Montgomery County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Montgomery County

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

County Courthouse
Montgomery County Courthouse 1 George Street Mount Ida, AR 71957 Phone: 870.887.3521 County Clerk has marriage, probate, land and court records from 1845; County Agent has burial records.

Parent County

 * 1842--Montgomery County was created 9 December 1842 from Hot Spring County. County seat: Mount Ida

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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Neighboring Counties
Clark •  Garland  •  Hot Spring  •  Howard  •  Pike  •  Polk  •  Scott  •  Yell •

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


 * 1803 - Montgomery County was included in land claimed by Spain and then France before becoming American property as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
 * 1812 - Kentuckians Martin and Mary Belle Collier were the first recorded white settlers.
 * 1842 December 9 - Montgomery County was organized out of Hot Spring County.
 * 1905 - With the Missouri Pacific Railroad’s arrival, Caddo Gap and Black Springs thrived.
 * 1937 - Mauldin was dismantled and carried off by rail. The lumber company, picking up its tracks as it left, had depleted the virgin timber; this, together with the Depression, had a devastating economic impact on the county.
 * 1910-2010 - Montgomery County population hit its high mark in 1910 (12,400) its low in 1960 (5,400) and now (2010) stands at 9,487.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1845-1954 Montgomery County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Guardian bonds 1858-1909; Letters of administration 1859-1912; Probate records 1845-1903; Wills 1863-1954.

Maps

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

Civil War

 * - 4th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I

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 1845-1954 Montgomery County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Guardian bonds 1858-1909; Letters of administration 1859-1912; Probate records 1845-1903; Wills 1863-1954.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1845-1923 - Montgomery County Marriage Books 1, A-G Index 1845-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851-1958 - Montgomery County Marriage Books 1, A-M Index 1851-1958 in 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