Yell County, Arkansas Genealogy
Guide to Yell 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
Yell County was created 05 Dec 1840[2] and was named for Governor Archibald Yell. Its western district county seat is Danville; its eastern district county seat is Dardanelle.[3] It is located in the west-central area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Yell County Courthouse
P.O. Box 219;
Danville, AR 72833-0219
Phone: 501-495-2630
Yell County Website
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, land, and court records from 1865.[5]
Yell 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 | 1865 | 1914 | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | 1830 |
Record Loss
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1860s Some records destroyed during the Civil War. Records available are: Probate records from May 7, 1858 to February 10, 1862; marriage records from July 23, 1841 to March 24, 1849; and deed records from March 2, 1841 to December 4, 1848.
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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 | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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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 Arkansas County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Yell History and Culture. [9]
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- Family Biographies from The History of Yell County, Arkansas (1891) published by Southern Publishing Company are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 3,341 | — |
| 1860 | 6,333 | 89.6% |
| 1870 | 8,048 | 27.1% |
| 1880 | 13,852 | 72.1% |
| 1890 | 18,015 | 30.1% |
| 1900 | 22,750 | 26.3% |
| 1910 | 26,323 | 15.7% |
| 1920 | 25,655 | −2.5% |
| 1930 | 21,313 | −16.9% |
| 1940 | 20,970 | −1.6% |
| 1950 | 14,057 | −33.0% |
| 1960 | 11,940 | −15.1% |
| 1970 | 14,208 | 19.0% |
| 1980 | 17,026 | 19.8% |
| 1990 | 17,759 | 4.3% |
| 2000 | 21,139 | 19.0% |
| 2010 | 22,185 | 4.9% |
| 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
- 1865-1883 County Court Docket, v. A, 1873-1883; County Court Record, v. A, 1865- 1879(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1865-1968 Court Records, 1865-1968(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1865-1978 Court Records, 1865-1978(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1876-1952 Court Records, 1876-1952(*); 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
- Cornwell Funeral Homes and On-Site Cremation Services in Danville and Dardanelle
Genealogies
Guardianship
- Probate Records 1865-1943 Yell 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 Accounts 1876-1905; Administration and guardian dockets 1866-1890; Administration bonds and letters 1865-1913; Dockets 1866-1873; Guardian bonds 1876-1913; Probate records 1858-1888; Wills 1872-1943.
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 Yell 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, and Nashville : The Southern Publishing Company, 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive.
- History of Yell County, Arkansas. 2 volumes. By Wayne Banks. Van Buren, Arkansas : Press-Argus, 1959. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
- Map of 1889 Yell 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
Civil War
Regiments. Men in Yell County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate)[10], Company H
- - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company K
- - 11th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
- - 19th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Dawson's) (Confederate)
- - 31st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company K
- - 38th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
- - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)[11], Companies A, C, D, E, F, H, and S
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 Yell newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Yell 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 ($)
Obituaries
- Yell County, Arkansas Obituary Collection at GenealogyBuff.com. From various funeral homes in the Dardanelle, Danville, Ola, Belleville, and Plainview areas.
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1783-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1858-1943 Probate Records, 1858-1943(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1872-1943 Yell County, Arkansas Wills Records at SamPubCo - Browsable index of testators of wills - free
- 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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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 ($)
- 1831, 1841-1925 Yell County Marriage Books A-J Index 1831, 1841-1925 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[13]
- 1841-1849, 1865-1959 Yell County Marriage Books A-O Index 1841-1849, 1865-1959 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1860-1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
- Yell County Marriages at ARGenWeb
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 Yell 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
- Russellville Arkansas FamilySearch Center
- Central Arkansas Library System - Max Milam Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Yell County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Yell County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
River Valley Genealogy Society
Farm Bureau Building
201 E Shady Ln
PO Box 830
Morrilton, Arkansas
Phone: 501-208-4213, 501-354-4428
Email: rivervalleygenealogysociety@gmail.com
Website
Covers: Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Yell and Van Buren Counties.
Yell County Historical Society
P.O. Box 622
Dardanelle, AR 72834
Email: yellcohistorical@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
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
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Yell County, Arkansas," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yell_County,_Arkansas&oldid=1178928240 (accessed December 18, 2023).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Yell County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/yell/
- ↑ 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), Yell County, Arkansas. Page 71 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, "Yell County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yell_County,_Arkansas, accessed 3 October 2018.
- ↑ Mildred Diane Gleason, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=816&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 18, 2016), “Yell County.”
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, First Arkansas Confederate Mounted Rifles, (Conway, Arkansas: Arkansas Research, c1988), p. 2. FS Catalog book 976.7 M2a
- ↑ Desmond Walls Allen, Third Arkansas Union Cavalry, (Conway, Arkansas: Arkansas Research, c1987), p. 33-92. FS Catalog book 976.7 M28dc
- ↑ 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.