Hempstead County, Arkansas Genealogy
(Redirected from Hempstead County, Arkansas)
Guide to Hempstead County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Hempstead County was created on 01 June 1819[2] and was named for Edward Hempstead, a Missouri congressman.[3] Its county seat is Hope.[4] It is located in the southwestern area of the state.[5]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Hempstead County Courthouse
P.O. Box 1420
Hope, AR 71801-1420
Phone: 870-777-2241
Hempstead County Website
County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1823 and land records from 1900[6]
Hempstead 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 | 1823 | 1914 | 1819 | 1900 | 1823 | 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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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:[9]
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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 Hempstead County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [10]
- 1818 December 15 - Hempstead County was organized.
- 1819 - Settlers came up the Red River on keel or flatboats, as well as overland, down the Southwest Trail.
- 1824 - Washington was established as the first county seat.
- 1863-1868 - The official population increased in these years as the former slaves were listed in the census for the first time as citizens. It is possible that the non-violent atmosphere in the county attracted other former slaves.
- 1880-1900 - In 1880, the rich earth near Columbus was producing 1,120 pounds of cotton per acre. Total production of cotton for the county was 13,985 bales, worth an estimated $1.425 million. By 1890, cotton production had increased to 15,985 bales. Cotton continued to be king until after World War I. No cotton is grown in the county today.
Additional Information
- 1818--Hempstead County was created 15 December 1818 from Arkansas County. County seat: Hope [11] Its existence predates the state of Arkansas which was admitted to the union in 1836. Hempstead County was part of the Missouri Territory from 1818 to 1819 and part of the Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1836.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Hempstead, County at Melting Pot Genealogical Society, RootsWeb
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- 1819-1850 Black Slaves And Early Freedman Of Hempstead County Arkansas 1819-1850. 2000. by Linda McDowell. Little Rock, AR: Jubilee, Inc. Online at: Internet Archive
- Biographies at My Genealogy Hound
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 2,512 | — |
| 1840 | 4,921 | 95.9% |
| 1850 | 7,672 | 55.9% |
| 1860 | 13,989 | 82.3% |
| 1870 | 13,768 | −1.6% |
| 1880 | 19,015 | 38.1% |
| 1890 | 22,796 | 19.9% |
| 1900 | 24,101 | 5.7% |
| 1910 | 28,285 | 17.4% |
| 1920 | 31,602 | 11.7% |
| 1930 | 30,847 | −2.4% |
| 1940 | 32,770 | 6.2% |
| 1950 | 25,080 | −23.5% |
| 1960 | 19,661 | −21.6% |
| 1970 | 19,308 | −1.8% |
| 1980 | 23,635 | 22.4% |
| 1990 | 21,621 | −8.5% |
| 2000 | 23,587 | 9.1% |
| 2010 | 22,609 | −4.1% |
| 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]
- 1819-1826 Order Book, 1819-1826(*); Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1820-1824 Court Book, 1820-1824(*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1835-1953 Circuit Court Record, 1835-1879; Chancery Court Record, 1839-1953(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1837-1912 Court Record, 1837-1912(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court, Hempstead County, Arkansas Territory 1819-1822. 1990. By Hempstead County Genealogical Society, Hope, Arkansas. Hope, Arkansas : Hempstead County Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Index to Chancery Court Records at Hempstead County ARGenweb
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans[edit | edit source]
- 1819-1850 Black Slaves And Early Freedman Of Hempstead County Arkansas 1819-1850. 2000. by Linda McDowell. Little Rock, AR: Jubilee Inc. Online at: Internet Archive
- 1865-1868 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Washington Internet Archive at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Accounts current, Marriage certificates, court papers, and teachers' school reports, contracts, letters.
- 1865-1868 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Washington (Southwest District of Arkansas) at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters, special orders
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Homes in Hope
- Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Homes in Hope
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1819-1927 Hempstead 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 bonds 1845-1914; Administration dockets 1839-1855; Dockets 1832-1840; Executor records 1861-1927; Guardian bonds and letters 1861-1911; Letters of administration 1826-1830; Miscellaneous probate records 1837-1845; Probate records 1841-1894; Wills 1826-1925; Wills, miscellaneous records 1819-1845.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Federal Land Records Hampstead County Hempstead County Archives
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hempstead 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 Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($). Hempstead County history is in Vol I, Ch XXI, pp. 377-454.
- A Pictorial History of Arkansas, From Earliest Times to the Year 1890. By Faye Hempstead. St. Louis: N.D. Thompson Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: Internet Archive. Hempstead County history is on pp. 859-874.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- 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[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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Arkansas, Hempstead County on page 191.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Hempstead County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company H
- - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), The Davis Blues
- - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate) , Companies C and D
- - 17th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Griffith's) (Confederate), Company H
- - 20th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies A, B, C and E
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
World War II[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-Current Arkansas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Hempstead newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Hempstead County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1783-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1819-1936 Deeds and Mortgages, 1819-1887; Index, 1819-1936(*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1819-1845 Wills, Marriages, Pre-Emptions, etc., vol. AA-BB, 1819-1845(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1826-1925 Will Records, 1826-1925(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1826-1927 Bonds, Inventories & Appraisments, 1826-1927(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1832-1855 Probate Docket Books, 1832-1855(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1841-1894 Probate Records, 1841-1894(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
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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 $
- 1800-Onward Arkansas Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1817-1875 Hempstead County Marriages, 1817-1875 at USGenWeb Archives
- 1817-1921 Hempstead County Marriage Books A-N, S-V Index 1817-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[13]
- 1819-1951 Hempstead County Marriage Books A-Z, 1-11 Index 1819-1951 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
- Freedmen's Marriages Hempstead County at ARGenweb
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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 ($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Hempstead County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
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
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Hempstead County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Hempstead County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Hempstead County Genealogical Society
115 SE Lawrence St
Washington, AR
Phone: 870-703-8256
Email: hempsteadhistory@gmail.com
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- ARGenWeb
- 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/AR_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Hempstead County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/hemp/
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hempstead County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hempstead_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), Hempstead County, Arkansas. Page 68 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), 66.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hempstead County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hempstead_County,_Arkansas, accessed 15 September 2018.
- ↑ Mary Nell Turner, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/hempstead-county-773/ accessed January 13, 2016), “Hempstead County.”
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ 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/0/0d/Igiarkansasem.pdf.