Arkansas History

Arkansas Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Guardianship Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Occupation & Business Records Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Vital Records Voter Records

Arkansas Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a family history center

United States

U.S. History

Arkansas

History

Devil's Den State Park

Village Creek State Park

Online Resources

• The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
• Arkansas History Commission
• Northwestern Arkansas History($)
• County and Town Histories, includes biographies

Adopt-a-wiki page
	This page adopted by: ARGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute.
Adopt a page today

Timeline

The following important events in the history of Arkansas affected political jurisdictions, family movements, and record keeping.

• 1686: The French established Arkansas Post, the first white settlement in what is now Arkansas. It was the administrative center for the French, Spanish, and United States governments until 1821 when Little Rock became the capital.
• 1763: France ceded the region to Spain.
• 1800: Spain officially returned the land to France, although Spanish occupancy continued until 1802.
• 1803: The United States acquired the area that is now Arkansas with the Louisiana Purchase and it became part of the Louisiana Territory.
• 1810: Osage and Quapaw ceded land.
• 1812-1819: Arkansas was part of Missouri Territory
• 1818: Quapaw Indians give up lands between the Arkansas and Red Rivers to the United States
• 1812: The Missouri Territory was established, including Arkansas in its boundaries. After the War of 1812 the Indian population decreased, and white settlers arrived to claim bounty land.
• 1813: The territorial legislature established Arkansas County.
• 2 March 1819: Arkansas became a separate territory.
• 1820: First Federal Census, all reported missing
• 1825-1826: Quapaw and Caddo removed to Red River Agency on Red River west of Arkansas.
• 1835: Most Indian tribes had been removed to Oklahoma.
• 15 June 1836: Arkansas became a state.
• 1837: Settlers from southern states began arriving.
• 1861: Arkansas seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1868.

Local Histories

• Clark, Georgia H. and Bruce R. Parham, Arkansas County and Local Histories: A Bibliography. Fayetteville, Arkansas: Mullins Library of the University of Arkansas, 1976. FHL book 976.7 H23c.

• Filby, P. William. A Bibliography of American County Histories. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985.) At various libraries (WorldCat); (FHL book 973 H23bi

• Kaminkow, Marion J. United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress. 5 vols. Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1975-76. WorldCat 315166; FHL book 973 A3ka
  

• Biographies from numerous Arkansas County History volumes are available free online on My Genealogy Hound .

• Northwestern Counties History, 1889 at Ancestry.com ($)

• Eilers of Arkansas at Ancestry.com ($)

• Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture has free history, geography, culture, counties, cities, towns, ethnic groups, religions, biographies, repository descriptions, and occupations.

• Arkansas Trails to the Past county formation list, ghost town links, slave narrative links, e-mail lists and query boards, links to historical and genealogical societies, and vital records.

State Histories

• Thomas, David Y., ed., Arkansas and Its People, Four Volumes. New York, NY: American Historical Society, 1930. FHL book 976.7 H2t; FHL film 934821 and FHL fiche 6051359.

• Arkansas History A list of books and microfilm particular to Arkansas history which are available through the Family History Library.

• Early days in Arkansas: being for the most part the personal recollections of an old settler at Ancestry ($)
• Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)
• Arkansas History and Pioneers at Ancestry ($)
• Eastern Arkansas Biographies and Historical Memoirs at Ancestry ($)
• Southern Arkansas Biographical and Historical Memoirs at Ancestry ($)
• Northwestern Arkansas History at Ancestry ($)
• Arkansas Biographical History at Ancestry ($)
• Central Arkansas Counties Biographical Historical Memoirs at Ancestry ($)
• Northern Arkansas Biographical Historical Memoirs at Ancestry ($)
• Biographical and pictorial history of Arkansas at Ancestry ($)
• Western Arkansas Biographies and Historical Memoirs at Ancestry ($)
• Pictorial History of Arkansas Up to 1890 at Ancestry ($)
• Missouri and Arkansas Bootheel
• Steamboat Disasters

United States History

The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:

• Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. The Almanac of American History. (Greenwich, Conn.: Bison Books, 1983.) At various libraries (WorldCat), FHL book 973 H2almThis book provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.

• Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., 8 vols. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976.) At various libraries (WorldCat), FHL book 973 H2adIncludes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations.

• Van Doren, Charles Lincoln; Robert McHenry, Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium. (Springfield, Mass.: G and C Merriam, 1971.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 973 H2v Includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.

• American Historical Association, Writings on American History (Washington, D.C.:American Historical Association,1960-1960) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 973 H23wFull text available at Google Books

Family History Library

To access histories available through the FamilySearch Catalog, use the Place-names Search for:

ARKANSAS - HISTORY

ARKANSAS, [COUNTY] - HISTORY

ARKANSAS, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY

Online Resources

• Arkansas ARGenWeb
• Arkansas History Commission and State Archives
• The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
• Resources (Historic Arkansas Museum)
• Wikipedia

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.