Bradley County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Bradley 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 Captain Hugh Bradley, who served with Andrew Jackson and fought in the War of 1812. The County Seat is Harrison and was founded December 18, 1840. It is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Bradley County Courthouse 101 E Cedar Street Warren, AR 71671 Phone: 870.226.3464 Bradley County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1846 and probate records from 1850; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court, court 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 Bradley County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1686 - The first French permanent settlement, Arkansas Post, was set up by Henri de Tonti.
 * 1763 - The Treaty of Paris marked the end of the French-Indian War and of French imperialism in North America.
 * 1801 - Spain surrendered control of Louisiana Territory to France.
 * 1803 - France sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States.
 * 1803 - The United States government purchased over 800,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River from France in the Louisiana Purchase.
 * 1900-1910 - Warren, the county seat, became home to three large milling operations and as a result of the lumber business, Warren’s population doubled

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1841-1933 Bradley County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Dockets 1880-1907; Guardian bonds and letters; Letters of administration 1841-1858; Probate records 1841-1880; Wills 1860-1933

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1890. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Civil War

 * - 2nd Battalion, Arkansas Calvalry (Confederate), Company B
 * - 6th Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Company A
 * - 8th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 20th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company H
 * - 26th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company D

Men from this county served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union), Company C

'''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 1841-1933 Bradley County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Dockets 1880-1907; Guardian bonds and letters; Letters of administration 1841-1858; Probate records 1841-1880; Wills 1860-1933

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1852 - 1853, 1883 - 1923 - Bradley County Marriage Books C-K Index 1852-1853, 1883-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1853 - 1950 - Bradley County Marriage Books A-U Index 1853-1950 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies
Bradley County Genealogical Society P. O. Box 837 Warren, AR 71671

Websites

 * ARGenWeb ]. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb. 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