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United States Arkansas St. Francis County

	Arkansas Online Records

St. Francis County, Arkansas
Map
Location in the state of Arkansas
Location of Arkansas in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	October 13, 1827
County Seat	Forrest City
Courthouse
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County Courthouse

Saint Francis County Courthouse
313 S Izard Street
Forrest City, AR 72335-3856
Phone: 870-261-1715

County Clerk has marriage records from 1875,
probate records from 1910 and tax records;
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records^[1]

History

When St. Francis County was formed in 1827 the county seat was temporariliy located in the home of William Strong, a prominant citizen, until it could be moved to the new town of Franklin. It remained in Franklin until 1840 when it was moved to Madison. In 1855 it was moved to Mt. Vernon. In 1856 the courthouse burned and the county seat was moved back to Madison until 1874 when a vote was taken to move once again to the rapidly expanding Forrest City that began as a railroad construction camp for Nathan Bedford Forrest.^[2]

After the original frame courthouse in Forrest City burned in 1874 a brick building was constructed that was used until the current building was built. Many of the earlier record books in the current courthouse are laminated derivitives and a number of originals are stored at the St. Francis County Museum, 603 Front Street, Forrest City, Arkansas.

Pioneer Times

• Pioneer Time in St.Francis County Arkansas
• Early Families
• Early Newspapers

Parent County

• 1827--St. Francis was created 13 October 1827 from Phillips County.  County seat: Forrest City ^[3]

Boundary Changes

• ST.Francis County History

Record Loss

The county records have been burned three times. The first time was in Mt. Vernon in 1856. During the War Between the States the records were moved to a frame home in the woods. The woods caught fire and the home and records burned. After the records were moved from the brick courthouse in Madison in 1874 to a frame building in Forrest City, they were burned again, ostensibly by someone trying to destroy criminal evidence.^[4] 

Some deeds have been reconstructed back to the 1860's, but most county records begin in 1873 or 1874.  

Places / Localities

Populated Places

• Historical Sites

Neighboring Counties

• Crittenden
• Cross
• Lee
• Monroe
• Woodruff

Resources

Cemeteries

• List of Cemeteries

Church

Court

Land

Local Histories

Maps

Military

• Veterans of St. Francis County

Newspapers

• Newspapers

Probate

Taxation

Vital Records

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Obituary Collection From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free. From Various Funeral Homes in Forrest City, Hughes, Madison, Palestine, Wheatley, Widener, Caldwell, and Colt.

Societies and Libraries

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
  
• Family History Library Catalog
• St. Francis County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), p. 70.
2. ↑ History of St. Francis County, Arkansas 1954, Fred N. McCollum Sr., Publisher, Robert W. Chowning, Author, Published by the Times-Herald Publishing Company, Forrest City, Arkansas, 1954 pp. 8 and 10. Copy in the Arkansas Room, Forrest City Public Library.
3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
4. ↑ History of St. Francis County, Arkansas 1954, ibid.

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