Greene County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Greene 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 Revolutionary War General Nathaniel Greene. The County Seat is Paragould and was founded November 5, 1833. It is located in the northeast of the state.

County Courthouse
Greene County Courthouse PO Box 62 Paragould, AR 72451-0364 Phone: 870.239.6311 Greene County Website County Clerk has marriage, probate, court and land records from 1876. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce 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 Greene County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1833 November 5 - The territorial legislature approved the petition to form Greene County.
 * 1850s (mid) - The growth of Gainesville, the drainage activities, and the arrival of land speculators, helped Greene County finally to boom.
 * 1884 - Paragould, a new town grew rapidly and became the county seat, beginning the sharp and sudden decline of Gainesville.
 * 1890s - Northeast Arkansas offered one of the few remaining hardwood forests in the nation. With rail transportation and drainage improvements, Greene County experienced a major boom.

Additional Information
 * History of Greene County at Ancestry.com ($)

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1876-1953 Greene County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Accounts 1898-1908; Administration bonds 1876-1906; Claims against estates no date; Guardian bonds and letters 1876-1905; Probate case files 1905-1937; Probate records 1876-1899; Wills 1894-1953.

Local Histories
AR History


 * Goodspeed's history of Greene County, Arkansas. Van Buren, Arkansas : Press-Argus, 1963.
 * Online at FamilySearch Catalog (Free) and at Ancestry.com ($)
 * History of Greene County, Arkansas. By Vivian Hansbrough. Little Rock, Ark.: Democrat Print. &amp; Lithographing Co., 1946. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Civil War

 * - 8th Battalion, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company D
 * - Davies' Battalion, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Companies D, E and F


 * Men from this county served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), 25th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate) and Kuykendall's Company, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate).

'''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

 * 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1817 – 1979 at FamilySearch — images
 * Probate Records 1876-1953 Greene County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Accounts 1898-1908; Administration bonds 1876-1906; Claims against estates no date; Guardian bonds and letters 1876-1905; Probate case files 1905-1937; Probate records 1876-1899; Wills 1894-1953.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1876 - 1955 - Greene County Marriage Books 2-36 and License Applications Index 1876-1955 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1876 - 1922 - Greene County Marriage Books 2-16 Index 1876-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Societies

 * Greene County Arkansas Historical and Genealogical Society 212 W Court Street (7 room research center open 9-4 Monday through Friday) P.O. Box 121 Paragould, AR 72451 Phone: (870) 240-8944

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