Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Phillips County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 2.29 Voter Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the first white settler and representative to the first Territorial Legislature of the Arkansas Territory, Sylvanus Phillips. It is located in the southeast central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Phillips County Courthouse
600 Cherry Street
Helena, AR 72342
Phone: 870-338-5505
Phillips County Website
County Clerk has marriage records from 1831 and probate records from 1850;
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court, and land records from 1820.[3]
Phillips County, Arkansas[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1831 | 1914 | 1820 | 1820 | 1850 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
One factor that must be taken into account in conducting research pertaining to Phillips County is that the Mississippi River has, on occasion, changed course. In addition, parts of Phillips County later became other counties: Crittenden in 1825, St. Francis in 1827, Monroe in 1829, and Lee in 1873. 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[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Phillips County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture[7] and several other sources.[8] [9] [10] [11]
- 1797 - Sylvannus Phillips, was living in what is now Phillips County , having come from North Carolina.
- 1820 May 1 - The Arkansas territorial legislature established Phillips County out of Arkansas County, with St. Francis as the county seat. It is believed that sometime in the next decade the city's name changed to Helena.
- 1820 November 19 - First deed recorded in Phillips County.
- 1829 & 1873 - Phillips County was reduced in size twice: first when Monroe County was established, and later when Lee County was established.
- 1830 - The town of Helena officially named as the county seat.
- 1852 - A fire nearly destroyed the town of Helena.
- 1855 - A yellow fever epidemic hit the town of Helena.
- 1862 - The town became occupied by the Union army under General Samuel Curtis.
- 1863 July 4 - The Battle of Helena took place, with the confederate troops unsuccessfully attempting to take the town.
- Today (2010) - Phillips county is one of the few Arkansas counties where African Americans outnumber whites. They do so close to 2 to 1.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
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General:
Individual Cemeteries:
- Marvell Eventide Cemetery, Marvell BillionGraves
- Turner Cemetery, Marvell BillionGraves
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 1,152 | — |
| 1840 | 3,547 | 207.9% |
| 1850 | 6,935 | 95.5% |
| 1860 | 14,877 | 114.5% |
| 1870 | 15,372 | 3.3% |
| 1880 | 21,262 | 38.3% |
| 1890 | 25,341 | 19.2% |
| 1900 | 26,561 | 4.8% |
| 1910 | 33,535 | 26.3% |
| 1920 | 44,530 | 32.8% |
| 1930 | 40,683 | −8.6% |
| 1940 | 45,970 | 13.0% |
| 1950 | 46,254 | 0.6% |
| 1960 | 43,997 | −4.9% |
| 1970 | 40,046 | −9.0% |
| 1980 | 34,772 | −13.2% |
| 1990 | 28,838 | −17.1% |
| 2000 | 26,445 | −8.3% |
| 2010 | 21,757 | −17.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Phillips County, Arkansas Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African Americans on 1870 Census (Tom Blake)
- 1820--Census is missing.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places
- 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans[edit | edit source]
- 1864-1871 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Helena at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Register of claimants, Copies of reports,
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1821-1945 Phillips County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images) - How to Use this Collection
- Includes Probate records 1821-1891; Wills 1898-1945; Guardian bonds and records 1873-1911
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Phillips County deed records from 1886 to 1906 were microfilmed by the Arkansas History Commission in cooperation with the Arkansas History Commission. This was a part of a project which was completed in 2007. The filming project is discussed in an Internet news item in the Arkansas History Commission website.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Phillips County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
- Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas. 1890. Chicago, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 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
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Phillips County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 13th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)
- - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 - Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 - Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 - Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Phillips County.
- July 4, 1863 =HelenaBuffalo Soldiers[12]
- Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Phillips newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Places 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 ($)
- Constitutional Journal
- Political Intelligencer, established in 1833 at Helena, moved later that year to Little Rock
- Regional Newspapers - Phillips County, Arkansas (list)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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 - How to Use this Collection
- Probate Records 1821-1945 Phillips County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images) - How to Use this Collection
- Includes Probate records 1821-1891; Wills 1898-1945; Guardian bonds and records 1873-1911.
