Howard County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Howard 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 State Senator James Howard. The County Seat is Nashville and was founded April 17, 1873. It is located in the southwest of the state.

County Courthouse
Howard County Courthouse 421 N Main Street Nashville, AR 71852 Phone: 870.845.7502 Howard County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1873 and some cemetery records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records from 1873

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


 * 1819 - One of the first settlers was John Tollett, a Methodist minister from Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
 * 1820s - This area was also part of the land given to the Choctaw in exchange for property in Mississippi.
 * 1820s - Choctaw inhabitation of the area discouraged settlement by white people for several years.
 * 1873 April 17 - Howard County was created from portions of Pike, Polk, Hempstead, and Sevier counties.
 * 1880s - The railroads arrived, connecting Howard County to the rest of the state and beyond.
 * 1920-1970 - The decline of the cotton industry had a ripple effect on the community. The county’s population peaked in 1920 and subsequently declined with each census until 1970.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1873-1970 Howard County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian records 1873-1949; Adminstration and executor bonds 1873-1945; Probate records 1873-1889; Wills 1873-1970.

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)
 * Family Maps of Howard County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War

 * - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), The Davis Blues

'''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 1873-1970 Howard County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian records 1873-1949; Adminstration and executor bonds 1873-1945; Probate records 1873-1889; Wills 1873-1970.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1873 - 1952 - Howard County Marriage Books A-X Index (1873-1952) and Card File Index (1941-1994) in at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * Howard County, 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