Jackson County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Jackson County was created on 25 December 1829 and was named for President Andrew Jackson. Its county seat is Newport. It is located in the northern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse 208 Main Street Newport, AR 72112 Phone: 870-523-7420 Jackson County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1843 and probate records from 1845. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1845 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 Jackson County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1760-1800 - French and Spanish trappers hunted in what would become Jackson County.
 * 1822 - Early explorer Obediah Cartwright and his Indian guide, Leauteau, explored what would later be known as Jack’s Creek at the future town of Jacksonport.
 * 1829 November 5 - Jackson County was created.
 * 1829 - Because no towns existed in Jackson County, the first county seat was at the house of early pioneer Thomas Wideman, the house being about centrally located in the county.
 * 1930-2010 - The population of Jackson County hit its high mark in 1930 (27,900) and has gone down to a present (2010) count of 17,900.

Additional Information The county is named after President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).

Bible Records

 * Jackson County Bible Records at Arkansas Geneaolgy
 * Jackson County Bible Records at Arkansas USGenWeb Project Archives

Biographies

 * Biographies at My Genealogy Hound

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

Court Records

 * 1830-1878 (*); County and Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1830-1879 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1836-1886 (*); Probate and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1845-1952 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1882 (*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * County Court Record 1 of Jackson County, Arkansas, 1830-1837. 1971. By Morgan, James Logan. Northeast Arkansas Genealogical Association : Newport, Arkansas Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

African Americans

 * 1865-1867 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Jacksonport (Upper White River District) at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Letters, Register of Contracts
 * 1865-1868 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Jacksonport at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Register of contracts and a register of marriages, letters

Funeral Homes

 * Dillinger Funeral Home in Newport
 * Jackson's Funeral Homes in Newport
 * Taylor and Kimbrough Funeral Home in Newport

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1830-1945 Jackson County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images) - How to Use this Collection
 * Includes Administration and guardian dockets 1879-1887; Administration bonds 1846-1861; Administration bonds and letters 1858-1913; County Court records 1830-1843 and 1858-1862; Dockets 1850-1882; Executor records 1863-1945; Guardian bonds and letters 1885-1898 and 1920; Probate case files 1835-1890; Probate records 1836-1886; Wills 1845-1928.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Online at: Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II - HathiTrust, Internet Archive. Jackson County, Vol II, Ch XXV, pp832-916.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * 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

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Arkansas, Jackson County on page 191.]

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company G
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Colquitt's) (Confederate)
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles (Confederate), Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Volunteers (Confederate), Company A
 * - 7th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 31st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies A, B and H
 * - 45th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - Ford's Battalion, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company C
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Companies G and I


 * Jackson County, Register of indigent families of civil war soldiers, 1863

'''Online Records


 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images - [[Arkansas, Confederate Soldier Home Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * 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

 * 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
 * 1830-1878 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1835-1890 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1836-1886 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1845-1928 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1846-1945 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 115798

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

Tax Records
'''Online Tax Records


 * 1865-1874 US IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry.com - $, indexes and images, incomplete for all counties and years for Arkansas

'''Tax Records on Microfilm


 * 1830-1855 - microfilm available to order at your local FamilySearch Center.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1846-1923 Jackson County Marriage Index 1846-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * 1923-1951 Jackson County Marriage Books K-Q Index 1923-1951 in  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Jackson County Clerk's office marriage search

Death

 * 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 — index and images - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Jonesboro Arkansas FamilySearch Center

Societies
Jackson County Historical Society P.O. Box 711 Newport, AR 72112 Email: [mailto:stream.of.history@hotmail.com stream.of.history@hotmail.com] Website Facebook

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