Montgomery County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Montgomery 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
Montgomery County was created 1 July 1843[2] and was named for Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War General.[3] Its county seat is Mount Ida.[4] It is located in the west-central area of the state.[5]
County Courthouse
Montgomery County Courthouse
1 George Street
Mount Ida, AR 71957
Phone: 870-887-3521
Montgomery County Website
County Clerk has marriage, probate, land and court records from 1845.
County Agent has burial records.[6]
Montgomery 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 | 1845 | 1914 | 1845 | 1845 | 1845 | 1830 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
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 | ||
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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 Montgomery County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [10]
- 1803 - Montgomery County was included in land claimed by Spain and then France before becoming American property as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
- 1812 - Kentuckians Martin and Mary Belle Collier were the first recorded white settlers.
- 1842 December 9 - Montgomery County was organized out of Hot Spring County.
- 1905 - With the Missouri Pacific Railroad’s arrival, Caddo Gap and Black Springs thrived.
- 1937 - Mauldin was dismantled and carried off by rail. The lumber company, picking up its tracks as it left, had depleted the virgin timber; this, together with the Depression, had a devastating economic impact on the county.
- 1910-2010 - Montgomery County population hit its high mark in 1910 (12,400) its low in 1960 (5,400) and now (2010) stands at 9,487.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- Biographies at My Genealogy Hound
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 1,958 | — |
| 1860 | 3,633 | 85.5% |
| 1870 | 2,984 | −17.9% |
| 1880 | 5,729 | 92.0% |
| 1890 | 7,923 | 38.3% |
| 1900 | 9,444 | 19.2% |
| 1910 | 12,455 | 31.9% |
| 1920 | 11,112 | −10.8% |
| 1930 | 10,768 | −3.1% |
| 1940 | 8,876 | −17.6% |
| 1950 | 6,680 | −24.7% |
| 1960 | 5,370 | −19.6% |
| 1970 | 5,821 | 8.4% |
| 1980 | 7,771 | 33.5% |
| 1990 | 7,841 | 0.9% |
| 2000 | 9,245 | 17.9% |
| 2010 | 9,487 | 2.6% |
| 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
- 1845-1880 County Court Records, 1845-1880(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1845-1883 Circuit Court Records, 1845-1883(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1858-1973 Chancery Court Records, 1858-1973(*); Chancery 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
Funeral Homes
- Thornton Funeral Home in Mount Ida
Genealogies
Guardianship
- Probate Records 1845-1954 Montgomery 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 Guardian bonds 1858-1909; Letters of administration 1859-1912; Probate records 1845-1903; Wills 1863-1954.
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 Montgomery 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 Western Arkansas. Chicago: Southern Publishing Co., 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive. Montgomery County, Ch XXI, pp. 466-497.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Family Maps of Montgomery County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives
Migration
Military Records
Civil War
Regiments. Men in Montgomery County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 4th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
- - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Arkansas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Montgomery newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Montgomery County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- 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 ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1845-1954 Probate Records, 1845-1954(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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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| Father's Occupation |
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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.
- 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 ($)
- 1845-1923 Montgomery County Marriage Books 1, A-G Index 1845-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[12]
- 1851-1958 Montgomery County Marriage Books 1, A-M Index 1851-1958 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
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 - [[
Arkansas, County Voter Registration Records - FamilySearch Historical Record|How to Use this Collection]]
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Montgomery County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
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, “Montgomery County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/montgomery/
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monroe County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_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), Montgomery 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, "Montgomery County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_County,_Arkansas, accessed 5 September 2018.
- ↑ Mary B. Lysobey, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=793&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent= : accessed January 14, 2016), “Montgomery 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.