The petition seeking incorporation of the town of Paragould was submitted to County Clerk R.H. Gardner at the Gainesville courthouse on Jan. 15, 1883 , by John B. Boykin and D. B. Warren legal representatives of the 77 petitioners. County Judge John Osteen heard the petition on March 3, 1883 "and ordered that said territory described in the within petition be organized as prayed for and that said town be incorporated according to law."

The petitioners included--- as best as the hand -written record can be deciphered in order.

J.M. Landrum, A.P. Cox, Silas A. Whitley, S. B. Vaughn, G.R. Ray, H. L. Bramlet, E.D. Carrigan, W.H. Armstrong, M.J. Latta, J. W. Davis, W. L. Hays, C. Rowland, F. N. Carter, A.B. Glisson, M.V. Camp, S.L. Ward, Nathan Harris, W.C. Okley, Chris Ritter, A. Knight, J.B. Smith, Frank S. Jost, I. M. Thompson, G.W. Thompson, J.H. Herrion, J.S. Hooper, D.H. Walls, A.H. Tinin, W.W. Lowery, George W. Cox, J.M. Williams , W.Y. Fuley, James B. Williamson , T.C. Spain, H.C. Hill, C.F. Wilson, J.A. Steadman, W.H. Foster, J.A.J. Baker, J. M. Minton , Wilson Hunt, E. C. Hunter, D.P. Norvell, W.S. Pruet, R.W. Hunt, D.A. Smith, B.F. Cornstock, J.G. Brewer, C.D. Pruet, D.D. Hodges, J.E. Garland, J.H. Grantham, J.L. Poindexter, D.S. Spain, W.L. Strickland, John M.Davis, A.J. Hall, R.H. Rutledge, W.A. Simmons jr., D.L. MCClamrock, J.C. Glass, A.W. Safley, John Cox, W.T. Hale, J.A. Dickson, R.Corman, G.W. Fisher, J.R. Turner, J.R. Thompson, E.S. Bray, A. Grisby, J.W. Cooper, W.A. Strickland, M.H. Willis, William Wright, L.C. Thompson, and J.A. Thompson.

Ten years later after the town's incorporation , its population exceeded 2,500 allowing it to be ranked the following year as a second class city. The population had doubled to 5, 122 by 1907 and first-class status was awarded on Dec. 31 of that year.