Cross County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Cross County

Guide to Cross County Arkansas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Cross County Courthouse 705 Union Ave E #8; Wynne, AR 72396 Phone: 870.238.5735 County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1863, tax and county court records from 1865; Clerk Circuit Court has court and land records from 1865; Chancery Circuit Clerk has divorce records from 1866; County Historical Society has newspapers from 1935, cemetery records and family histories.

Parent County

 * 1862--Cross County was created 15 November 1862 from Crittenden, Poinsett, and St. Francis Counties.

County seat: Wynne

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Cross County boundary changes at N2Genealogy.

Neighboring Counties

 * Crittenden
 * Jackson
 * Mississippi
 * Poinsett

History Timeline
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Arkansas County - The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History &amp; Culture


 * 1541 - Hernando de Soto visited the village of Casqui (near present-day Parkin)
 * 1803 - The sparse population of the area consisted of French hunters, Cherokee, and a few English frontiersmen.
 * 1830s - The Cherokee were removed via the Trail of Tear and settlers from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri moved in.
 * 1862 November 15 - The Arkansas General Assembly created Cross County.
 * 1882 - The first railroad was completed across Cross County.
 * 1900-1927 - The growth of Vanndale and Wynne along the railroad balanced the decline of river cities such as Wittsburg. This transfer of population was increased by flooding in the river valley when the St. Francis River broke through its levees in 1912 and 1913, and especially in the Flood of 1927.

Probate Records

 * Probate Records 1857-1943 Part of: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1863-1921; Administration settlements 1866-1911; Dockets 1874-1922; Probate case files 1898-1930; Probate record index 1866-1878; Probate records 1857-1887; Wills 1863-1943.

Marriage

 * 1863-1952 - Cross County Marriage Books A-Z, A1-G1 Index 1863-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1865-1922 - Cross County Marriage Books A-O Index 1865-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Cross County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cross County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)