Franklin County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Franklin 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 Benjamin Franklin. It is located in the northwest of the state.

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse 211 W Commercial Street Ozark, AR 72949 Phone: 501.667.3607 Franklin County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1850, probate records from 1838 and land records from 1899.

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


 * 1819-1828 - By treaty, the Cherokee controlled the county
 * 1828 - the Cherokee were removed to Indian Territory and the area was opened to settlement, people came from Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, and surrounding states.
 * 1837 December 19 - was formed from Crawford County.
 * 1875 - The railroad came to Franklin County, and towns grew up along the line.
 * 1880s - The climate and terrain in northern Franklin County were suited to grape growing, and a group of Swiss and German farmers came to Altus and established wineries.

Church Records

 * 1875-1899 - at FamilySearch — index

Genealogies

 * Family biographies from The History of Franklin County, Arkansas (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1835-1958 Franklin County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian record index no date; Administration bonds 1866-1918; Administration bonds and letters 1891-1935; Administration settlements 1866-1878; Chancery Court records 1891-1953; County Court records 1847-1860; General index 1852-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1891-1940; Guardian settlements 1866-1891; Letters of administration 1865-1918; Letters of testamentary 1865-1936; Minutes 1870-1874; Probate packet index 1835-1958; Probate packets 1835-1958; Probate record index 1860-1898; Probate records 1838-1915; Wills 1892-1947.

Local Histories

 * History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($) . Also online at Google Books (free) and Hathi Trust (free, searchable).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Franklin County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War

 * - 7th Battalion, Arkansas Infantry (Desha) (Confederate)
 * - 34th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 35th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company E


 * Men from this county served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Company G, and the 7th Regiment, Arkansas Militia.

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 — index and images

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 1835-1958 Franklin County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian record index no date; Administration bonds 1866-1918; Administration bonds and letters 1891-1935; Administration settlements 1866-1878; Chancery Court records 1891-1953; County Court records 1847-1860; General index 1852-1890; Guardian bonds and letters 1891-1940; Guardian settlements 1866-1891; Letters of administration 1865-1918; Letters of testamentary 1865-1936; Minutes 1870-1874; Probate packet index 1835-1958; Probate packets 1835-1958; Probate record index 1860-1898; Probate records 1838-1915; Wills 1892-1947.
 * Franklin County Probate Records Online

Birth

 * 1947 - 1965 - Franklin County Birth Index 1947-1965. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1951 - Franklin County Marriage Books A-Q, 2-4 (including both Ozark and Charleston locations) Index 1850-1951 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1850 - 1931 - Franklin County Marriage Books A-J Index 1850-1931 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1954 - Franklin County Death Index 1954. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Jacksonville Arkansas Family History Center 312 HWY 319 East Vilonia, AR 72173

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