Craighead County, Arkansas Genealogy
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Guide to Craighead County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for state Senator Thomas Craighead. It is located in the northeast of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Craighead County Courthouse
511 South Main Street
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: 870.933.4520
Craighead County Courthouse
County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1878 and tax records.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce records from 1878 and land records from 1900[3]
Craighead County, Arkansas[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1878 | 1914 | 1878 | 1900 | 1878 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arkansas County Boundary Maps" (1813-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Craighead County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [7]
- 1803 (pre) - Some groups of Shawnee, Delaware, and Cherokee moved west of the Mississippi River and through the area.
- 1811-1812 - The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811–1812 kept many potential settlers away from northeast Arkansas and induced the few Native Americans there to move elsewhere.
- 1817 - Immigration to the area began increasing due to allayed fears of earthquakes and the attractiveness of the bounties given to veterans of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
- 1820 - An act of Congress continued the land bounty program.
- 1850 - The Bounty Land Act in 1850 allowed for veterans of the Mexican War (1846–1848) to obtain land warrants.
- 1850 - The U.S. Congress granted the state of Arkansas all swamp and overflow lands, many of which were in the region now included in Craighead County.
- 1859 February 19 - Crighead County was formed.
- 1869-1885 - A high incidence of courthouse fires in Jonesboro destroyed many of the county’s early documents.
- 1906 - Jonesboro’s growth was enhanced with the creation of City Water & Light (CWL) as a municipal utility.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 3,066 | — |
| 1870 | 4,577 | 49.3% |
| 1880 | 7,037 | 53.7% |
| 1890 | 12,025 | 70.9% |
| 1900 | 19,505 | 62.2% |
| 1910 | 27,627 | 41.6% |
| 1920 | 37,541 | 35.9% |
| 1930 | 44,740 | 19.2% |
| 1940 | 47,200 | 5.5% |
| 1950 | 50,613 | 7.2% |
| 1960 | 47,303 | −6.5% |
| 1970 | 52,068 | 10.1% |
| 1980 | 63,239 | 21.5% |
| 1990 | 68,956 | 9.0% |
| 2000 | 82,148 | 19.1% |
| 2010 | 96,443 | 17.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1875-1899 Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1878-1887 Common Law Record, 1878-1887(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1878-1887 Court Records, 1878-1887(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1878-1964 Chancery Books, 1878-1964(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1883-1896 Court Records, 1883-1896(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1883-1902 Circuit Court Records, 1883-1902(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1884-1900 Court Records, 1884-1900(*); Municipal Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1887-1941 Ministers Credentials, 1887-1941(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Emerson Funeral Home in Jonesboro
- Gregg-Langford Bookout Funeral Home in Monette and Jonesboro
- Roller-Farmers Union Funeral Home in Jonesboro
- Woodard Funeral Services in Jonesboro
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1878-1971 Craighead County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)- How to Use this Collection
- Includes Administration and guardian bonds 1899-1936; Administration bonds and letters 1878-1923; County Court records 1878-1884; Dockets 1887-1892; Guardian bonds 1878-1938; Letters of administration and guardianship 1884-1903; Probate records 1878-1927; Wills 1886-1930.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Craighead County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
- Goodspeed's History of Craighead County, Arkansas. 1964. Van Buren, Arkansas : Press-Argus. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint of original published: [S.l. : s.n.], 1889.
- History of Craighead County, Arkansas. c1977. By Harry Lee Williams. Little Rock, Arkansas : Rose. Online at: Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- The Story of Craighead County : a Narrative of People and Events in Northeast Arkansas. c1960. By Charles Albert Stuck. Jonesboro, Arkansas : C.A. Stuck. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- 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
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Men in Craighead County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 8th Battalion, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate), Company E
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1963 Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Craighead newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Craighead County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Arkansas Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites. Includes newspapers for Craighead County.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1783–1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
- 1817-1979 Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1878-1923 Administrators Letters and Bonds, 1878-1923(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1878-1927 Probate Docket and Records, 1878-1927(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1878-1938 Guardian Bond Records, 1878-1938(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1883-1936 Administrators and Guardians Bonds and Letters, 1883-1936(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1884-1908 Court Records, 1884-1908(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1886-1930 Wills, 1886-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1928-1971 Wills, 1928-1971(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
| Y | M | |
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In 1877, a few county and city clerks[8] started keeping birth and death records.
In 1914, the state law required all county clerks to record births and forward them to the state.
- Arkansas Births and Christenings, 1812-1965 at FamilySearch. (Free, index only)
- Small file, but worth searching. Most entries were user-submitted.
See also: • Arkansas Online Genealogy Records, • How to Find Arkansas Birth Records and • Arkansas Vital Records—Birth.
- 1947 - 1965 - Craighead County Birth Index 1947-1965. Batch C735504 at FamilySearch - free.
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1860 - 1976 Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1878 - 1934 - Craighead County Marriage Books A-Z, 1-17, A1-A20 Index 1878-1934 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[9]- How to Use this Collection
- 1878 - 1923 - Craighead County Marriage Books A-S, 1-7 Index 1878-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[10]
- 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1969 Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
- 1935-1961 Arkansas, Death Index, 1935-1961 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Voter Records[edit | edit source]
- 1868-1910 Arkansas, County Voter Registration Records, 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Craighead County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Greene County Historical & Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Craighead County. For state-wide library facilities, see Arkansas Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Craighead County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Arkansas Societies.
Genealogy Society Of Craighead County
315 W Oak Ave
PO Box 844
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-219-0535
Email: gscca@suddenlink.net
Website
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
- USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- RootsWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- FamilySearch Catalog - 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
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Craighead County, Arkansas Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ark/craig/
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Craighead County, Arkansas. Page 67 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 65.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Craighead County, Arkansas" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craighead_County,_Arkansas accessed 3 September 2018.
- ↑ Nancy Hendricks, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=760&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 12, 2016), “Craighead County.”
- ↑ such as Sebastian County (Fort Smith) and Pulaski County (Little Rock) (No entry in FamilySearch Catalog found for Pulaski County nor for Little Rock, Aug 2014)
- ↑ FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "Arkansas County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records," in FamilySearch Wiki.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/5/5c/Igiarkansasad.pdf.