Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy
(Redirected from Madison County, Arkansas)
Guide to Madison 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
Madison County was created on 30 September 1836[2] and was named for our fourth president, James Madison.[3] Its county seat is Huntsville.[4] It is located in the northwestern area of the state.[5]
County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse
1 Main Street
P.O. Box 37
Huntsville, AR 72740-0037
Phone: 501-738-6721
Madison County Website
County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1901.[6]
Madison 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 | 1901 | 1914 | 1866 | 1843 | 1901 | 1830 |
Record Loss
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1902 A fire destroyed deed record A, and all Will records except those recorded on court records.
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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:[9]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
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 Madison County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [10]
- 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
Bible Records
- Madison County, Arkansas Data Lists and Documents at ArGenWeb.net
Biographies
- Biographies at My Genealogy Hound
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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
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
- 1866-1959 Court Records, 1866-1959(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1867-1889 County Court Records (Madison County, Arkansas), 1867-1889(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1872-1883 Circuit Court Docket (Madison County, Arkansas), 1872-1883(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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
Funeral Homes
- Brashears Funeral Home and Crematory in Huntsville
- Madison County Funeral Service in Huntsville
Genealogies
- Biographies from The History of Madison County, Arkansas (1889) published by Goodspeed Publishing Company are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Guardianship
- 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
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 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 & Sebastian Counties Arkansas. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
Maps and Gazetteers
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Family Maps of Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Map of 1889 Madison County, Arkansas with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
- FamilySearch Places: 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
Revolutionary War
- 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. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Arkansas, Madison County on page 191.
Civil War
Regiments. Men in Madison County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company K
- - 16th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
- - 17th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Griffith's) (Confederate), Company G
- - 35th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company K
- Men from Madison County served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Union)[11]
- 1861-1865 Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Arkansas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Madison newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- 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 ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1852-1969 Probate Records (Madison County, Arkansas), 1852-1969(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1905-1939 Will Record (Madison County, Arkansas), 1905-1939(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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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| 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[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
- 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1800-Onward Arkansas Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1927 Madison County Marriage Index 1901-1927 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[13]
- 1901-1951 Madison County Marriage Books G-M Index 1901-1951 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
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 Madison 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
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Madison County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Madison County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Madison County Genealogical and Historical Society
P.O. Box 427
Huntsville, AR 72740
Phone: 479-738-6408
Email: jrussell44@aol.com
Webpage
Facebook
Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society
Benton Public Library
405 S Main Street
Bentonville, AR 72712
Phone: 479-271-6820
Email: genealogy@bentonvillear.com
Website
Facebook
Serving Benton, Washington, Carroll, and Madison 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).
- ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/AR_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Madison County, Arkansas," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madison_County,_Arkansas&oldid=1170235740 (accessed September 4, 2023).
- ↑ 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); 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, "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) FS Library 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)
- ↑ 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.