Act No. 85 was a law enacted by the State of Arkansas on March 26, 1887. It divided Lawrence County in half; Powhatan became the seat of the Western District and Walnut Ridge became the seat of the Eastern District. 

The following is a partial excerpt from the law:

An Act to Establish Separate Judicial Districts in the County of Lawrence, in the State of Arkansas. 

BE IT ENACTED by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas:

Section 1. That the County of Lawrence shall be divided in two Judicial Districts, to be called the Western District and the Eastern District.

Section 2. That all that portion of Lawrence Count lying west of the Black River shall compose and be called the Western District, and the residue of said County shall compose and be called the Eastern District.

Section 16. That the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Lawrence shall keep and office in the town of Walnut Ridge, in the Eastern District, at which place the Clerk or Deputy shall reside, in addition to the office now required by law to be kept at the County Seat of said County. It shall be the duty of said clerk to provide a seal for the Circuit Court of the County of Lawrence for the Eastern District, which seal shall be the seal of the Probate Court for the Eastern District, and also the seal of the Recorder, and to be in all respects and in like manner as the seal of the Circuit Court is now by law used in the State. He shall furnish all the necessary book sand records now by law required to be kept in the office of the clerks of the Circuit Court...

Section 26. All laws and parts of laws in contravention with this act be and the same are hereby repealed, and this act take effect and be in force 30 days from and after its passage