Lafayette County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Lafayette 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 or the Marquis de Lafayette, who came from France and fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary war. The County Seat is Lewisville and was founded October 15, 1827. It is located in the southwest corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Lafayette County Courthouse 2 Courthouse Square Lewisville, AR 71845 Phone: 870.921.4633 Lafayette County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1848 and probate records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and land 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 Lafayette County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1800s (early) - Identification of specific European explorers and settlers in the future Lafayette County area of the Louisiana Purchase is difficult.
 * 1815 - The New Madrid Earthquakes and the War of 1812 prompted President James Monroe to survey and offer lands from the Louisiana Purchase to veterans and displaced farmers.
 * 1826 - The first years for the settlers on Long Prairie were especially difficult with uncomfortable wilderness conditions afflicting the community. Many pulled up stakes and move 100 miles to the east.
 * 1827 October 15 - Lafayette County was organized.
 * 1861-1865 - Like most areas in the South, Lafayette County was devastated by the Civil War.
 * 1865-1877 - The most significant change during this period may have been the proliferation of family farms.
 * 1880s - Another dramatic change of the era was the arrival of the railroad.
 * 1900-1940s - The first four decades of the twentieth century saw both prosperity and depression. Banks failed, mortgagers foreclosed, properties were lost, and crop values plummeted.
 * 1930-2010 - The population of Lafayettte County hit its high mark in 1930 at 16,900 and is now (2010) at less than half that number at 7,600

African Americans

 * 1866-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Lewisville at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1828-1925 Lafayette County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration bonds 1859-1905; Letters of administration and guardianship 1859-1906; Miscellaneous probate records 1844-1858; Probate records 1828-1897; Wills 1846-1925.

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Civil War

 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 19th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Dockery's) (Confederate)
 * - 20th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company K
 * - 26th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company G
 * - Abraham's Company, Arkansas Mounted Volunteers (State Troops) (Confederate)
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Company I

'''Online Records


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1890-1963 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1891-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1901-1929 - at FamilySearch — images only

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 1828-1925 Lafayette County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration bonds 1859-1905; Letters of administration and guardianship 1859-1906; Miscellaneous probate records 1844-1858; Probate records 1828-1897; Wills 1846-1925.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1828 - 1952 - Lafayette County Marriage Books 1-2, C-Z, A2-G2 Index 1828-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1828 - 1921 - Lafayette County Marriage Books 1-2, C-S Index 1828-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * Lafayette County, Arkansas Obituary Collection From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free. From Various Funeral Homes around Stamps, Lewisville, Bradley, and Buckner, Arkansas.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * 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