Clark County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States

Arkansas

Clark County

 

Guide to Clark County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: Arkadelphia Organized: December 15, 1818 Parent County(s): Arkansas Neighboring Counties Dallas  • Hot Spring  • Montgomery  • Nevada  • Ouachita  • Pike See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption Little Missouri River Bridge, Prescott in Clark County, AR

County Information

Description

The county was named after William Clark. It is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Clark County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
401 Clay Street
Arkadelphia, AR 71923
Phone: 870.246.4491
Clark County website

County Clerk has marriage records from 1821, land records from 1819, and probate records from 1800.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

Clark County, Arkansas

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1914*	1821	1914*	1838	1819	1800	1830
*State birth and death records began in 1914. Limited compliance until 1920's

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1818--Clark County was created 15 December 1818 from Arkansas County.  County seat: Arkadelphia Border with Pulaski changed 30 October 1823 Union County created in 1829 Hot Spring County created in 1829 Pike County created in 1833 Dallas County created in 1845 Border with Hot Spring and Dallas changed 3 April 1868 Part of Clark added to Pike 22 April 1873 Border with Montgomery changed 24 April 1873 Border with Pike changed 8 March 1877 For animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arkansas County Boundary Maps" (1813-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Amity	Arkadelphia (county seat)	Gurdon
Towns
Caddo Valley Gum Springs	Okolona	Whelen Springs
Unincorporated communities
Adams Alpine Antoine Anvil Ashton (or Joslyn) Atlee Beech Creek Beirne Bradsha Copeland Ridge Curtis Elm Point	Flanagans Gravel Junction Graysonia Greenville Gurdon Junction Hardages Hearn Hebron Keyton Leard Manchester Midway	Mill Creek Raymond Reeves Rome Scotts Shawmut Sloan Tate Terre Noir Tupelo Springs Weaver
Census-designated places
Barringer Bethel Boswell Burtsell Central Clear Spring Daleville De Gray Dobyville Fendley	Griffithtown Halfway Haretown Hollywood Joan Kansas Knoxville Lenox Love Creek Majors	Meeks Settlement Pike Junction Red Springs Richwoods Shakertown Smithton Smyrna Sycamore Trace Vaden
Townships
Caddo

History Timeline

Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Clark County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.

• 1700s - Europeans continued to explore and occupy the area, but Indians had largely vacated.
• 1803 - Permanent settlement by Americans occurred soon after the Louisiana Purchase.
• 1818 - December 15, Clark County was founded as part of Missouri Territory.
• 1860 - The county had become a thriving community of agriculture, commerce, and education.
• 1932 - Clark County suffered along with the rest of Arkansas from the effects of the Great Depression.
• 1939-1945 - World War II stimulated the development of small industry in the county.
• 1930-1970 - The county lost 13.6 percent of its population.
• 1980s - Clark County’s economy declined.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Clark, Arkansas online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com ARGenWeb ARGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Arkansas Gravestones Interment.net Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Arkansa Cemeteries by epodunk Arkansas Cemetery Records by Accessgenealogy
See Arkansas Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites may have additional information on Arkansas County cemeteries.

• African American Cemeteries Online Scroll to the county and cemetery.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	1,369	—
1840	2,309	68.7%
1850	4,070	76.3%
1860	9,735	139.2%
1870	11,953	22.8%
1880	15,771	31.9%
1890	20,997	33.1%
1900	21,289	1.4%
1910	23,686	11.3%
1920	25,632	8.2%
1930	24,932	−2.7%
1940	24,402	−2.1%
1950	22,998	−5.8%
1960	20,950	−8.9%
1970	21,537	2.8%
1980	23,326	8.3%
1990	21,437	−8.1%
2000	23,546	9.8%
2010	22,995	−2.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census reports for Clark County are available for 1830-1930 including Industry and Agriculture Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880; Slave Schedules for 1850 & 1860; and Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

• 1820 is missing
• 1830 and 1840 - Check the Arkansas Census page for availability. Searchable index on Ancestry.
• 1850 - 1920 Census- Searchable index on FamilySearch
• 1890 Census substitution was compiled by William L. Newberry from the Tax Receipt Book for 1890.

For more information about the using the census in Arkansas, please refer to the Arkansas Census page.

Church Records

• 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index

Court Records

Clark County Court Clerk has court records beginning in 1838.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

• 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Arkadelphia at FamilySearch.org — (browsable images only); register of marriage, labor contracts, letters, complaints

Guardianship

• Probate Records 1822-1957 Clark County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • Includes Administration and guardian bonds 1869-1909; Bonds 1827-1873; Dockets 1875-1901; Letters of administration 1827-1883; Probate records 1822-1957; Wills 1855-1867.

Land and Property Records

Clark County Court Clerk has land records beginning in 1819. Remember that original land sales and grants were often with the US Government and are part of the General Land Office Records not the local county records.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Clark County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. Click for a brief Timeline History of the county. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.

• "History of Clark County" by Laura Scott Butler. Publications of the Arkansas Historical Association - v. 2 (1908). Online at FamilySearch Catalog (Free)
• Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at:Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
• Family Maps of Clark County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records

Revolutionary War

• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FHL Collection 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Arkansas section begins on page 439.]

Civil War

Regiments. Men in Clark County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:

- 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company B

- 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Colquitt's) (Confederate)

- 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Companies E and F

- 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate) , Company F

- 8th Battalion, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company A

- 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies E and H

• Men from this county served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Companies A and C

Online Records

• 1861-1865 - Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1890-1963 - Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1891-1939 - Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1901-1929 - Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battle was fought in Clark County.

• April 3-4, 1864 = Elkin’s Ferry, also known as Okolona
• Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas. 

