Miller County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Miller County

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

County Courthouse
Miller County Courthouse Vital Records 400 Laurel Street, Texarkana, AR 71854 Phone: 870-774-1501

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

History
The City of Texarkana is located in two states. In the middle of the city is a street called State Line Road which separates the city between Bowie County, Texas and Miller County, Arkansas. Texarkana is the county seat for Miller County, Arkansas, and a marriage license purchased in Miller County, Arkansas is not valid in the State of Texas.

Parent County
1820--Miller County was created 1 April 1820 from Lafayette County. It was abolished in 1836 and re-established in 1874. County seat: Texarkana

The county was named for James Miller, territorial governor of Arkansas.

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
1828 Fire burned the courthouse.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Neighboring Counties
Bossier Parish, Louisiana • Bowie County, Texas • Caddo Parish, Louisiana • Cass County, Texas • Hempstead • Lafayette • Little River •

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


 * 1778 - By this time, the Caddo Indians, who had inhabited the area, left their towns in the Great Bend region of southwest Arkansas.
 * 1700s - This area was claimed by the Quapaw
 * 1820 April 1 - The legislature established Miller County
 * 1838 - the first Miller County was abolished
 * 1850 - Interest in settling in this part of the state was slow to develop because the U.S. government had listed the area as “swamplands,” unfit for settlement, under the Swamp Lands Act of 1850.
 * 1874 December 22 - Miller County was reestablished.
 * 1874-1900 - The county’s population boomed, mainly in response to the railroad and the influx of immigrants and settlers.
 * 1940s - World War II boosted Miller County’s economy with two manufacturing facilities just over the state line: the Red River Army Ammunition Plant and the Lone Star Army Ammunition Depot.

Cemeteries

 * Cemeteries of Miller County -  Miller County ARGenWeb
 * Tombstone Transcription Project - USGenWeb Project
 * Find A Grave
 * Ancestors At Rest
 * Cemetery and Tombstone Transcriptions and Registers

Census
The 1840 - 1870 censuses do not include old Miller County, since the county was discontinued in 1836. Possibilities to check:
 * 1840, 1850, 1860: Lafayette, Hempstead, Sevier
 * 1870: Lafayette


 * 1830 Census Index  -  USGenWeb Archives
 * 1880 Census Sulphur Township -  USGenWeb Archives
 * 1880 Federal Census Images -  USGenWeb Archives

Church Records
Church Records - partial listing -  USGenWeb Archives

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1875-1931 Miller County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1875-1918; Dockets 1883-1889; Executor records 1875-1918; Guardian records 1875-1918; Probate record index 1875; Probate records 1875-1893; Wills 1875-1931.

Land and Property

 * Homestead and Cash Entry Patents Before 1908 -  USGenWeb Archives
 * Miller County Land Records 1890  -  USGenWeb Archives
 * Arkansas Land Records Interactive Search -  Rootsweb

Local Histories

 * Family Group Sheets -  Miller County ARGenWeb
 * Photo Album - Miller County ARGenWeb
 * Miller County Surnames -  Miller county ARGenWeb


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

Maps

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Miller County Maps - Miller County ARGenWeb

Revolutionary War

 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Arkansas section begins on page 439.]

World War I

 * 1918 Military Dance Card -  Miller County ARGenWeb
 * World War I Monument -  USGenWeb Archives

World War II

 * World War II Casualties Miller County -  Miller County ARGenWeb

Korean War

 * Korean War Casualties State of Arkansas

Vietnam War

 * Texarkana Residents on Memorial Wall -  Miller County ARGenWeb

Newspapers

 * Newspapers Past and Present -  Miller County ARGenWeb
 * Texarkana Gazette

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 1875-1931 Miller County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1875-1918; Dockets 1883-1889; Executor records 1875-1918; Guardian records 1875-1918; Probate record index 1875; Probate records 1875-1893; Wills 1875-1931.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1875-1951 - Miller County Marriage Books A-Z, AA-ZZ, 1-33 Index 1875-1951 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1875-1921 - Miller County Marriage Books A-Z Index 1875-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * List of Arkansas Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
 * Texarkana Public Library
 * Miller County Genealogical Society: Texarkana USA Genealogical Society PO Box 2323, Texarkana, TX 75504-2323 gensoctx@hotmail.com
 * Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives Old Washington Historical State Park Box 134, Washington, AR 71862 Tel: 870-983-2684 (Mon-Fri) 870-983-2733 (Sat-Sun) Open 7 days a week 9:00a.m.- 4:00 p.m.


 * Arkansas History Commission &amp; State Archives One Capitol Mall Little Rock, AR 72201 Tel: 501-682-6900


 * Arkansas Historical Association History Department Ozark Hall, 12, University of Arkansas Old Main 416 Fayetteville, AR 72701 Tel: 501-575-5884

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers