Cleveland County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Cleveland County

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

County Courthouse


Cleveland County Courthouse Main and Magnolia Streets; PO Box 348 Rison, AR 71665 Phone: 870.325.6521

County Clerk has marriage records from 1880, along with divorce, probate and court records.

Parent County

 * 1873--Cleveland County was created 17 April 1873 from Dallas, Bradley, Jefferson, and Lincoln Counties.

County seat: Rison

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

Neighboring Counties

 * Bradley
 * Calhoun
 * Dallas
 * Drew
 * Grant
 * Jefferson
 * Lincoln

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 & Culture


 * Before the white men came, the section east of the Saline River in what became Cleveland County was in Quapaw territory.
 * 1834 - The third Quapaw Treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate was the beginning of the end of the Indians treaty lands in Arkansas.
 * 1864 April 25 - The most important event in what became Cleveland County during the Civil War was the Battle of Marks’ Mills.
 * 1873 April 17 - Cleveland County was established.
 * 1910 - The high point for oopulation of the county.
 * 1970 - The low point for population of the county.

Maps

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

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Cleveland County.


 * April 25, 1864 = Marks' Mill


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.

Probate Records

 * Probate Records 1873-1974 Part of: County Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1876-1908; Guardian records 1877-1909; Inventories 1877-1974; Letters of guardianship 1909-1938; Probate records 1873-1893; Wills 1877-1947.

Marriage

 * 1873-1956 - Cleveland County Marriage Books A, 1, 3-12 Index 1873-1956 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1873-1922 - Cleveland County Marriage Books 3-6 Index 1873-1922 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.
 * Cleveland County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cleveland County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)