FamilySearch Wiki

Miller County, Arkansas Genealogy


 

Guide to Miller County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Texarkana
Organized: April 1, 1820
Parent County(s): Lafayette[1]
Neighboring Counties
Bossier (LA) • Bowie (TX) • Caddo (LA) • Cass (TX) • Hempstead • Lafayette • Little River
See County Maps
Courthouse
ArkansasMillerCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Ar-miller.png

County Information

Description

Miller County was created 1 April 1820 from Lafayette County. It was abolished in 1836 and re-established 22 December 1874.[2] It was named for James Miller, the first Governor of Arkansas Territory.[3] Its county seat is Texarkana.[4] It is located in the southwestern area of the state.[5]

County Courthouse

Miller County Courthouse
Vital Records
400 Laurel Street
Texarkana, AR 71854
Phone: 870-774-1501
Miller County Website

County Clerk has marriage, probate and land records from 1875.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records.[6]

Miller 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[7]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1914 1875 1914 1874 1875 1875 1830
*State birth and death records began in 1914. Limited compliance until the 1920s

Record Loss

1828 Fire burned the courthouse.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

  • 1820--Miller County was created 1 April 1820 from Lafayette County. It was abolished in 1836 and re-established in 1874.
  • The county was named for James Miller, territorial governor of Arkansas.
  • County seat: Texarkana[8]
  • Arkansas Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county
  • Arkansas Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes

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
  • Beech (Fouke)
  • Cleveland
  • Cut Off


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 Miller County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [10]

  • 1778 - By this time, the Caddo Indians, who had inhabited the area, left their towns in the Great Bend region of southwest Arkansas.
  • 1700s - This area was claimed by the Quapaw
  • 1820 April 1 - The legislature established Miller County
  • 1838 - the first Miller County was abolished
  • 1850 - Interest in settling in this part of the state was slow to develop because the U.S. government had listed the area as “swamplands,” unfit for settlement, under the Swamp Lands Act of 1850.
  • 1874 December 22 - Miller County was reestablished.
  • 1874-1900 - The county’s population boomed, mainly in response to the railroad and the influx of immigrants and settlers.
  • 1940s - World War II boosted Miller County’s economy with two manufacturing facilities just over the state line: the Red River Army Ammunition Plant and the Lone Star Army Ammunition Depot.

Additional Information
The City of Texarkana is located in two states. In the middle of the city is a street called State Line Road which separates the city between Bowie County, Texas and Miller County, Arkansas. Texarkana is the county seat for Miller County, Arkansas, and a marriage license purchased in Miller County, Arkansas is not valid in the State of Texas.

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Miller, Arkansas online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Arkansas Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1880 9,919 —
1890 14,714 48.3%
1900 17,558 19.3%
1910 19,555 11.4%
1920 24,021 22.8%
1930 30,586 27.3%
1940 31,874 4.2%
1950 32,614 2.3%
1960 31,686 −2.8%
1970 33,385 5.4%
1980 37,766 13.1%
1990 38,467 1.9%
2000 40,443 5.1%
2010 43,462 7.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

The 1840 - 1870 censuses do not include old Miller County, since the county was discontinued in 1836. Possibilities to check:

1840, 1850, 1860: Lafayette, Hempstead, Sevier
1870: Lafayette

Church Records


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories

Local histories are available for Miller County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Little River CountyHempstead CountyNevada CountyLafayette CountyColumbia CountyBowie CountyCass CountyMarion CountyCaddo ParishBossier ParishWebster ParishAR MILLER.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Revolutionary War

  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Catalog Collection 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans from this county; Arkansas section begins on page 439.

Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Miller newspapers in online catalogs like:


Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Vital Records

Birth

Birth Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒
 Y M
Name of Child Green check.png
Birth Date and Place Green check.png
Parent's Names Green check.png
Mother's Maiden Name Green check.png
Parent's Ages Green check.png
Father's Occupation Green check.png
Current Residence Green check.png
Name of Doctor or Midwife Green check.png

In 1877, a few county and city clerks[11] started keeping birth and death records.

In 1914, the state law required all county clerks to record births and forward them to the state.

ArrowGreen.svg.png

See also: • Arkansas Online Genealogy Records, • How to Find Arkansas Birth Records and • Arkansas Vital Records—Birth.

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Voting Records

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Miller County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.

Arkansas History Commission and State Archives
One Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-682-6900
Email: state.archives@arkansas.gov
Website
Facebook

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 Miller County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.

Texarkana Public Library
600 W Third St
Texarkana, TX 75501-5054
Phone: 903-794-2149
Email: info@txklibrary.org
Website
Facebook

Museums

Historic Washington State Park
103 Franklin St
Washington, AR 71862
Phone: 870-983-2684
Email: historicwashington@arkansas.com
Website
Facebook

Societies

Listed below are societies in Miller County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.

Arkansas Historical Association
University of Arkansas
Main 416
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 501-575-5884
Email: dludlow@uark.edu
Website
Facebook

Texarkana USA Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 6687
Texarkana, TX 75505
Email: gensoctx@gmail.com
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  2. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/AR_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  3. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Miller County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/madison/
  4. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Miller County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_County,_Arkansas
  6. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  7. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Miller 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.
  8. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  9. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Miller County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_County,_Arkansas, accessed 5 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Beverly J. Rowe, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=790&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent= : accessed January 14, 2016), “Miller County.”
  11. ↑ 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)
  12. ↑ 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.
v • d• e
Links to Arkansas-related articles
Topics
Counties
Arkansas · Ashley · Baxter · Benton · Boone · Bradley · Calhoun · Carroll · Chicot · Clark · Clay · Cleburne · Cleveland · Columbia · Conway · Craighead · Crawford · Crittenden · Cross · Dallas · Desha · Drew · Faulkner · Franklin · Fulton · Garland · Grant · Greene · Hempstead · Hot Spring · Howard · Independence · Izard · Jackson · Jefferson · Johnson · Lafayette · Lawrence · Lee · Lincoln · Little River · Logan · Lonoke · Madison · Marion · Miller · Mississippi · Monroe · Montgomery · Nevada · Newton · Ouachita · Perry · Phillips · Pike · Poinsett · Polk · Pope · Prairie · Pulaski · Randolph · Saline · Scott · Searcy · Sebastian · Sevier · Sharp · St. Francis · Stone · Union · Van Buren · Washington · White · Woodruff · Yell
Extinct Co.
Major
 Repositories
Migration
 Routes
Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Miller_County,_Arkansas_Genealogy&oldid=6317710"