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United States Arkansas Desha County

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

County Information
Desha County is Arkansas's 40th county, formed on December 12, 1838, and named for Captain Benjamin Desha who fought in the War of 1812.

County Courthouse
Desha County Courthouse Robert Moore Avenue PO Box 188 Arkansas City, AR 71630 Phone: 870.877.2323 County Clerk has marriage records from 1865 and probate records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

Government and Related Websites
 * County-clerk.net (unofficial site) — Clerks have jurisdiction over birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, land use, land rights, real estate, and other court records. Site provides links to unofficial websites with online records
 * PublicRecords.com (unofficial site) — Provides links to County officials and public records

Record Loss

 * For record loss in Arkansas counties, see ARGenWeb

Boundary Changes
County seat: Arkansas City
 * 1838--Desha County was created 12 December 1838 from Arkansas and Chicot Counties.

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.

Cities and Towns

 * Click and select the link Places within... for cities and towns (most counties)

Populated Places

History Timeline
Events below gleaned from Desha County The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
 * 1673-1686 - Explorers Hernando de Soto; Father Jacques Marquette; Louis Joliet; René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle; and Henri de Tonti visited area Indian tribes.
 * 1838 December 12 - Created by legislative act, Desha County was detached from Arkansas and Chicot counties.
 * 1860-1865 - During the war, county records were moved by wagon to Richland Township and later to Clarksville, Texas. Some records were never recovered.
 * 1927 - Desha County’s greatest tragedy came in the spring of 1927, when a flood inundated 478,000 acres after levee breaks occurred on the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. Many of the county’s 26,684 citizens were forced to flee to hill counties or to live on second floors, in tent cities, and in boxcars on the levee.
 * 1930-1931 - The Drought of 1930–31 and the Great Depression, with unemployment over thirty percent, added to economic woes.
 * 1940-2010 - The population of Desha County peaked in 1940 at just over 27,000. By 2010, it had dropped to 13,000.

Cemeteries
Desha County Cemetery Transcriptions (partial list) -  Desha County ARGenWeb

Census Records
1840 Federal Census Index  -  USGenWeb Project Archives 1850 Federal Census Index -  USGenWeb Project Archives

Church Records
Dumas Churches -  churchangel.com McGehee Churches - churchangel.com

Court Records

 * Court records began in 1840

African Americans

 * 1867-1872 - Desha County Marriage Index 1867-1872 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1866-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Napoleon at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters, contracts

Land and Property Records
Desha County Federal Land Records -  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories
Riverboat History - Desha County ARGenWeb Goodspeed's Historry -  Desha County ARGenWeb
 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * See also Cities and towns for resources in the FamilySearch Catalog

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * 1895 Desha County Map -  livgenmil.com
 * Township Map -  Desha County USGenWeb

Military Records
War of 1812 Military Land Grants War of 1812 (partial list) -  USGenWeb Project Archives

Civil War

 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Militia (Confederate), Napoleon Cavalry
 * - 8th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - Carlton's Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)

Civil War Amnesty List -  Desha County ARGenWeb World War II Rohwer Relocation Center -  Desha County ARGenWeb World War II Enlistees A-F - USGenWeb Project Archives World War II enlistees G-L -  USGenWeb Project Archives World War II Enlistees M-R -  USGenWeb Project Archives

Newspapers
Desha County Newspapers -  Desha County ARGenWeb

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; includes guardianships

Marriage

 * 1856-1952 - Desha County Marriage Books A-Z, A1-I1 Index 1856-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1837-1957 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - Free; Index

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Libraries
Major catalogs for books, microfilm, or collections pertaining to Desha County
 * - Select Places within... for cities and towns
 * WorldCat — Click an item for libraries near you. For more information, see WorldCat Online Catalog.
 * Allen County Public Library — Located in Indiana, they are heavily involved in digitizing much of their collection.
 * Arkansas History Commission Select the county — Arkansas state agency involved in organizing, digitizing, and maintaining the records of state and local history.
 * Local libraries and Arkansas Archives and Libraries may suggest other catalogs

Websites
Sites with online indexes or images of records
 * ARGenWeb - Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives - Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * RootsWeb - Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions

More Desha County genealogy links
 * Linkpendium - Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList - Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)