Fulton County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Fulton County

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

County Courthouse
Fulton County Courthouse PO Box 278 123 S. Main Salem, AR 72576-0278 Phone: 870.895.3310 County Clerk has marriage records form 1887, divorce, land, probate and court records from 1891.

Parent County

 * 1842--Fulton County was created 21 December 1842 from Izard County. County seat: Salem

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
1870 A fire destroyed most county records.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Neighboring Counties
Baxter •  Howell County, Missouri  •  Izard  •  Oregon County, Missouri  •  Ozark County, Missouri  •  Sharp

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


 * 1830s - The first legally recognized white resident of Fulton County, William P. Morris, used his land grant to acquire 160 acres in the present Salem area.
 * 1842 December 21 - Fulton County was created, by the state legislature, carving out part of Izard County and present-day Baxter County.
 * 1869-1865 - The American Civil War made a huge impact on Fulton County. Settlers who lived in the rocky uplands of the county did not own slaves, but the settlers living along the fertile valleys of the rivers and creeks did.
 * 1865-1868 - Fulton County residents lived in a guerrilla warfare state for the next three years. Bands of thieves known as “bushwhackers” and “jayhawkers” roamed the area, raiding local farms, and terrorizing the citizens; they also burned the county courthouse, destroying land and census records.
 * 1940s - Industrialization in other parts of the United States attracted Fulton County youth to leave home in search of economic opportunities.

African Americans

 * 1866-1888 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Union at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters

Maps

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

Civil War

 * - 7th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 14th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Powers') (Confederate)
 * - 27th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company B (new)

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 1870-1940 County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Probate records 1870-1894; Wills 1874-1940.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1887-1952 - Fulton County Marriage Books [A]-T Index 1887-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1887-1925 - Fulton County Marriage Index 1887-1925 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

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

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers