Poinsett County, Arkansas Genealogy

United States Arkansas Poinsett County

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

County Courthouse
Poinsett County Courthouse 401 Market Street Harrisburg, AR 72432 Phone: 870.578.4410 Court Clerk has marriage records from 1873 and probate records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

Parent County

 * 1838--Poinsett County was created 28 February 1838 from Greene and St. Francis Counties.

County seat: Harrisburg

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
1873  A courthouse fire destroyed all records in September 1873.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Neighboring Counties
Craighead • Crittenden • Cross • Jackson • Mississippi •

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

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1873-1966 Poinsett County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1873-1925; Dockets 1873-1875; Executor records 1875-1949; Guardian records 1873-1922; Probate records 1873-1896; Wills 1875-1966.

Maps

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Revolutionary War

 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Arkansas section begins on page 439.]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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 1873-1966 Poinsett County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1873-1925; Dockets 1873-1875; Executor records 1875-1949; Guardian records 1873-1922; Probate records 1873-1896; Wills 1875-1966.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1873-1952 - Poinsett County Marriage Books A-Z, 1B-3B, 1C-1F Index 1873-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1873-1921 - Poinsett County Marriage Books A-I Index 1873-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Death

 * Poinsett County, Arkansas Obituary and Death Notice Collection From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free. Obits and death notices from the Trumann, Marked Tree, Lepanto, Harrisburg, and Tyronza areas.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * List of Arkansas Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers