Faulkner County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Faulkner County was created on 12 April 1873 and was named for Colonel Sanford C. "Sandy" Faulkner, composer of the fiddle tune, "The Arkansas Traveller." Its county seat is Conway. It is located in the center of the state.

County Courthouse
Faulkner County Courthouse 801 Locust Street; Conway, AR 72032 Phone: 501-450-4910 Faulkner County Website County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records from 1873.

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


 * 1722 - The first European explorers in the area were the group traveling with Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe, who traveled up the Arkansas River from Arkansas Post (Arkansas County).
 * 1818-1828 - The northwest section of Faulkner County was included in a Cherokee reservation.
 * 1834 - Many Native Americans died from cholera and were buried in Cadron in early 1834. Fear of the disease caused many settlers to abandon Cadron; no community now exists in that location.
 * 1873 April 12 - Faulkner County was one of nine counties established by the Republican state legislature during Reconstruction.
 * 1878 - Holy Ghost Fathers mission society brought in Roman Catholic settlers from Germany.

Biographies

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Central Counties of Arkansas. Chicago; St. Louis: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). Faulkner County, Ch. XXIII, pp. 659-702.
 * 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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Barney

County Church Records
 * The Old Texas Church
 * Conway Area Church Listings

Court Records

 * 1873-1900 (*); County Court (Faulkner County) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1873-1912 (*); Circuit Court (Faulkner County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1873-1955 (*); Chancery Court (Faulkner County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Faulkner County Declarations of Intent at Faulkner County ARGenWeb

Funeral Homes

 * Griffin Leggett Conway Funeral Home in Conway
 * Larry G Acklin Funeral Homes in Conway
 * Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway
 * Veasley Funeral Home and Cremations in Conway

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1873-1950 Faulkner County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)- How to Use this Collection
 * Includes Administration bonds 1873-1910; County Court records 1873-1900; Dockets 1874-1886; Executor bonds 1874-1950; Guardian bonds 1873-1908; Letters of administration 1873-1919 and 1941; Letters of guardianship 1873-1918; Letters of testamentary 1874-1949; Probate record index 1873-1880; Probate records 1873-1889; Wills 1879-1926.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Faulkner County Settlers ARGenWeb

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas. Chicago ; St. Louis : Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive; . Faulkner County history begins page 659.
 * The History of Faulkner County, Arkansas. By Alex McPherson. Conway, Arkansas : Oldbuck Press, 1993. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; . Reprint of original published in 1927(?).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Faulkner County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Map of 1889 Faulkner County, Arkansas with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
 * 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
 * Faulkner County Co. G, 3rd AR Calvary Pensions Faulkner County ARGenWeb
 * 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 ($)
 * Log Cabin Democrat

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
 * 1873-1950 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1880-1904 Faulkner County Administrations &amp; Estates 1880-1904; at ArGenWeb

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

 * 1873 Faulkner County Land Owners Faulkner County ARGenWeb

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1873-1924 Faulkner County Marriage Books B-R Index 1873-1924 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1873-1952 Faulkner County Marriage Books A-Z, 1-8 Index 1873-1952 in  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)

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

 * Conway Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Jacksonville Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * North Little Rock Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Pinnacle Mountain Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Quitman Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Dee Brown Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children Library and Learning Center - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Max Milam Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Maumelle Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sidney S. McMath Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sue Cowan Williams Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Faulkner County Historical Society P.O. Box 731 Conway, AR 72033 Phone: 501-424-0023 Email: [mailto:faulknercountyhistory@gmail.com faulknercountyhistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook River Valley Genealogy Society Farm Bureau Building 201 E Shady Ln P.O. Box 830 Morrilton, AR Phone: 501-208-4213, 501-354-4428 Email: [mailto:rivervalleygenealogysociety@gmail.com rivervalleygenealogysociety@gmail.com] Website Covers: Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Yell and Van Buren Counties.

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