Ouachita County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Ouachita County

Guide to Ouachita County, Arkansas ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Ouachita County Courthouse 145 Jackson Street Camden, AR 71701 Phone: 870.837.2220

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1875; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

Parent County

 * 1842--Ouachita County was created 29 November 1842 from Union County. County seat: Camden

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arkansas County Boundary Maps" (1813-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1875 All records were destroyed by a fire  on December 19, 1875.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Neighboring Counties
Calhoun • Clark • Columbia • Dallas • Nevada • Union •

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 Ouachita County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1803 - The county was already heavily settled by the time of the Louisiana Purchase.
 * 1820s (late)-1830s (early) - The population of the area consisted of approximately 150 Choctaw, along with white settlers and slaves.
 * 1830s - As more white settlers came to the area, the French left, returning to New Orleans or moving farther west.
 * 1842 November 29 - Ouachita County was established.

African Americans

 * 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Camden at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only;  Register of school children and register of attendance of school children, labor contracts, letters

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1876-1946 County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Guardian records 1876-1911; Letters of administration 1876-1922; Letters of testamentary 1876-1946; Probate record index 1876-1880; Probate records 1880-1890; Wills 1876-1901.

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Colquitt's) (Confederate)
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Companies G and H
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 11th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 18th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 19th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Dockery's) (Confederate)
 * - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies B, D, F and K
 * Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battle was fought in Ouachita County.


 * April 18, 1864 = Poison Spring


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1817 – 1979 at FamilySearch — images
 * Probate Records 1876-1946 County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Guardian records 1876-1911; Letters of administration 1876-1922; Letters of testamentary 1876-1946; Probate record index 1876-1880; Probate records 1880-1890; Wills 1876-1901.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1875-1952 - Ouachita County Marriage Books B-Z, AA-YY Index 1875-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1875-1921 - Ouachita County Marriage Books B-Z Index 1875-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * List of Arkansas Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers