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.

Description
Prairie County was created 25 November 1846 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. It is located in the central area of the state.

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

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:

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.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes - How to Use this Collection
 * 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1854-1873 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1881 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1879 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1876-1929 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1885-1933 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Garth Funeral Home in Des Arc
 * Westbrook Funeral Home in Hazen

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1851-1951 Prairie County portion of the collection: : 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

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;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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

Civil War

 * - Louis' Company, Arkansas Militia (Confederate),
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), 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 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Batesville Guard

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1783-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1817-1979 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1851-1933 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1885-1951 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Wills and Probate at Prairie County ARGenWeb

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1854-1924 Prairie County Marriage Books A-K Index 1854-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1854-1962 Prairie County Marriage Books A-O Index 1854-1962 in at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * Marriages at ARGenWeb

Death

 * 1914-1947 Index to Prairie County Death Certificates at Prairie County ARGenweb
 * 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)

Divorce

 * 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1700-Onward Arkansas Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Little Rock Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Central Arkansas Library System - multiple locations - an affiliate library

Libraries
Independence County Library 267 E Main St Batesville, AR 72501 Phone: 870-793-8814 Email: [mailto:info@indcolib.com info@indcolib.com] Website Facebook Mabee-Simpson Library Lyon College 2300 Highland Rd Batesville, AR 72501 Phone: 870-307-7205 Email: [mailto:MSlibrary@lyon.edu 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: [mailto:libhelp@uaccb.edu libhelp@uaccb.edu] Website Facebook

Museums
Old Independence Regional Museum  380 S Ninth St Batesville, AR 72501 Phone: 870-793-2121 Email: [mailto:laura@oirm.org laura@oirm.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * ARGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Linkpendium
 * Cyndi's List
 * - 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