Lee County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
Lee County was created on 17 April 1873 and was named for General Robert E. Lee, who served as General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States in 1865. Its county seat is Marianna. It is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lee County Courthouse 15 E Chestnut Street Marianna, AR 72360 Phone: 870-295-7715 Lee County Website County Clerk has marriage, probate and tax records from 1873. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, military 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 Lee County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1700-1900 - In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, French explorers, hunters, and their American counterparts entered the wilderness via the Mississippi, L’Anguille, and St. Francis rivers.
 * 1790s (late) - Permanent settlers soon replaced hunters; one of the first was Sylvanus Phillips, who moved near the mouth of the St. Francis.
 * 1815 - Growth in the lower St. Francis was made possible by federal surveys that became the basis for the Public Land System.
 * 1838-1848 - Initially, most settlements, such as Walnut Bend and Council Bend, were confined to the Mississippi River, but within a few years, settlers moved into the interior.
 * 1873 April 17 - Lee County was established.
 * 1920-2010 - The population of Lee County peaked in 1920 at 28,800 aand is prsently (2010) at a low of 10,400.

Biographies

 * 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

Court Records

 * 1873-1881 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1873-1928 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Funeral Homes

 * Eternal Light Funeral Services in Marianna
 * Heirloom Funeral Services, L.L.C. in Marianna
 * Marianna Funeral Home in Marianna
 * Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in Marianna

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1873-1950 Lee County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images) - How to Use this Collection
 * Includes Administration and executor records 1873-1916; Guardian records 1873-1905; Probate records 1873-1895; Wills 1873-1950

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas. 1890. St. Louis: The Goodspeed Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive. Lee County, Ch. XXI, pp566-631.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * 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

Newspapers

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

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

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

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1873-1923 Lee County Marriage Books A-K Index 1873-1923 in  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1873-1923 Lee County Marriage Books A-K Index 1873-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 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

Societies
Tri-County Genealogical Society 405 S Midway P.O. Box 580 Marvell, AR 72366 Phone: 870-829-2971 Email: [mailto:cndavison4@gmail.com cndavison4@gmail.com] Website Covers Lee, Monroe, and Phillips Counties, Arkansas. Publication: Tri-County Genealogy.

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