Drew County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Drew 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 Thomas Drew, the 3rd governor of Arkansas. The County Seat is Monticello and was founded November 26, 1846. It is located in the southeast of the state.

County Courthouse
Drew County Courthouse 210 S Main Street Monticello, AR 71655 Phone: 870.460.6260 Drew County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, military and court records; County Assessor has 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 Drew County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1824 - In a treaty, the Quapaw agreed to sell their land and move.
 * 1837 - As early as 1837, American settlers had gathered in a village called Rough and Ready, located within a mile of the present-day county seat, Monticello.
 * 1846 November 26 - Drew County was formed.
 * 1910-2010 - The population of Drew County hit its peak in 1910 with 22,000. It had dropped to 15,000 by 1970 and had a slow recovery to 18,500 in 2010.

Church Records

 * Drew County Church Records Drew County ARGenWeb
 * Prairie Grove Southern Baptist Church Drew County ARGenWeb
 * Old Florence Church Minutes USGenWeb Archives
 * Prairie Hall M.A. Church South
 * Pleasant Springs Missionary Baptist Church USGenWeb Archives

African Americans

 * 1866 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Monticello at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; roll, reports
 * 1865-1867 — Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, Monticello (Southeastern District of Arkansas) at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only; Register of contracts, letters, court papers

Land and Property Records

 * Drew County Pioneer Settlers Drew County ARGenWeb
 * Drew County Federal Land Records USGenWeb Archives
 * Drew County Assessor's Public Records Searchable Database

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 Drew County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Colquitt's) (Confederate)
 * - 3rd Consolidated Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 6th Battalion Arkansas Cavalry (Confederate), Companies A, B and L
 * - 8th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 26th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Companies A, B and E

'''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
 * Edward Gerdes Arkansas Civil War Rosters
 * Drew County Civil War Amnesty List Drew County ARGenWeb
 * Drew County WW 2 Army &amp; Air Force Casualties Access Genealogy
 * Men from this county served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate).

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 1846-1926 Drew County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Estates 1905-1906; Inventories 1870-1893; Letters of administration 1847-1858; Minutes 1852-1864; Probate records 1865-1905; Wills 1846-1926; Wills, intestate estates 1847-1858.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1847 - 1952 - Drew County Marriage Books A-Z, AA-GG Index 1847-1952 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1847 - 1905 - Drew County Marriage Books D-J Index 1847-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1847 - 1861 - Drew County Marriages 1847-1861 Drew County ARGenWeb
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Drew County Early Marriage Officials Drew County ARGenWeb

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Monticello Arkansas Family History Center
 * Monticello, Arkansas

Websites

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