Johnson County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Johnson County

Guide to Johnson County, Arkansas ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Johnson County Courthouse 215 W Main Street PO Box 57; Clarksville, AR 72830 Phone: 501.754.3967

Record Availability

 * County Clerk has marriage records from 1855 and probate records from 1844.
 * Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records
 * Extension office has burial records

Parent County

 * 1833--Johnson County was created 16 November 1833 from Pope County. County seat: Clarksville


 * www.johnsoncosheriff.com/

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arkansas County Boundary Maps" (1813-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
For a list of record loss in Arkansas counties see: Arkansas Counties with Burned Courthouses

Towns in FamilySearch Catalog
Click a town to see what records are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog



Neighboring Counties
Franklin •  Lonoke  •  Madison  •  Newton  •  Pope

Biography

 * All of the family biographies from Johnson County, Arkansas included in The Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Johnson County, Arkansas published by Southern Publishing Company in 1891 are available free online at My Genealogy Hound.

Guardianship

 * Guardian bonds and letters 1856-1913 vol A-C at FamilySearch (Free, browse images)

Genealogy

 * All of the family biographies from Johnson County, Arkansas included in The Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Johnson County, Arkansas published by Southern Publishing Company in 1891 are available free online at My Genealogy Hound.

Local Histories

 * Langford, Ella Molloy. History of Johnson County, Arkansas : the first hundred years. Clarksville, Arkansas : Johnson County Historical Society (Georgia), 1976, 1981.
 * Online at [https://archive.org/details/johnsoncountyark00lang Internet atchive} (Free)

History Timeline
Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * Native American rock art indicate that people lived in this area for at least 10,000 years. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the Osage laid claim to the land.
 * 1700-1730s - .Early white settlers started arriving, first by keel boat and later by steamboat; many were likely illegal squatters, who were a constant source of annoyance and complaint to the Cherokee.
 * 1833 November 16 - Johnson County was created.
 * 1920-2010 - The population of Johnson County hit a peak of just over 21,000 in 1920. It then took a dive to just 12,400 in 1960 but has rebounded to 25,500 in 2010.

Maps

 * Johnson County at Wikipedia.


 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925) by MapofUS.org

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, Johnson County on page 191.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Arkansas section begins on page 439.]

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company C
 * - 16th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company A, B and C
 * - 26th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company H
 * - 35th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I


 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Companies D, E, and I


 * Men from this county served in the 10th Regiment, Arkansas Militia and the 62nd Regiment, Arkansas Militia.

Periodicals

 * Johnson County Historical Society Journal published by Johnson County Historical Society.

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 1845-1949 Johnson County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and executor bonds and letters 1870-1949; Administration bonds and letters 1847-1886; Guardian bonds and letters 1856-1913; Wills 1845-1926.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Birth

 * 1861 - Johnson County Birth Index 1861. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriage

 * 1855-1957 - Johnson County Marriage Books N-Z, 1-2 Index 1855-1957 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1855-1924 - Johnson County Marriage Books N-W Index 1855-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * List of Arkansas Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Clarksville Arkansas Family History Center S .5 mile Country Club Rd Clarksville AR 72830-9015 USA

Societies

 * Johnson County Historical Society operates the Heritage Center and Museum at 131 West Main Street, Clarksville and publishes Johnson County Historical Society Journal.
 * "Among the research materials available at the center are clipping files with data on county families and communities from county newspapers; ... databases of burials in Johnson, Crawford, and Franklin counties...."