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records
Birth[edit | edit source]
| Y | M | |
| Name of Child | 
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| Birth Date and Place |
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| Parent's Names |
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| Mother's Maiden Name |
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| Parent's Ages |
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| Father's Occupation |
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| Current Residence |
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| Name of Doctor or Midwife |
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In 1877, a few county and city clerks[13] 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[edit | edit source]
- 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1820 - 1879 - Murray, Dorothy L. Phillips County, Arkansas, 1820-1879: Computer Indexed Marriage Records. Hunting for Bears, 1991. Google Books page
- 1831 - 1946 - Phillips County Marriage Books 1, A-Z, A1-N1 Index 1831-1946 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[14] - How to Use this Collection
- 1831 - 1921 - Phillips County Marriage Books 1, A-Z, A1-N1 Index 1831-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[15]
- 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1921 - 1951 - Phillips County marriage records from 1921 to 1951 were microfilmed by the Arkansas History Commission in cooperation with the Arkansas History Commission. This was a part of a project which was completed in 2007. The filming project is discussed in an Internet news item in the Arkansas History Commission website.
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
- 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Voter Records[edit | edit source]
- 1868-1910 - Arkansas, County Voter Registration Records, 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Phillips County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Phillips County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
- West Helena Public Library, 721 Plaza St., West Helena, AR 72390
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Phillips County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
- Tri-County Genealogical Society, PO Box 580, Marvell, AR 72366, covers Lee, Monroe, and Phillips Counties, Arkansas. The society publishes Tri-County Genealogy.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- 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 resources. 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
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/phillips/
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Phillips County, Arkansas. Page 69 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 66.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Phillips County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_County,_Arkansas, accessed 13 September 2018.
- ↑ Billy Steven Clifft, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=797&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 15, 2016), “Phillips County.”
- ↑ Paul T Hellmann, Historical Gazetteer of the United States: Helena. New York: Routledge, 2005, http://books.google.com/books?id=EQ-R4O2L3nEC&pg=PA63&dq=%22Phillips+County%22+Helena+1820&hl=en&ei=7TgSTrW7AfPksQLliOHUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22Phillips%20County%22%20Helena%201820&f=false, visited 11 July 2017, p. 63.
- ↑ James D. McCabe, A Comprehensive View of Our Country and its Resources': Helena', Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers, 1876, http://books.google.com/books?id=cfziDsWvN8gC&pg=PA992&dq=%22Phillips+County%22+Helena+1820&hl=en&ei=PUoSTpalDoXHsQLNzvDUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=%22Phillips%20County%22%20Helena%201820&f=false, visited 11 July 2017, , p. 992.
- ↑ Josiah Hazen Shinn, Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas, Vol. 1, Washington: Genealogical and Historical Publishing Co., 1908, pp. 117-131, http://books.google.com/books?id=GdKkAxrFPt4C&pg=PA124&dq=%22Phillips+County%22+Helena+1820&hl=en&ei=wz8STrWxCLODsALL-9XUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Phillips%20County%22%20Helena%201820&f=false, visited 11 July 2017.
- ↑ Robert Whitaker, On the Laps of Gods: The Red Summer of 1919 and the Struggle for Justice that Remade a Nation, New York: Random House, 2008, http://books.google.com/books?id=SVNX38vKfeMC&pg=PA58&dq=%22Phillips+County%22+Helena+1820&hl=en&ei=wz8STrWxCLODsALL-9XUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=%22Phillips%20County%22%20Helena%201820&f=false, visited 11 July 2017.
- ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, [https://www.nps.gov/history/index.htm Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 2 August 2012).
- ↑ such as Sebastian County (Fort Smith) and Pulaski County (Little Rock) (No entry in FamilySearch Catalog found for Pulaski County nor for Little Rock, Aug 2014)
- ↑ FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "Arkansas County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records," in FamilySearch Wiki.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/d/d7/Arkansasnz.pdf.
