Sevier County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Sevier County

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

County Courthouse
Sevier County Courthouse 115 N 3rd; De Queen, AR 71832 Phone: 870.642.2425 County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1829; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

Government and Related Websites

 * PublicRecords.com (unofficial site) Provides links to County officials and public records.

Parent County

 * 1828--Sevier County was created 17 October 1828 from Hempstead and Miller Counties. County seat: De Queen

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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Neighboring Counties
Hempstead • Howard • Little River • McCurtain County, Oklahoma • Polk •

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

African Americans

 * 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Paraclifta at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only;  Register of employers and employees, Register of letters received and endorsements sent, Register of marriages, copies of indentures, and register of purchase vouchers issued,

Methodist

 * 1885 - Mt. Ida Methodist Church Marriage Index 1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

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.

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.]

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company G
 * - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), "Sevier County Stars"
 * - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Companies C, E, and F


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

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 1829-1948 Sevier County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and executor bonds and letters 1861-1948; Administration bonds 1829-1862; Probate record index 1839-1887; Wills 1857-1923.

.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Birth

 * 1839-1885 - Sevier County Birth Index 1839-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriage

 * 1839-1951 - Sevier County Marriage Books 1-4, E-G, 8-30 Index 1839-1951 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1839-1898 - Sevier County Marriage Books 1-4, E-G Index 1839-1898 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Death
Southwest Arkansas Daily Local area current obituaries Southwest Arkansas/Southeast Oklahoma

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * List of Arkansas Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
 * Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives Old Washington

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers