Desha County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Desha 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 Captain Benjamin Desha, a landowner who fought in the War of 1812. It is located in the southeast of the state.

County Courthouse
Desha County Courthouse Robert Moore Avenue PO Box 188 Arkansas City, AR 71630 Phone: 870.877.2323 Desha County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1865 and probate records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land 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 Desha County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1838 December 12 - Created by legislative act, Desha County was detached from Arkansas and Chicot counties.
 * 1860-1865 - During the war, county records were moved by wagon to Richland Township and later to Clarksville, Texas. Some records were never recovered.
 * 1927 - Desha County’s greatest tragedy came in the spring of 1927, when a flood inundated 478,000 acres after levee breaks occurred on the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. Many of the county’s 26,684 citizens were forced to flee to hill counties or to live on second floors, in tent cities, and in boxcars on the levee.
 * 1930-1931 - The Drought of 1930–31 and the Great Depression, with unemployment over thirty percent, added to economic woes.
 * 1940-2010 - The population of Desha County peaked in 1940 at just over 27,000. By 2010, it had dropped to 13,000.

Additional Information Desha County is Arkansas's 40th county, formed on December 12, 1838, and named for Captain Benjamin Desha who fought in the War of 1812.

Census Records
1840 Federal Census Index  -  USGenWeb Project Archives

1850 Federal Census Index -  USGenWeb Project Archives

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

Court Records

 * 1840-1885 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1856-1859 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1858-1882 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1886-1955 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

African Americans

 * 1867-1872 - Desha County Marriage Index 1867-1872 in at FamilySearch - free. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1866-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Napoleon at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters, contracts

Funeral Homes

 * Brown Funeral Home in Dumas
 * Griffin-Culpepper Funeral Service in McGehee
 * Griffin Funeral Home in Dumas
 * Serenity Gardens Funeral Services in Dumas

Land and Property Records
Desha County Federal Land Records -  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. 2 volumes. 1890. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($); . Desha County history begins on Page 997 in Vol. 2.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * 1895 Desha County Map -  livgenmil.com
 * Township Map -  Desha County USGenWeb
 * 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

Military Records
War of 1812 Military Land Grants War of 1812 (partial list) -  USGenWeb Project Archives

Civil War


 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate),
 * - 5th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Militia (Confederate), Napoleon Cavalry
 * - 8th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - Carlton's Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (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
 * Civil War Amnesty List -  Desha County ARGenWeb
 * 1901-1929 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

World War II Rohwer Relocation Center -  Desha County ARGenWeb

World War II Enlistees A-F - USGenWeb Project Archives

World War II enlistees G-L -  USGenWeb Project Archives

World War II Enlistees M-R -  USGenWeb Project Archives

Newspapers
Desha County Newspapers -  Desha County ARGenWeb
 * 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 and images ($)
 * 1817-1979 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1852-1885 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1860-1863 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1856 - 1952 - Desha County Marriage Books A-Z, A1-I1 Index 1856-1952 in at FamilySearch - free. - 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 and images ($)

Death

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

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

Family History Centers

 * Pine Bluff Arkansas Family History 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

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. 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