Newton County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Newton 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 Thomas W. Newton, an Arkansas Congressman. The County Seat is Jasper and was founded December 14, 1842. It is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Newton County Courthouse Court Street Jasper, AR 72641-0435 Phone: 870.446.5125 Newton County Website County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1866, probate and court records from 1880.

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


 * 1818-1828 - The land was part of a reservation granted to the Western Cherokee.
 * 1833 - This area was now part of Carroll County and white settoers had begun to move in.
 * 1842 December 14 - Newton County was established.
 * 1800s (late) - The terrain made the area unattractive to land speculators, which was encouraging to people who could not afford land in other parts of the state.
 * 1861 - The isolation of Newton County resulted in an increase in population at the start of the Civil War.
 * 1865 - After the war, families returned to their previous way of life.
 * 1900s (early) - The 1900s brought increased population as outsiders moved to the county. Land speculators bought property. The county reached its largest population of 12,538 in 1900.
 * 1970-2010 - The county population reached its low point of 5,844 in 1970 and now stands at 8330 in 2010.

Census Records

 * Newton County 1900 Census at Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Civil War

 * - 14th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Powers') (Confederate)
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Union)
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union) Companies A, C, and I
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union) Companies A, C, and I

'''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 — 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 1866-1958 Newton County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Dockets 1872-1936; Probate record index 1866-1902; Probate records 1866-1913; Wills 1915-1958.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1866 - 1952 - Newton County Marriage Books A-O Index 1866-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1866 - 1927 - Newton County Marriage Books A-J Index 1866-1927 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

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 resources. 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