Arkansas Genealogy Local Resources

United States Arkansas Genealogy Research

Records are being posted online at an increasing rate by archives, libraries, societies, and by universities, commercial enterprise, and countless others.

The records online are only a fraction of the genealogy- and history-rich records available through archives and the local resources listed below.

Archives[edit | edit source]

Archives have the responsibility of preserving the historical records — our heritage — while allowing reasonable access to them. In the past few years, posting original records online has vastly increased both access and preservation.

The vast number of valuable records that are NOT online are virtually untapped and available for research through archives. These can be accessed through online catalogs or published guides to their collections.

beta worldcat.org archivegrid
identify participating Arkansas Archives and contact information, search their collections

Arkansas History Commission (State Archives) Online collections include 1911 Confederate Veterans Questionnaires, Confederate Pension Records, Land Records, and World War I Discharge Records among others.

The National Archives at Fort Worthformerly known as National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth) has records created by federal agencies and courts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The archives has microfilms of all available federal census records, many naturalization records, passenger arrival lists, military records, and other historical resources.

Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is a branch of the Arkansas History Commission (State Archives). Its mission is to serve the twelve counties in southwest Arkansas formed from the original Hempstead County.

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States). There are several centers located in Arkansas. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history. These local centers are staffed by volunteers and have varying hours and resources so call to verify their hours in advance. As of July 2014 the Family History Centers in Arkansas are as follows:

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[edit | edit source]

Most libraries have online catalogs and resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about Illinois. Local libraries often have manuscript or published collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies.

Libraries located near state boundaries usually collect records relating to the adjacent states.

Arkansas Public Libraries listed by Cities
Select also tabs for Public Records, Obituaries, Colleges & Universities

Arkansas State Library
- Genealogy
- Location
- Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Library Directories[edit | edit source]

Significant Libraries[edit | edit source]

Major Online Library Catalogs[edit | edit source]

*Major catalogs for hard copy* collections of Arkansas items** Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records
FamilySearch catalog	Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box.
WorldCat	To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog.
Allen County Public Library	One of the largest collections for genealogy research. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Museums[edit | edit source]

In addition to artifacts that allow us to envision what life was like for our ancestors, museums often have records. They may have merchant ledgers with names of people and what they purchased, a doctor's log of patients, and any number of valuable items for research and interest.

Wikipedia List of museums in Arkansas

Social Networking Groups[edit | edit source]

Share findings, scan through comments, ask questions. Let's learn from one another!

Social networking sites pertaining to Arkansas Genealogy Local Resources
GeneaBloggers	enter "arkansas" in the search box to see a list and links to Arkansas Blogs
Google+	list of groups from "arkansas genealogy" search
Facebook	list of groups from "Arkansas Genealogy" search
genealogy.com	Arkansas Genealogy Forum
ancestry.com	list of Arkansas Message Boards from "arkansas" search

Societies[edit | edit source]

Arkansas Genealogical Society

Arkansas Genealogy and Historical Societies at ArkansasGenealogy. a list of Arkansas Societies with links to their websites Genealogical, historical, lineage, veteran, and ethnic societies often collect, transcribe, and publish information that can be helpful to genealogists.

Genealogical and historical societies can provide historical information about families in the area or ancestors of society members.

They may sponsor such activities as recognizing Centennial Farms and issuing Pioneer Certificates.
They occasionally publish transcriptions of original records.
Most publish quarterly periodicals, a few of which are listed in Periodicals. Use the Periodical Source Index (PerSI) to find periodicals and articles for Arkansas localities.

Lineage societies, such as the DAR, Colonial Dames, and the Sons of the American Revolution, require members to prove they are descended from people such as colonists or soldiers. National lineage societies such as the DAR are described in United States Societies.

Many counties and some cities have historical and genealogical societies, most of which will be listed in the <directory?>. See United States Societies for a national directory of genealogical and ethnic societies.