Mississippi County, Arkansas Genealogy
(Redirected from Mississippi County, Arkansas)
Guide to Mississippi 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
Mississippi County was created 01 Jan 1834[2] and was named for the Mississippi River, which borders the county to the east. Its county seat is Blytheville.[3] It is located in the northeastern area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Mississippi County Courthouse
200 W Walnut, # 204
Blytheville, AR 72315
Phone: 870-763-3212
Mississippi County Website
County Clerk has military records from 1850 and probate records from 1865.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1866 and land records from 1865.[5]
Mississippi 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 | 1850 | 1914 | 1866 | 1865 | 1865 | 1830 |
Record Loss
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1865 A fire burned the courthouse, resulting in some record loss.
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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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| Towns | ||
| Townships | ||
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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 Mississippi County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [9]
- 1800s - The population of the county continued to be sparse through the beginning of the 1800s.
- 1811-1812 - the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811–1812, which created the “sunk lands” caused by water rushing into the depressions left by the force of the quakes caused population growth to stop.
- 1833 November 1 - The present Mississippi County was created.
- 1950-2010 - The population of Mississippi County peaked at over 82,300 in 1950. It is currently (2010) at 46,480.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- Biographies at My Genealogy Hound
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 1,410 | — |
| 1850 | 2,368 | 67.9% |
| 1860 | 3,895 | 64.5% |
| 1870 | 3,633 | −6.7% |
| 1880 | 7,332 | 101.8% |
| 1890 | 11,635 | 58.7% |
| 1900 | 16,384 | 40.8% |
| 1910 | 30,468 | 86.0% |
| 1920 | 47,320 | 55.3% |
| 1930 | 69,289 | 46.4% |
| 1940 | 80,217 | 15.8% |
| 1950 | 82,375 | 2.7% |
| 1960 | 70,174 | −14.8% |
| 1970 | 62,060 | −11.6% |
| 1980 | 59,517 | −4.1% |
| 1990 | 57,525 | −3.3% |
| 2000 | 51,979 | −9.6% |
| 2010 | 46,480 | −10.6% |
| 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
- 1865-1899 County Court Records (Mississippi County, Arkansas), 1865-1899(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1865-1941 Chancery Court Records (Mississippi County, Arkansas), 1865-1941(*); Chancery and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1866-1910 Circuit Court Records, 1866-1878, 1904-1910; Index, 1866-1878, 1866-1910(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1901-1939 Chancery Court Records (Mississippi County, Arkansas), 1901-1939(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1918-1944 Honorable Discharge (from Military Service) Papers Signed and Filed by the Court, ca. 1918, ca.1944(*); Circuit Court 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
- 1866-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Osceola at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Letters sent and registers of claims, marriages, contracts and indentures
Funeral Homes
- 1937-1957 Holt Funeral Home Records, 24 May 1937-22 July 1955(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Carney Funeral Home and Cemetery Blytheville
- Cobb Funeral Home in Blytheville
- Faith Funeral Service in Manila
- Howard Funeral Service in Leachville and Manila
- Jarrett Funeral Home in Blytheville
- McDonald-Horne Funeral Home in Blytheville
- Roller-Swift Funeral Home in Osceola
- Taylor and Kimbrough Funeral Home in Joiner
- Tri-City LLC Crematory Funeral Home in Manila
- Wilson Funeral Homes in Blytheville and Osceola
- Wolfe Brothers Funeral Home in Blytheville
Genealogies
Guardianship
- Probate Records 1865-1952 Mississippi 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 1869-1906; Probate records 1865-1879; Wills 1898-1952; Wills, letters of administration and guardianship 1866-1909.
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 Mississippi 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 Northeast Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II - HathiTrust, Internet Archive. Mississippi County, Vol I & Vol II, Ch XX, pp. 448-570.
- History of Mississippi County, Arkansas. By Mabel Flanningan Edrington. Ocala, Florida : Ocala Star-Banner, 1962. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Maps and Gazetteers
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
Military Records
Civil War
- 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 ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Courier News. Blytheville, Arkansas, United States Of America. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mississippi newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Mississippi County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- 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 ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1865-1893 Probate Records, 1865-1893(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1866-1925 Probate Records, 1866-1925(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1904-1952 Wills (Mississippi County, Arkansas), 1904-1952(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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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| 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[10] 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 ($)
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1921 Mississippi County Marriage Books A-K Index 1861-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[11]
- 1866-1921 Mississippi County Marriage Books A-K, 3-23 Index 1866-1921 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
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 Mississippi 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
- Blytheville Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Jonesboro Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Greene County Historical & Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Mississippi County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Mississippi County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Websites
- ARGenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives
- Genealogy Trails
- 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
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mississippi County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_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), Mississippi 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, "Mississippi County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_County,_Arkansas, accessed 5 September 2018.
- ↑ Ruth C. Hale, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=791&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent= : accessed January 14, 2016), “Mississippi County.”
- ↑ 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.