Arkansas County, Arkansas Records
Arkansas County, Arkansas (Map It) was created on  December 13, 1813 as an Original County. Arkansas County was named for a variant pronunciation of the Quapaw Native American people.
Arkansas County is bordered by Prairie County (north), Monroe County (northeast), Phillips County (east), Desha County (south), Lincoln County (southwest), Jefferson County (west), Lonoke County (northwest)
Arkansas County Cities and Towns include Almyra, De Witt, Gillett, Humphrey, St. Charles, Stuttgart.
Parts of Arkansas County was used to form the following counties:
- Chicot 1823
- Clark 1818
- Drew 1846
- Hempstead 1818
- Desha 1838
- Lincoln 1871
- Independence 1820
- Monroe 1829
- Phillips 1820
- Jefferson 1829
- Pulaski 1818
Other county boundry changes
- Part of Phillips annexed 23 October 1821
- line with Pulaski changed by Act of 30 October 1823
- Quapaw Purchase divided between Arkansas and Pulaski Counties by Act of 13 October 1827
- line with Phillips defined by Act of 21 November 1829
- boundaries defined Act of 7 November 1836
- line with Jefferson changed by Act of 25 February 1889
- line changed with Lincoln by Act of 25 March 1895
A Map of Arkansas County, Arkansas contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.
Courthouse Records
Arkansas County, AR Courthouse
in DeWitt
Arkansas County, AR Courthouse
in Stuttgart
The Arkansas County Courthouse is located in De Witt, Arkansas and Stuttgart, Arkansas, the oldest records in Arkansas are kept in the (Stuttgart) Courthouse.
They date from 1796 and are written in Spanish. (The first county seat was at Arkansas Post, but was moved to DeWitt in 1855). Learn More About State of Arkansas Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.
The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.
The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Arkansas county. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.
- Arkansas County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1819, Land Records from 1808 and Divorce Records are maintained among the equity records (Divorces issued prior to 1950 are located here). Divorces issued after 1950 can be found at the Arkansas Department of Public Health.
- The County Clerk of Circuit Court is the clerk of the circuit, chancery court, and juvenile court and usually acts as the ex-officio recorder of the county.
- The duties of the clerk are to maintain a record of all proceedings of the circuit, chancery and juvenile courts and to prepare the dockets for courts.
- They are also the ex-officio county recorder; and is responsible for recording deeds, mortgages, liens, and surety bonds, and many other orders and instruments which involve property within the county.
- Arkansas County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1839Â (Marriages issued prior to 1936) and has Probate Records from 1819.
The County Clerk, as clerk to the probate court, the clerk files all instruments making them a matter of record in descendent estate cases, and swears in all witnesses in contested estates.
The clerk, also in this capacity, maintains all records relative to adoptions and guardianship cases. - Arkansas County Revenue Commissioner's Office maintains County tax records. These records are usually arranged by legal description and are not indexed.
- Arkansas County Health Department
Census Records
- Learn More: State of Arkansas Census Records
- U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
- U.S. Census Reconstructed Records: Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1819-1870
- State Population Schedules: None
- U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedules: 1850 and 1860
- U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Union Veterans Schedules: 1890
Vital Records
- Learn More: State of Arkansas Vital Records
- Birth and Death Records: from February 1, 1914 to present.
- Marriage Records: from January 1917 to present.Â
- Divorce Records: from  January 1923 to present. Full certified copy may be obtained from the County Circuit or Chancery Clerk.
- Locations:Â Arkansas Office of Vital Records, 4815 W. Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205; (602) 364-1300, 501-661-2336, 800-637-9314
- Vital Records Online:Â USAVital or Social Security Death Index
- Vital Records by Mail: Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications.
County Resources
- Grand Prairie Historical Society, P.O. Box 122, Gillett, AR 72055-0122
- DeWITT PUBLIC LIBRARY , 205 West Maxwell, DeWitt, AR 72042
- Stuttgart Public Library
- Arkansas County USGenWeb Archives Project
- Arkansas County, Arkansas Message Boards
External Links
- Arkansas Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
- Historical Newspapers from Arkansas (1819 - 1999)
- Arkansas County, Arkansas Books - Amazon
- Arkansas Co., Arkansas - FindaGrave
- Arkansas Indexed Historical Records - Familysearch
- Arkansas Co. ARGenweb
- Arkansas County, Arkansas Links - Cyndi's List
- Historical Newspapers from Arkansas (1819 - 1999)
- Arkansas County, Arkansas Ancestry Database Collections
- Arkansas County, Arkansas Military Records
