Doddridge by Mrs. Hazel Fields Champ T. Field, who owned the land on which the town of Doddridge was built, came from Red Oak, Georgia in 1858. He left Georgia in 1849 and went to California to the gold rush, finding enough gold to return to Georgia, marry Millie Ann Dodd, move to Arkansas and buy several hundred acres of land which he farmed. Doddridge was named either for the railroad official or for the Dodd family who came to Arkansas with the Field Family. The ridge part was added because there was a ridge formation. The railroad came through in 1892. Mr. Field gave the land for the right of way and depot, and across the street from the depot, his son Henry established the first mercantile business. His business partner was Stephen Thomas Slay, another Georgia native. The first post office at Doddridge was in the Field Slay Store. Henry Field was postmaster until retiring in 1942. Other early businesses established was Sheppard and Hemperly, J.H. Atchinson, (who was in business from 1905 until his death in 1973, at the age of 93) Mr. Joe Brown and son George were in business many years. >From the turn of the century until WWII, Doddridge was a prosperous, small town having a bank, cotton gin, grist mill, black smith shop, hotel, drug store, doctors office, café's, barber shops, service stations, garages, and several general mercantile stores. C.T. Field, Spark Kennedy, Alfred Brown, and John Kennedy organized the Mt. Zion Church in 1859. The first preachers were Nelson Porterfield and James E. Dodd. The Doddridge Methodist Church was organized in 1850 as the Sulphur Fork Baptist Church. The old church was located on the Spring Bank Jefferson Road, south of Doddridge. In 1900 the church was moved to the present location. The Blantons, Mays, Smiths, and Magee's organized the church. Land for the Baptist Church, the present Methodist Church and the cemetery where donated by the Field family. The Union Grove Church of Christ was organized July 6, 1874, and Bright Star, then in Lafayette County, Arkansas. According to the minutes from that initial meeting, 35 charter members were present, and two ministers, J.M. Wilks and C.S Reeves, of Texas.