 1858, a branch of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad was completed to Washington. Brighton is a thriving town in the southeast part of the county on the line of the Southwestern Railroad. The principal streams flowing through the county are the Skunk and English rivers and Crooked Creek, the banks of which are bordered by native timber.
WAYNE COUNTY was created on the 13th of January, 1846, and lies on the Missouri line about midway between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers, containing five hundred twenty-three square miles. It was named for General Anthony Wayne of the Revolutionary War. Branches of the Chariton and Grand rivers flow through the county in a southerly direction cutting channels to a depth of from one hundred to one hundred fifty feet. These streams are usually bordered by timber and numerous groves are scattered over the county.
In 1840 D. S. Duncan, H. P. Sullivan and H. B. Duncan of Kentucky took claims on Grand River close to the State line near the present town of Lineville. Other settlers soon came, locating in the timber lands along the streams. Among them were Henderson Walker, Benjamin Barker, Hiram Mason, I. W. McCarthy, Joseph Rains, George Garman, Seth Anderson and Isaac Wilson. In November, 1850, Dr. I. W. McCarthy was appointed sheriff to organize the county. The following officers were elected in August, 1851: Seth Anderson, judge; Thomas McPherson, clerk; D. Payton, recorder and treasurer, and I. W. McCarthy, sheriff. Thirty votes were cast at this election and the amount of revenue the first year was $64.30.
The commissioners chosen to locate the county-seat in the spring of 1851 selected the site where Corydon stands and gave it the name of Springfield but as there was already a town of that name in the State, upon the suggestion of Judge Anderson, it was changed to Corydon
