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United States Arkansas Miller County

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

County Information
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.

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.

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
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.


 * 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 Miller County 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 Records
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

Court Records

 * Court records began in 1874

African Americans

 * 1864-1872 at FamilySearch — images

Guardianship

 * 1817-1979 at FamilySearch — images; includes  Probate Records 1875-1931

Land and Property Records

 * 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 ($)
 * See also Cities and towns for resources in the FamilySearch Catalog

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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
 * 1818-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1818-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1817-1979 at FamilySearch — images; includes guardianships

Marriage

 * 1837-1957 - at FamilySearch Historical Collections - Free; Index. — 1875-1951 - Miller County Marriage Books A-Z, AA-ZZ, 1-33 Index 1875-1951
 * 1875-1921 - Miller County Marriage Books A-Z Index 1875-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Libraries

 * 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

Major catalogs for books, microfilm, or collections pertaining to Miller 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 Miller County genealogy links
 * Linkpendium - Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList - Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)