According to the 1891 History of Western Arkansas, the Polk County Courthouse and records burned during the Civil War. The book indicates that another courthouse was erected in 1869, and that two or three years later it, too, was consumed by fire, along with the county records. A new courthouse was erected in 1884.
Link to Yahoo Map Showing Location of County Clerk's Office. According to that site, the address is:
Polk County Clerk
211 DeQueen Street
Mena, AR 71953
(501) 394-8123
Courthouse Fire in 1883 CIRCUIT CLERK'S OFFICE Chancery Court Records, 1883-present Civil Records, 1883-present Criminal Records, 1883-present Deeds, 1883-present Mining Claims, 1883-present Mortgages, 1883-present Oil & Gas Leases, 1883-present COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE County Court Records, 1885-present Marriage Records, 1884-present Physician Records, 1889-present Probate Court Records, 1889-present Voter Records, 1965-present Wills, 1901-present Note: NO birth and death records are kept at the county level. "Arkansas Links" lists the following Polk County records held by the ARKANSAS HISTORY COMMISSION: Administrator's Bond Records, 1883-1919 Circuit Court Records, 1877-1882 County Court Records, 1876-1883 Deeds (index) 1883-1943 Deeds, 1881-1896 Guardian Bond Records, 1881-1923 Marriage Records, 1881-1923 Naturalization Cirtificates, 1907-1934 Probate Court Records, 1876-1888 Soldiers and Sailors Discharge Records Wills, 1901-1957
Polk County Library
410 8th Street
Mena, AR 71953
(501) 394-2314
Link to Yahoo Map - Polk County Library Location
According to Everton's Handy Book for Genealogists, Seventh Edition, The Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Health Department, State Health Building, Little Rock, AR, 72201, has birth and death records from 1914, marriage records from 1917, and divorce records from 1921. Naturalization records are on file in the District Courts at Little Rock, Helena, Batesville, Fort Smith, and Texarkana. State Land Office, State Capitol Bldg., has original plats of U. S. Government surveys of Arkansas and original entries by Township and Range."
The "Handy Book" states the 1850 Federal Census of Polk County has been printed, as have the Arkansas state indexes from 1830 through 1870. (More may have been printed since this book was published.)
Many Arkansas records have been microfilmed by the LDS Church and are available on microfilm through the Family History Centers. The following records for Polk County are available: Cemeteries, Printed Census, Court Records, Land and Property Records, Military Records, Naturalizations, Public Records, and Vital Records. Two important Arkansas sources which should not be overlooked are the 1823 and 1829 Sheriff's Enumerations for Arkansas (shows only the name of head of household,) and the Arkansas 1911 Census of Confederate Veterans (3 Volumes.) Both these census records are available on microfilm.
Arkansaas Genealogy Society -
4200 "A" Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Publication: Arkansas Family Historian
Arkansas Historical Society - 422 S. 6th Street, Van Buren, AR
72956
