Prairie County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Prairie 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
Prairie County was created 25 November 1846[2] and was named for Grand Prairie, a subregion of the Arkansas Delta known for rice cultivation and aquaculture that runs through the county. Its county seats are Des Arc and DeValls Bluff.[3] It is located in the central area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Prairie County Courthouse
P.O. Box 278
Des Arc, AR 72040-0278
Phone: 870-256-3741
Prairie County Website
County Clerk in Devalls, Bluff, Arkansas has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1885, naturalization records 1907-1912 and military discharge records from 1917[5]
Prairie 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 | 1854 | 1914 | 1854 | 1854 | 1854 | 1830 |
Record Loss
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1854 A fire at Brownsville on September 16, 1854 destroyed 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:[8]
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| 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 Prairie County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [9]
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 2,097 | — |
| 1860 | 8,854 | 322.2% |
| 1870 | 5,604 | −36.7% |
| 1880 | 8,435 | 50.5% |
| 1890 | 11,374 | 34.8% |
| 1900 | 11,875 | 4.4% |
| 1910 | 13,853 | 16.7% |
| 1920 | 17,447 | 25.9% |
| 1930 | 15,187 | −13.0% |
| 1940 | 15,304 | 0.8% |
| 1950 | 13,768 | −10.0% |
| 1960 | 10,515 | −23.6% |
| 1970 | 10,249 | −2.5% |
| 1980 | 10,140 | −1.1% |
| 1990 | 9,518 | −6.1% |
| 2000 | 9,539 | 0.2% |
| 2010 | 8,715 | −8.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
- 1875-1899 Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes - How to Use this Collection
Court Records
- 1854-1873 County Court Record, 1854-1873(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1854-1881 Circuit Court Records, 1854-1881(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1869-1879 Justice of the Peace Court Docket (Prairie County, Arkansas), 1869-1879(*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1876-1929 Chancery Court Records, Northern District (Prairie County, Arkansas), 1876-1929(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1885-1933 Chancery Court Records, Southern District (Prairie County, Arkansas), 1885-1933(*); 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
African Americans
- 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Devall's Bluff at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Labor contracts, persons hired, letters
Funeral Homes
- 1928-1978 Caskey Funeral Records (Des Arc, Arkansas), 1928-1978(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Garth Funeral Home in Des Arc
- Westbrook Funeral Home in Hazen
Genealogies
Guardianship
- Probate Records 1851-1951 Prairie 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 executor bonds and letters 1851-1866; Administration and executor dockets 1852-1895; Administration and executor settlements 1854-1867; Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1885-1951; Administration bonds 1865-1894; Administration, executor and guardian dockets 1885-1925; Executors bonds and letters 1886-1949; Guardian bonds 1866-1894; Guardian dockets 1853-1896; Letters of administration 1866-1894; Letters of guardianship 1866-1891; Letters of testamentary 1865-1933; Probate records 1854-1907; Wills 1852-1932.
Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Federal Land Records in Prairie County ARGenweb
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Prairie 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 Eastern Arkansas. Chicago, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Map of Prairie County - 1895 Prairie Co.ARGenweb
- 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 Prairie County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - Louis' Company, Arkansas Militia (Confederate),
- - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate)[10], Company B
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company C
- - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Volunteers (Confederate), Company B
- - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate) , Companies AandE
- - 18th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C
- - 36th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C
Online Records
- Confederate Patriots' Index Marilyn Sickel Prairie Co. ARGenweb
- 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 ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Batesville Guard
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Prairie newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Prairie 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
- 1851-1933 Probate Records of the Northern District (Prairie County, Arkansas), 1851-1933(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1885-1951 Probate Court Records of the Southern District, 1885-1951(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Wills and Probate at Prairie County ARGenWeb
- 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[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 ($)
- 1854-1924 Prairie County Marriage Books A-K Index 1854-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[12]
- 1854-1962 Prairie County Marriage Books A-O Index 1854-1962 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
- Marriages at ARGenWeb
Death
- 1812-Onward Arkansas Deaths at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1914-1947 Index to Prairie County Death Certificates at Prairie County ARGenweb
- 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
- 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 Prairie 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
- Little Rock Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Central Arkansas Library System - multiple locations - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Prairie County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Independence County Library
267 E Main St
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870-793-8814
Email: info@indcolib.com
Website
Facebook
Mabee-Simpson Library
Lyon College
2300 Highland Rd
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870-307-7205
Email: MSlibrary@lyon.edu
Website
Facebook
Row Johns Library
University of Arkansas Community College
2005 White Dr
P.O. Box 3350
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870-612-2019
Email: libhelp@uaccb.edu
Website
Facebook
Museums
Old Independence Regional Museum
380 S Ninth St
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870-793-2121
Email: laura@oirm.org
Website
Facebook
Societies
Listed below are societies in Prairie 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
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prairie County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_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), Prairie County, Arkansas. Page 70 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), 67.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prairie County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_County,_Arkansas, accessed 26 September 2018.
- ↑ Marilyn Hambrick Sickel, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=802&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 15, 2016), “Prairie County.”
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, First Arkansas Confederate Mounted Rifles, (Conway, Arkansas: Arkansas Research, c1988), p. 2. FS Catalog book 976.7 M2a
- ↑ 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/d/d7/Arkansasnz.pdf.