Some County Resources
Boone County Courthouse
County Clerk's Office:
(870-741-8428)
Marriage Records: Indexed and complete from county formation
Probate Court Records - with index to wills
Real Estate Tax Books from early 1800s
Sealed Adoption Records
Articles of Association
City and Town Lots - Real Estate Tax Books
Ministers' Credentials
Juvenile Court Records
Personal Tax Books
County Court Claim Claims Docket
Warrant Register
County Roads Records
Bonds and Letters of Personal Representative
County Court Docket and Claims Docket
Ordinances and Resolutions
Guardian Bond and Letters
Personal Assessment Tax Book
Inventory of Estates
Records of Land Sold to Individuals
Probate Fees
Voter Registration
Circuit Clerk's Office:
(870-741-5560)
Bonds
Power of Attorney
Index to Plats and Surveys
Survey Records
Judgments
Chancery Court Records and Papers
Deed Records from 1869
Mortgage Records and Records of Trust
Warranty Deeds
Release Deeds
Misc. Records Book 2 through 23
Child Support Judgments
Criminal Court Recors with Index(old cases in boxes at Old Feceral Bldg.
Uniform Commercial Codes
Juvenile Records - Not Open to the Public
Indictment Books - Not Open to the Public until Warrant is served
Arkansas Records
The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 brought (what is now) Arkansas into the United States. The area was thrown open for settlement at that time. The area was part of the Missouri Territory in 1812, and became Arkansas Territory in 1819 when Missouri applied for statehood. The area encompassed what is now Oklahoma. On June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the twenty-fifth state in the union.Some very early records, 1803-1836, may be found in Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma collections. The Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Health Department, State Health Bldg., Little Rock, Arkansas, has birth and death records from 1914, and marriage records from 1917. Some City Clerks might have birth and death records before 1914. Clerks of counties where license was obtained also have marriage records. County Clerks, or Clerks of Circuit Courts also have records of wills, deeds, divorces, and war service. Naturalization records are filed with Disrtrict Courts in Little Rock, Helena, Batesville, Fort Smith, and Texarkana. Federal census are available since 1830. US Government surveys, original field notes, books showing original entries by Township and Range, are available at the State Land Office, State Capitol Bldg., Little Rock.
Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives, in the 1874 Courthouse, Old Washington State Park, (P.O. Box 98, Washington, AR 71862), near Hope, has become one of the most valuable sources for the Arkansas researcher working in this area of Arkansas. They will do simple mail-in lookups free and more extensive ones for $5 an hour BUT more importantly, they are not state funded and need donations to keep records and equipment, etc. going. The workers are all volunteers and the state provides only the building and utilities. This is such an important facility that we should all use it - wisely. Visitors will be impressed by the knowledge about the region that the librarian has and her helpfulness. So much of what is available online is not documented, so this kind of facility is even more important to a thorough researcher. Don't forget the SASE if you write!! (You may tell them you saw their praises on the ARGenWeb, the Internet, Hempstead County Page and Boone County page.)
The Grace Keith Genealogical Collection of the Fayetteville, AR, Public Library, 217 East Dickson St., Fayetteville, AR 72701 also holds valuable information. The facility is on Hwy 71B east of the courthouse and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The collection focuses on Northwest Arkansas, although there is information about every state. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Maryland are particularly well represented.
This is not a complete listing of sources, but is offered to help you find your way into some of the materials available. You might also wish to visit the State page at Arkansas or the Arkansas Historical Commission which contains, in their "material" link, a number of historical articles.