Nevada County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Nevada County was created 20 March 1871 and was named for the state of Nevada. Its county seat is Prescott. It is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Nevada County Courthouse 215 E 2nd St Street Prescott, AR 71857 Phone: 870-887-3115 Nevada County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1871 and cemetery records. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court and land records from 1871.

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


 * 1803 - With the Louisiana Purchase, Euro-American settlers began to move into the region.
 * 1812 - Stephen Vaughan and his wife, Polly, came up the Ouachita and the Little Missouri rivers, settling at a place on the Little Missouri later known as Janes Ferry.
 * 1812 (after) - Vaughan was the first person in the county to be granted a federal land patent.
 * 1850s - The flood of immigration in the 1850s accelerated the trend of land patents, which continued to the brink of the Civil War.
 * 1860s - The area that would become Nevada County had only dirt roads and no towns of any size.
 * 1920-2010 - Nevada County hit its population high mark in 1920 with 21,934 and has had a steady decline until this time (2010) with only 8,997.

Biographies

 * Biographies at My Genealogy Hound

Census Records

 * Census Transcriptions

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

Court Records

 * 1871-1876 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1871-1953 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1914 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * 1910-1977 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Brazzel-Cornish Funeral Homes in Prescott
 * Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Homes in Prescott

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Nevada County, AR Federal Land Records

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. 1 & 2 - Ancestry. Nevada County, Vol 2, Ch XXIV, pp. 550-591.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Nevada County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Township and Township/Range Maps - Nevada County, AR
 * 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

Civil War

 * 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

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battles were fought in Nevada County:
 * April 3-4, 1864 - Elkin’s Ferry, also known as Okolona.
 * April 9-13, 1864 - Prairie D'Ane, also known as Gum Grove or Moscow.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Nevada County Picayune

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
 * 1871-1922 (*); 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

Birth

 * 1947-1965 - Nevada County Birth Index 1947-1965. Batch at FamilySearch.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1837-1957 Arkansas Marriages 1837-1957 at FamilySearch
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1871-1924 Nevada County Marriage Books A-P Index 1871-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1871-1953 Nevada County Marriage Books A-Z, AA-CC Index 1871-1953 in at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * Nevada County, AR Marriages at ARGenWeb

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

 * 1700-Onward Arkansas Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * El Dorado Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Magnolia Arkansas FamilySearch Center

Museums
Nevada County Depot and Museum 403 W 1st St S Prescott, AR 71857 Phone: 870-887-5821 Email: [mailto:TheDepotMuseum@gmail.com TheDepotMuseum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Hempstead County Genealogy Society 115 SE Lawrence St Washington, AR Phone: 870-703-8256 Email: [mailto:hempsteadhistory@gmail.com hempsteadhistory@gmail.com] Facebook Nevada County doesn't have a genealogical society at this time, but the Hempstead County Genealogy Society does have information about Nevada County.

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