Columbia County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Christopher Columbus. It is located in the south southern of the state.

County Courthouse
Columbia County Courthouse 1 Court Sq, #1; Magnolia, AR 71753 Phone: 870.235.3774 Columbia County website County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1853, divorce and court records from 1860 and probate records. The County Library has cemetery records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

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


 * 1836 - Early white settlers began arriving in significant numbers to the area only after Arkansas achieved statehood.
 * 1852 December 17 - Columbia County was created from portions of Lafayette, Hempstead, Ouachita, and Union counties.
 * 1880 and before - Relative isolation and transportation difficulties have long been a problem for Columbia County. Columbia is the only one of Arkansas’s seventy-five counties not situated on a river.
 * 1880s - The railroad led to the creation of the communities of McNeill (later McNeil) and later Waldo.
 * 1937 - The discovery of producing oil and gas fields led to positive changes almost overnight that continued into the 1950s.
 * 1943 - Columbia County voters banned the sale of beer and wine.. The county remains “dry” to this day.

Church Records

 * 1875-1899 - at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection

Methodist

'''Barges Chapel Methodist Church

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1820-1872 - Barges Chapel Methodist Church Baptism Index 1820-1872. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1896, 1915 - Barges Chapel Methodist Church Marriage Index 1896, 1915. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1853-1883 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1855-1867 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1956 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

African Americans

 * 1866-1867 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Magnolia at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Letters

Funeral Homes

 * Henderson's Mortuary in Magnolia
 * Lewis Funeral Home in Magnolia
 * Marks Funeral Home in Magnolia
 * R.L. Reed Funeral Home in Magnolia

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1849-1931 Columbia County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)- How to Use this Collection
 * Includes Administration bonds and letters 1853-1925; Dockets 1866-1891; Executor and guardian bonds and letters 1856-1924; Probate record index 1854-1926; Probate records 1853-1886; Wills 1849-1931.

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. 2 volumes. 1890. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($); . Columbia County history begins on Page 455 in Vol. 1.
 * History of Columbia County. 1976. By Nettie Hicks Killgore. [S.l.] : Southwest Arkansas Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Columbia County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives

Civil War

 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company E
 * - 19th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Dockery's) (Confederate)
 * - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies A and G

'''Online Records


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
 * 1890-1963 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1891-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1901-1929 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

World War II

 * Men and women in the Armed Forces from Columbia County, Magnolia, Arkansas.Camden, Arkansas : Southern Pub. Co, 194-? FHL 976.759 M2s

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1783–1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1817-1979 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1849-1931 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1925 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1926 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1856-1924 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1866-1891 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1853 - 1951 - Columbia County Marriage Books A-Z, AA-LL Index 1853-1951 in at FamilySearch - free. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1853 - 1926 - Columbia County Marriage Books D2-Q Index 1853-1926 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Death

 * 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)

Divorce

 * 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1868-1910 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

Family History Centers

 * El Dorado Arkansas Family History Center
 * Magnolia Arkansas Family History Center


 * Central Arkansas Library System - Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Dee Brown Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children Library and Learning Center - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sidney S. McMath Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sue Cowan Williams Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Columbia County Genealogical Society Website

Websites

 * ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * RootsWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records