Hempstead County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Hempstead County was named for Edward Hempstead, a Missouri congressman. It is located in the southwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hempstead County Courthouse P.O. Box 1420 Hope, AR 71801-1420 Phone: 870-777-2241 Hempstead County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1823 and land records from 1900

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


 * 1818 December 15 - Hempstead County was organized.
 * 1819 - Settlers came up the Red River on keel or flatboats, as well as overland, down the Southwest Trail.
 * 1824 - Washington was established as the first county seat.
 * 1863-1868 - The official population increased in these years as the former slaves were listed in the census for the first time as citizens. It is possible that the non-violent atmosphere in the county attracted other former slaves.
 * 1880-1900 - In 1880, the rich earth near Columbus was producing 1,120 pounds of cotton per acre. Total production of cotton for the county was 13,985 bales, worth an estimated $1.425 million. By 1890, cotton production had increased to 15,985 bales. Cotton continued to be king until after World War I. No cotton is grown in the county today.

Additional Information
 * 1818--Hempstead County was created 15 December 1818 from Arkansas County. County seat: Hope Its existence predates the state of Arkansas which was admitted to the union in 1836. Hempstead County was part of the Missouri Territory from 1818 to 1819 and part of the Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1836.

Bible Records

 * Hempstead, County at Melting Pot Genealogical Society, RootsWeb

Biographies

 * 1819-1850 Black Slaves And Early Freedman Of Hempstead County Arkansas 1819-1850. 2000. by Linda McDowell. Little Rock, AR: Jubilee, Inc. Online at: Internet Archive


 * Biographies at My Genealogy Hound

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Court Records

 * 1819-1826 (*); Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1820-1824 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1953 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1837-1912 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court, Hempstead County, Arkansas Territory 1819-1822. 1990. By Hempstead County Genealogical Society, Hope, Arkansas. Hope, Arkansas : Hempstead County Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Index to Chancery Court Records at Hempstead County ARGenweb

African Americans

 * 1819-1850 Black Slaves And Early Freedman Of Hempstead County Arkansas 1819-1850. 2000. by Linda McDowell. Little Rock, AR: Jubilee Inc. Online at: Internet Archive


 * 1865-1868 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Washington Internet Archive at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Accounts current, Marriage certificates, court papers, and teachers' school reports, contracts, letters.


 * 1865-1868 ''Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Washington (Southwest District of Arkansas) at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters, special orders

Funeral Homes

 * Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Homes in Hope
 * Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Homes in Hope

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1819-1927 Hempstead County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images) - How to Use this Collection
 * Includes Administration bonds 1845-1914; Administration dockets 1839-1855; Dockets 1832-1840; Executor records 1861-1927; Guardian bonds and letters 1861-1911; Letters of administration 1826-1830; Miscellaneous probate records 1837-1845; Probate records 1841-1894; Wills 1826-1925; Wills, miscellaneous records 1819-1845.

Land and Property Records

 * Federal Land Records Hampstead County Hempstead County Archives

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890.  Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($). Hempstead County history is in Vol I, Ch XXI, pp. 377-454.
 * A Pictorial History of Arkansas, From Earliest Times to the Year 1890. By Faye Hempstead. St. Louis: N.D. Thompson Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: Internet Archive. Hempstead County history is on pp. 859-874.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Arkansas, Hempstead County on page 191.

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company H
 * - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), The Davis Blues
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Companies C and D
 * - 17th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Griffith's) (Confederate), Company H
 * - 20th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies A, B, C and E

'''Online Records


 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

World War II

 * Men and women in the Armed Forces from Hempstead County, Hope, Arkansas. Camden, Ark. : Southern Pub. Co., between 1946 and 1949. FS Library Digital Images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1783-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1817-1979 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1819-1936 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1819-1845 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1826-1925 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1826-1927 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1832-1855 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1894 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1817-1875 Hempstead County Marriages, 1817-1875 at USGenWeb Archives
 * 1817-1921 Hempstead County Marriage Books A-N, S-V Index 1817-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1819-1951 Hempstead County Marriage Books A-Z, 1-11 Index 1819-1951 in  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * Freedmen's Marriages Hempstead County at ARGenweb

Death

 * 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)

Divorce

 * 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Magnolia Arkansas FamilySearch Center

Societies
Hempstead County Genealogical Society 115 SE Lawrence St Washington, AR Phone: 870-703-8256 Email: [mailto:hempsteadhistory@gmail.com hempsteadhistory@gmail.com] Facebook

Websites

 * ARGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * Cyndi's List
 * - 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