Prairie County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Prairie 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 Grand Prairie. It is located in the central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Prairie County Courthouse
P.O. Box 278;
Des Arc, AR 72040-0278
Phone: 870.256.3741
Prairie County Website
County Clerk in Devalls, Bluff, Arkansas has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1885, naturalization records 1907-1912 and military discharge records from 1917[3]
Prairie 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 | 1854 | 1914 | 1854 | 1854 | 1854 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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1854 A fire at Brownsville on September 16, 1854 destroyed 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]
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| 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 Prairie County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [7]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 2,097 | — |
| 1860 | 8,854 | 322.2% |
| 1870 | 5,604 | −36.7% |
| 1880 | 8,435 | 50.5% |
| 1890 | 11,374 | 34.8% |
| 1900 | 11,875 | 4.4% |
| 1910 | 13,853 | 16.7% |
| 1920 | 17,447 | 25.9% |
| 1930 | 15,187 | −13.0% |
| 1940 | 15,304 | 0.8% |
| 1950 | 13,768 | −10.0% |
| 1960 | 10,515 | −23.6% |
| 1970 | 10,249 | −2.5% |
| 1980 | 10,140 | −1.1% |
| 1990 | 9,518 | −6.1% |
| 2000 | 9,539 | 0.2% |
| 2010 | 8,715 | −8.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes - 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]
- 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Devall's Bluff at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Labor contracts, persons hired, letters
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1851-1951 Prairie 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 executor bonds and letters 1851-1866; Administration and executor dockets 1852-1895; Administration and executor settlements 1854-1867; Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1885-1951; Administration bonds 1865-1894; Administration, executor and guardian dockets 1885-1925; Executors bonds and letters 1886-1949; Guardian bonds 1866-1894; Guardian dockets 1853-1896; Letters of administration 1866-1894; Letters of guardianship 1866-1891; Letters of testamentary 1865-1933; Probate records 1854-1907; Wills 1852-1932.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Prairie 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)
- Map of Prairie County - 1895 Prairie Co.ARGenweb
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Prairie County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - Louis' Company, Arkansas Militia (Confederate),
- - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate)[8], Company B
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company C
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Volunteers (Confederate), Company B
- - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate) , Companies AandE
- - 18th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C
- - 36th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C
Online Records
- Confederate Patriots' Index Marilyn Sickel Prairie Co. ARGenweb
- 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 Prairie newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Prairie 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 1851-1951 Prairie 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 executor bonds and letters 1851-1866; Administration and executor dockets 1852-1895; Administration and executor settlements 1854-1867; Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1885-1951; Administration bonds 1865-1894; Administration, executor and guardian dockets 1885-1925; Executors bonds and letters 1886-1949; Guardian bonds 1866-1894; Guardian dockets 1853-1896; Letters of administration 1866-1894; Letters of guardianship 1866-1891; Letters of testamentary 1865-1933; Probate records 1854-1907; Wills 1852-1932.
- Wills and Probate Prairie County ARGenweb
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[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 $
- 1854 - 1962 - Prairie County Marriage Books A-O Index 1854-1962 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[10] - How to Use this Collection
- 1854 - 1924 - Prairie County Marriage Books A-K Index 1854-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[11]
- 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Marriages - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1914 - 1947 - Index to Prairie County Death Certificates beginning Feb 1, 1914 to 1947 - Marilyn Sickel Prairie County ARGenweb
- 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
- 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 Prairie 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 Prairie County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Prairie 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 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).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prairie County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_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), Prairie County, Arkansas. Page 70 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), 67.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prairie County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_County,_Arkansas, accessed 26 September 2018.
- ↑ Marilyn Hambrick Sickel, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=802&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 15, 2016), “Prairie County.”
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, First Arkansas Confederate Mounted Rifles, (Conway, Arkansas: Arkansas Research, c1988), p. 2. FHL book 976.7 M2a
- ↑ 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, accessed 18 April 2013.
- ↑ 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.
