Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Madison 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 our fourth president, James Madison. The County Seat is Huntsville and was founded September 30, 1836. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse 1 Main Street; PO Box 37; Huntsville, AR 72740-0037 Phone: 501.738.6721 Madison County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1901

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


 * 1700s - By the time of European exploration, Madison County was part of the Osage hunting grounds, although they lived further north.
 * 1827 - The earliest white settlers arrived and began to establish farms and towns. Settlers who migrated to the area from Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, named both Huntsville and Madison County. However, the great majority of settlers came from Tennessee, traveling by flatboat and wagon.
 * 1836 September 30 - The state legislature established Madison County.
 * 1861-1865 - the area was hit hard by the bushwhackers who rode throughout the countryside, stealing and pillaging. They burned homes, stole food and possessions, and left most families with little to live on.
 * 1800s (late) - With the coming of the railroads, the timber industry flourished in Madison County.
 * 1930s - Madison County was particularly hard hit by the Depression.
 * 1900-2010 - The population of Madison County hit its high mark in 1900 with over 19800 residents. It had a steady decline and bottoming out at just over 9,000 in 1960. It now (2010) has about 15,700.

Biographies

 * Arkansas History and Biography, 1889 at Ancestry.com ($)

Genealogies

 * Biographies from The History of Madison County, Arkansas (1889) published by Goodspeed Publishing Company are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1860-1969 Madison County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Chancery Court record index 1866-1890; Chancery Court records 1866-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1860-1934; Letters of testamentary 1881-1969; Probate records 1867-1893; Wills 1905-1939.

Local Histories

 * History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1889 History of Madison County, Arkansas With Biographical Appendix. from "History of Arkansas,". Huntsville, AR, USA: Century Enterprises, n.d. Reprint. Originally published by Goodspeed, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Madison County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Map of 1889 Madison County, Arkansas with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Arkansas, Madison County on page 191.] 

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company K
 * - 16th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 17th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Griffith's) (Confederate), Company G
 * - 35th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company K


 * Men from Madison County served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Union)
 * 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 1860-1969 Madison County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Chancery Court record index 1866-1890; Chancery Court records 1866-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1860-1934; Letters of testamentary 1881-1969; Probate records 1867-1893; Wills 1905-1939.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1901 - 1951 - Madison County Marriage Books G-M Index 1901-1951 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1901 - 1927 - Madison County Marriage Index 1901-1927 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Pinnacle Mountain Arkansas Family History Center

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