Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Conway County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Conway County was created on 1 January 1826[2] and was named for Henry Wharton Conway, who was the territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress. Its county seat is Morrilton.[3] It is located in the central area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
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.[5]
Conway County, Arkansas
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
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
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:[8]
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History Timeline
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. [9]
- 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
Bible Records
- Arkansas Bible Records at Arkansas Genealogy
- Conway County Bible Records at Arkansas USGenWeb Project Archives
Biographies
- Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Conway County Little Rock: Arkansas Historical Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| 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
- 1875-1899 Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1842-1876 Court Records, 1842-1876(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1842-1961 Court Records, 1842-1961(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1849-1877 County Court Record, 1849-1877(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1851-1952 Marriage Records, 1851-1952; Index to Marriages, 1851-1875(*); Recorder, Court of Common Pleas, and County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
- 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
- Bob Neal and Sons Funeral Home in Morrilton
- Harris Funeral Home in Morrilton
- Larry G. Acklin Funeral Homes in Morrilton
- Vance-Wilson and Jarrett Funeral Directors in Morrilton
Genealogies
Guardianship
- 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
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
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.
- Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Conway County. By Hugh Park, Ed. Little Rock: Arkansas Historical Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Family Maps of Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives
Migration
Military Records
Civil War
Regiments. Men in Conway County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company I
- - 10th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
- - 36th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies F and I
Men from this county served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate),[10] Company I; 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)[11] , Companies A, B, C, D, G, H, K, and L; 31st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies C and G.[12]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Arkansas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Conway newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1783–1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1826-1937 Probate Court Records, 1826-1937; Index to Records, 1840-1873(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Vital Records
Birth
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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
- 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1800-Onward Arkansas Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1851-1923 Conway County Marriage Books C-W Index 1851-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[14]
- 1851-1952 Conway County Marriage Books 1-3, A-Z, 27-37 Index 1851-1952 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
Death
- 1812-Onward Arkansas Deaths at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
- 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
Divorce
- 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Voting Records
- 1700-Onward Arkansas Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1868-1910 Arkansas, County Voter Registration Records, 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Conway County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Clarksville Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Conway Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Russellville Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Central Arkansas Library System - Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library - an affiliate library
- Central Arkansas Library System - Dee Brown Library - an affiliate library
- Central Arkansas Library System - Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children Library and Learning Center - an affiliate library
- Central Arkansas Library System - Max Milam Library - an affiliate library
- Central Arkansas Library System - Sidney S. McMath Library - an affiliate library
- Central Arkansas Library System - Sue Cowan Williams Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Conway County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Conway County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Conway County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 865
Morrilton, AR 72110
Email: conwaycountygenealogy@yahoo.com
Website
River Valley Genealogy Society
Farm Bureau Building
201 E Shady Ln
P.O. Box 830
Morrilton, AR
Phone: 501-208-4213, 501-354-4428
Email: rivervalleygenealogysociety@gmail.com
Website
Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Yell and Van Buren Counties.
Websites
- ARGenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives
- Linkpendium
- Cyndi's List
- 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
References
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Arkansas: Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/AR_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ 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); FS Library 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)
- ↑ 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.