Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Madison 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 our fourth president, James Madison. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Madison County Courthouse
1 Main Street; PO Box 37;
Huntsville, AR 72740-0037
Phone: 501.738.6721
Madison County Website
County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1901[3]
Madison 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 | 1901 | 1914 | 1866 | 1843 | 1901 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1902 A fire destroyed deed record A, and all Will records except those recorded on court records.
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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 | ||
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 Madison County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [7]
- 1700s - By the time of European exploration, Madison County was part of the Osage hunting grounds, although they lived further north.
- 1827 - The earliest white settlers arrived and began to establish farms and towns. Settlers who migrated to the area from Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, named both Huntsville and Madison County. However, the great majority of settlers came from Tennessee, traveling by flatboat and wagon.
- 1836 September 30 - The state legislature established Madison County.
- 1861-1865 - the area was hit hard by the bushwhackers who rode throughout the countryside, stealing and pillaging. They burned homes, stole food and possessions, and left most families with little to live on.
- 1800s (late) - With the coming of the railroads, the timber industry flourished in Madison County.
- 1930s - Madison County was particularly hard hit by the Depression.
- 1900-2010 - The population of Madison County hit its high mark in 1900 with over 19800 residents. It had a steady decline and bottoming out at just over 9,000 in 1960. It now (2010) has about 15,700.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Arkansas History and Biography, 1889 at Ancestry.com ($)
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
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Census | Pop. | %± |
1840 | 2,775 | — |
1850 | 4,823 | 73.8% |
1860 | 7,740 | 60.5% |
1870 | 8,231 | 6.3% |
1880 | 11,455 | 39.2% |
1890 | 17,402 | 51.9% |
1900 | 19,864 | 14.1% |
1910 | 16,056 | −19.2% |
1920 | 14,918 | −7.1% |
1930 | 13,334 | −10.6% |
1940 | 14,531 | 9.0% |
1950 | 11,734 | −19.2% |
1960 | 9,068 | −22.7% |
1970 | 9,453 | 4.2% |
1980 | 11,373 | 20.3% |
1990 | 11,618 | 2.2% |
2000 | 14,243 | 22.6% |
2010 | 15,717 | 10.3% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
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]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- Biographies from The History of Madison County, Arkansas (1889) published by Goodspeed Publishing Company are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1860-1969 Madison 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 Chancery Court record index 1866-1890; Chancery Court records 1866-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1860-1934; Letters of testamentary 1881-1969; Probate records 1867-1893; Wills 1905-1939.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Madison County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
- History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- 1889 History of Madison County, Arkansas With Biographical Appendix. from "History of Arkansas,". Huntsville, AR, USA: Century Enterprises, n.d. Reprint. Originally published by Goodspeed, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Family Maps of Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Map of 1889 Madison County, Arkansas with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Arkansas, Madison County on page 191.]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Madison County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company K
- - 16th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
- - 17th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Griffith's) (Confederate), Company G
- - 35th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company K
- Men from Madison County served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Union)[8]
- 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 Madison newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Madison 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 ($)
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 1860-1969 Madison 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 Chancery Court record index 1866-1890; Chancery Court records 1866-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1860-1934; Letters of testamentary 1881-1969; Probate records 1867-1893; Wills 1905-1939.
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 | |
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 | ![]() | |
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 | ![]() |
In 1877, a few county and city clerks[9] 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 $
- 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901 - 1951 - Madison County Marriage Books G-M Index 1901-1951 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[10] - How to Use this Collection
- 1901 - 1927 - Madison County Marriage Index 1901-1927 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[11]
- 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 Madison 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 Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Madison County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Madison County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
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, “Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/madison/
- ↑ 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), Madison 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, "Madison County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_County,_Arkansas, accessed 6 September 2018.
- ↑ Rebecca Haden and Joy Russell, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=788&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent= : accessed January 14, 2016), “Madison County.”
- ↑ Arkansas, Adjutant General's Office,
Online Records
- Report of the Adjutant General of Arkansas, for the period of the late rebellion, and to November 1, 1866, (Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, c1990) FHL fiche 6082312
- ↑ 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/0/0d/Igiarkansasem.pdf.