Newspapers

Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Clark County, Arkansas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat
• FamilySearch. Do a Clark County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
• Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
• Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
• Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
• Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
• Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

• 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1817 – 1979 Arkansas Probate Records 1817-1979 at FamilySearch — images
• Probate Records 1822-1957 Clark County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • Includes Administration and guardian bonds 1869-1909; Bonds 1827-1873; Dockets 1875-1901; Letters of administration 1827-1883; Probate records 1822-1957; Wills 1855-1867.

The county clerk has probate records starting in 1840.

Vital Records

Statewide registration of births and deaths began 1 February 1914, and have a limited availability through the Arkansas Vital Records Department of the Arkansas Health Department. The Arkansas History Commission keeps an alphabetical listing of deaths in Arkansas dating from 1914 through 1949, but they do not have the actual death records. They have shared this listing of deaths with Ancestry.com $ (Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950)

Clark County, Arkansas records compiled by Mrs. Frank Austin Gerig. Includes some vital, property, and probate records with index.) FHL US/CAN Film 844407 Items 4-5

Birth

Birth Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Name of Child
Birth Date and Place
Parent's Names
Mother's Maiden Name
Parent's Ages
Father's Occupation
Current Residence
Name of Doctor or Midwife

In 1877, a few county and city clerks started keeping birth and death records.

In 1914, the state law required all county clerks to record births and forward them to the state.

• Arkansas Births and Christenings, 1812-1965 at FamilySearch. (Free, index only)
  • Small file, but worth searching. Most entries were user-submitted.

See also: • Arkansas Online Genealogy Records, • How to Find Arkansas Birth Records and • Arkansas Vital Records—Birth.

Marriage

Clark County Court Clerk has marriage records beginning in 1821. Many of these have been microfilmed and are available through the Family History Library, Salt Lake, UT:

• 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1818 - 1987 - Marriage records, 1818-1970; indexes, 1818-1987 by Clark County (Arkansas). County Clerk. (Microfilm of original records in the Clark County courthouse; and at the Ouachita Baptist University Library, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Indexes include Male and female indexes 1821-1975; Indexes to marriage records, v. 1-3, 1840-1987; Index to loose marriage licenses, 1818-1970. Marriage record volumes C - Z 1845 - 1931 and volumes 1 - 10 1931 - 1951. Marriage Record volumes A, B, and J are missing. Also Loose marriage licenses, 1818-1970 arranged alphabetically) 25 microfilm rolls  **This title is currently (May 2010) being digitized and indexed for inclusion in Arkansas Vital Records Index
• Arkansas Department of Health also has marriage records dating from January 1917 and divorce records dating from January 1923.
• 1845 - 1922 - Clark County Marriage Books C-U Index 1845-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
• 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1870 - 1970 - Clark County Marriage Books F-Z, 1-10 and Loose Marriage Licenses Index 1870-1970 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1933 - 1939 - Ancestry.com. $ Arkansas Marriage Index, 1933-1939. Original data: Vital Records Division, Arkansas Department of Health. Marriage Record Index, 1933-1939. Arkansas, USA: Arkansas Genealogical Society. Microfiche.
• 1851 - 1900 - Ancestry.com. $ Arkansas Marriages, 1851-1900. Original data: Clark County, Arkansas Marriages, 1851 - 1875. County court records located at Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Family History Library film # (1009945 - 1009946 & 1010121-1010123)
• 1923 - 1939 - Ancestry.com. $ Arkansas Divorce Index, 1923-1939. Original data: Arkansas Divorce Index 1923-1939. Arkansas, USA: Arkansas Genealogical Society. Microfiche.
• Clark County, Arkansas Obituary Collection And Surrounding Howard and Pike Counties From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free. From Various Funeral Homes.
• To 1900 - Clark County, Arkansas : a genealogical source book compiled by Pauline Williams Wright, Barbara McDow Caffee (Contents: vol. 1. Marriages thru 1900; divorce petitions thru 1900; Probate records, May 1827-Oct. 1838 and more) FHL US/CAN Book 976.749 D2w v. 1 or FHL US/CAN Fiche 6010780
• 1821 - 1837 - Clark County, Arkansas, marriage records, 1821-1879 compiled by Bobbie Jones McLane. (Contains "Deaton family of Clark Co., Arkansas." Marriages are on file in the county clerk's office at Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Includes index of brides.) FHL US/CAN Book 976.749 V29m
• 1821 - 1837 - Clark County, Arkansas marriage records, 1821-1837 : marriage record book A, March 22, 1821 to February 12, 1837 compiled and edited by David L. Kelley. FHL US/CAN Book 976.749 V2k or FHL US/CAN Film 1750736 Item 20
• 1873 - 1959 - Marriage licenses of Clark County, Arkansas (unclaimed) by Newberry, William L. (The dates for this vol. run from ca. 1873-1959. Names are in alphabetical order.) FHL US/CAN Book 976.749 V2n
• 1821 - 1837 - Marriages of Clark County, Arkansas, 1821-1837 compiled by James Logan Morgan. FHL US/CAN Book 976.7 A1 no. 50
• Records of Clark County, Arkansas by Daughters of the American Revolution (Arkansas) (Microreproduction of original typescript (58, 132 leaves) written in 1972. Includes index. Includes marriages, a cemetery (Mt. Tabor in Montgomery Co.) and bible records.) FHL US/CAN Film 907977 Item 6

Death

• Clark County, Arkansas : Arkadelphia & environs, a journal by James A. Fortson, recorded, 1875-1897 by Fortson, James A, 1829-1898 transcribed and edited by Linda Shaddock Rogers. (45 pages; Includes vital record information, primarily deaths. Includes full-name index.) FHL US/CAN Book 976.749 D3f

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

Websites

• ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
• USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
• RootsWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
• Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
• CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
• FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records