Dallas County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Dallas County was created on 01 January 1845 and was named for Vice President George M. Dallas. Its county seat is Fordyce. It is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Dallas County Courthouse 206 W 3rd Street Fordyce, AR 71742 Phone: 870-352-7179 Dallas County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1855, land records from 1845, probate, divorce and court records.

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


 * 1812 - White settlement of the Ouachita River valley had begun.
 * 1840 - Very little settlement was in the area now known as Dallas County, but even those settlers were mostly farmers and their slaves.
 * 1845 January 1 - Dallas County was created from parts of Bradley and Clark counties.
 * 1860-1865 - About a third of the population left the area for Texas and Louisiana to avoid the fighting during the war. Many never returned.
 * 1881 - The construction of four major railroads began in Dallas County.
 * 1930-2010 - The population of Dallas County peaked in 1930 with more than 14,500 people. In 2010 the population had dropped to just over 8,000.

Biographies

 * Biographies at My Genealogy Hound

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

Court Records

 * 1845-1957 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1852-1892 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1893 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

African Americans

 * 1866-1874 - Dallas County Colored Marriage Book A Index 1866-1874 in at FamilySearch - free. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1866-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Princeton at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Contracts and monthly statements of property,

Funeral Homes

 * Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce
 * Brown-Williams Funeral Home in Fordyce
 * Marks Funeral Home Inc in Fordyce

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. 2 volumes. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); . Dallas County history begins on Page 704 in Vol. 2.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- [[FamilySearch Places|How to Use FS Places
 * Arkansas State Archives State Maps Collection at Arkansas Digital Archives

Revolutionary War

 * 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

 * - 2nd Battalion, Arkansas Calvalry (Confederate), Company C
 * - 3rd Consolidated Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company A
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 12th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 18th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company B
 * - 26th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company F
 * - 33rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company C


 * Men from this county served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Company F; and the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate).

'''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

Newspapers
U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present from "Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers" by the Library of Congress; results of search for Dallas County, Arkansas
 * 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
 * 1843-1921 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1845-1896 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1845-1913 (*); 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

Marriage
All others are available from the Dallas County Courthouse.
 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1838-1924 Dallas County Marriage Books A-N Index 1838-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1845-1954 Dallas County Marriage Books A-X and Loose Marriage Records Index 1845-1954 in  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1846-present Marriage Records, 1846-present (available online).
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)

Death

 * 1918-1922 Dallas County Death Index 1918-1922. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 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 - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Hot Springs Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Little Rock Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * North Little Rock Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Pine Bluff Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Dee Brown Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children Library and Learning Center - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sidney S. McMath Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sue Cowan Williams Library - an affiliate library
 * Pine Bluff / Jefferson County Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Dallas County Library Main Branch 501 E 4th St Fordyce, AR 71742-0584 Phone: 870-352-3592 Website Fohrell Public Library 186 Dallas 208 Sparkman, AR 71763-8720 Phone: 870-678-2561 Website

Websites

 * ARGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * 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