Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Conway 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 Henry Wharton Conway, who was the territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress. The County Seat is Morrilton and was founded October 20, 1825. It is located in the central of the state.

County Courthouse
Conway County Courthouse 117 South Moose Street; Morrilton, AR 72110 Phone 501.354.9621 Conway County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1858 and probate records. The Clerk Circuit Court has divorce 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 Conway County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1803 - Up to about 1803 Conway County’s early settlers came by way of the Arkansas River and included trappers, traders, and fugitives.
 * 1803 The county was under French and Spanish rule before the Louisiana Purchase put it under American control.
 * 1825 October 20 - Conway County was created by the Arkansas General Assembly.
 * 1817-1828 - Tthe Western Cherokee occupied a reservation in Arkansas that included a great deal of Conway County.
 * 1828 - The Cherokee in Arkansas signed a treaty swapping this reservation for lands west of the territorial border.
 * 1872 - The Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad was completed through the county.
 * 1910 - The population of Conway County hit its peak.

Biographies

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Conway County at Ancestry.com ($)

African Americans

 * 1864-1872 an  at FamilySearch — Free, browse images. Labor contracts, amnesty oaths, and marriage certificates, letters

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1826-1937 Conway County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1859-1904; Probate record index 1840-1873; Probate records 1837-1886; Wills 1826-1937.

Local Histories

 * Park, Hugh. Historical reminiscenses and biographical memoirs of Conway County, Arkansas. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1976.
 * Online at FamilySearch Catalog (Free)
 * Historical Reminiscences and Biographical Memoirs of Conway County, Arkansas. Little Rock, AR: Arkansas Historical Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * Biographical and Historical Memoris of Conway County at Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Civil War

 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 10th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 36th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies F and I

Men from this county served in the 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company I; 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, G, H, K, and L; 31st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies C and G.

'''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 1826-1937 Conway County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian bonds and letters 1859-1904; Probate record index 1840-1873; Probate records 1837-1886; Wills 1826-1937.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1851 - 1952 - Conway County Marriage Books 1-3, A-Z, 27-37 Index 1851-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851 - 1923 - Conway County Marriage Books C-W Index 1851-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies
Conway County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 865 Morrilton, Arkansas 72110 E-mail: [mailto:conwaycountygenealogy@yahoo.com conwaycountygenealogy@yahoo.com] Website River Valley Genealogy Society Farm Bureau Building 201 E. Shady Lane Morrilton, Arkansas Website Covers: Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Yell and Van Buren counties.

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