Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Conway 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 Henry Wharton Conway, who was the territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress.[2]It is located in the central of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Conway County Courthouse
117 South Moose Street;
Morrilton, AR 72110
Phone 501.354.9621
Conway County Website
County Clerk has marriage records from 1858 and probate records.
The Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and land records.[4]
Conway 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 | 1858 | 1914 | 1842 | 1825 | 1837 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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:[7]
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| Census-designated places | ||
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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 Conway County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [8]
- 1803 - Up to about 1803 Conway County’s early settlers came by way of the Arkansas River and included trappers, traders, and fugitives.
- 1803 The county was under French and Spanish rule before the Louisiana Purchase put it under American control.
- 1825 October 20 - Conway County was created by the Arkansas General Assembly.
- 1817-1828 - Tthe Western Cherokee occupied a reservation in Arkansas that included a great deal of Conway County.
- 1828 - The Cherokee in Arkansas signed a treaty swapping this reservation for lands west of the territorial border.
- 1872 - The Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad was completed through the county.
- 1910 - The population of Conway County hit its peak.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Conway County at Ancestry.com ($)
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 982 | — |
| 1840 | 2,892 | 194.5% |
| 1850 | 3,583 | 23.9% |
| 1860 | 6,697 | 86.9% |
| 1870 | 8,112 | 21.1% |
| 1880 | 12,755 | 57.2% |
| 1890 | 19,459 | 52.6% |
| 1900 | 19,772 | 1.6% |
| 1910 | 22,729 | 15.0% |
| 1920 | 22,578 | −0.7% |
| 1930 | 21,949 | −2.8% |
| 1940 | 21,536 | −1.9% |
| 1950 | 18,137 | −15.8% |
| 1960 | 15,430 | −14.9% |
| 1970 | 16,805 | 8.9% |
| 1980 | 19,505 | 16.1% |
| 1990 | 19,151 | −1.8% |
| 2000 | 20,336 | 6.2% |
| 2010 | 21,273 | 4.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes
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]
- 1864-1872 Arkansas Freedman's Bureau Office Records at FamilySearch — Free, browse images. Labor contracts, amnesty oaths, and marriage certificates, letters.- How to Use this Collection
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1826-1937 Conway 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 Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1859-1904; Probate record index 1840-1873; Probate records 1837-1886; Wills 1826-1937.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Conway County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
- Historical Reminiscenses and Biographical Memoirs of Conway County, Arkansas. 1960. Ed. by Hugh Park. Van Buren, Arkansas : Press-Argus. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint. Originally published: Little Rock, Arkansas : Arkansas Historical Pub. Co., 1890. Title also known as: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Conway County, Arkansas.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Family Maps of Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Conway County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company I
- - 10th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
- - 36th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies F and I
Men from this county served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate),[9] Company I; 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)[10] , Companies A, B, C, D, G, H, K, and L; 31st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies C and G.[11]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 - Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 - Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 - Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Conway newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
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 1826-1937 Conway 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 Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1859-1904; Probate record index 1840-1873; Probate records 1837-1886; Wills 1826-1937.
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]
Birth[edit | edit source]
| Y | M | |
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| Birth Date and Place |
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| Parent's Ages |
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| Father's Occupation |
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| Current Residence |
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In 1877, a few county and city clerks[12] 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 $
- 1851 - 1952 - Conway County Marriage Books 1-3, A-Z, 27-37 Index 1851-1952 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[13]
- 1851 - 1923 - Conway County Marriage Books C-W Index 1851-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[14]
- 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 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 Conway County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- 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 Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Conway County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Conway County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Conway County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 865
Morrilton, Arkansas 72110
E-mail: conwaycountygenealogy@yahoo.com
Website
River Valley Genealogy Society
Farm Bureau Building
201 E. Shady Lane
Morrilton, Arkansas
Website
Covers: Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Yell and Van Buren counties.
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. 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, “Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/conway/
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Conway County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_County,_Arkansas.
- ↑ 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), Conway County, Arkansas. Page 67 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), 65.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Conway County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_County,_Arkansas, accessed 3 September 2018.
- ↑ Mary Ellen Guffey Brents, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=759&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 12, 2016), “Conway County.”
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, First Arkansas Confederate Mounted Rifles (Conway, Ark.: privately published, 1988), 2.
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, Third Arkansas Union Cavalry (Conway, Ark.: privately published, 1987), 33-92.
- ↑ Ronald R. Bass, History of the Thirty-first Arkansas Confederate Infantry (Conway, Ark.: Arkansas Research, 1996), 12.
- ↑ 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, "- How to Use this Collection 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/5/5c/Igiarkansasad.pdf.
