Calhoun County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas  Calhoun County

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

County Courthouse
Calhoun County Courthouse Main Street Hampton, AR 71744 Phone: 870.798.2517 County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1851, divorce, probate and court records from 1880.

Parent County

 * 1850--Calhoun County was created 6 December 1850 from Dallas and Ouachita Counties. County seat: Hampton

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
For a list of record loss in Arkansas counties see: Arkansas Counties with Burned Courthouses

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog: none as of 10/2014

Neighboring Counties
Bradley •  Cleveland  •  Dallas  •  Ouachita  •  Union

African Americans

 * 1865-1867 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Hampton at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; letters, misc records

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1851-1936 Calhoun County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian records 1861-1936; Claims against estates 1851-1899; Minutes 1851-1911; Probate records 1851-1911.

Local Histories

 * History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co.1889.
 * PDF Online at The Rainwater Collection (Free)
 * Russell, Jesse Lewis. Behind these Ozark hills : history - reminiscences - traditions featuring the author's family, biographical sketches of outstanding descendants of pioneers. New York, New York : Hobson Book Press, 1947.
 * Online at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

History Timeline
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Arkansas County - The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History &amp; Culture


 * There are about 350 archaeological sites known in Calhoun County, testifying to the habitation of Native Americans in the region for thousands of years. The last native residents are likely to have been the ancestors of the historic Koroa Indians.
 * Pre 1800 - French-Canadian hunters, trappers, and traders were probably the first Europeans to visit the area.
 * 1804 - William Dunbar and George Hunter were officially the first American citizens to visit what is now Calhoun County with their exploration of the Red, Black, and Ouachita rivers.
 * 1800-1840 - Settlers from other states began to arrive. Many families from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee chose this area. to settle.
 * 1861-1874 - With over 400 soldiers from the county involved in the Civil War, farming, commerce, and immigration almost came to a standstill.
 * 1880s - The county did not recover economically until the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad, passed through the northwestern corner of the county.
 * 1920s - The population reached a peak never to be surpassed.

Maps

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Civil War

 * - 2nd Battalion, Arkansas Calvalry (Confederate), Company A
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)

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 1851-1936 Calhoun County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and guardian records 1861-1936; Claims against estates 1851-1899; Minutes 1851-1911; Probate records 1851-1911.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1851-1956 - Calhoun County Marriage Books A-L Index 1851-1956 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851-1922 - Calhoun County Marriage Books A-I Index 1851-1922 in International Genealogical Index 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


 * Jacksonville Arkansas Family History Center 312 HWY 319 East Vilonia AR 72173 United States