Arkansas Genealogy Local Resources

United States  Arkansas Genealogy Research



Records are being posted online at an increasing rate by archives, libraries, societies, and by universities, commercial enterprise, and countless others.

The records online are only a fraction of the genealogy- and history-rich records available through archives and the local resources listed below.

Archives
Archives have the responsibility of preserving the historical records — our heritage — while allowing reasonable access to them. In the past few years, posting original records online has vastly increased both access and preservation.

The vast number of valuable records that are NOT online are virtually untapped and available for research through archives. These can be accessed through online catalogs or published guides to their collections.


 * beta worldcat.org archivegrid identify participating Arkansas Archives and contact information, search their collections

Online collections include 1911 Confederate Veterans Questionnaires, Confederate Pension Records, Land Records, and World War I Discharge Records among others.
 * Arkansas History Commission (State Archives) One Capitol Mall Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Phone: (501) 682-6900


 * The National Archives at Fort Worthformerly known as National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth) has records created by federal agencies and courts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The archives has microfilms of all available federal census records, many naturalization records, passenger arrival lists, military records, and other historical resources.


 * Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives 201 Highway 195 S Washington, Arkansas 71862 Phone: (870)983-2633 is a branch of the Arkansas History Commission (State Archives). Its mission is to serve the twelve counties in southwest Arkansas formed from the original Hempstead County.

Libraries
Most libraries have online catalogs and resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about Illinois. Local libraries often have manuscript or published collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies.

Libraries located near state boundaries usually collect records relating to the adjacent states.

Family History Centers
Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States). There are several centers located in Arkansas. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history.

See Family History Center Locator and search "Arkansas."

Museums
In addition to artifacts that allow us to envision what life was like for our ancestors, museums often have records. They may have merchant ledgers with names of people and what they purchased, a doctor's log of patients, and any number of valuable items for research and interest.

Social Networking Groups
Share findings, scan through comments, ask questions. Let's learn from one another!

Societies
Genealogical, historical, lineage, veteran, and ethnic societies often collect, transcribe, and publish information that can be helpful to genealogists.

Genealogical and historical societies can provide historical information about families in the area or ancestors of society members.
 * They may sponsor such activities as recognizing Centennial Farms and issuing Pioneer Certificates.
 * They occasionally publish transcriptions of original records.
 * Most publish quarterly periodicals, a few of which are listed in Periodicals. Use the Periodical Source Index (PerSI) to find periodicals and articles for Arkansas localities.

Lineage societies, such as the DAR, Colonial Dames, and the Sons of the American Revolution, require members to prove they are descended from people such as colonists or soldiers. National lineage societies such as the DAR are described in United States Societies.

Many counties and some cities have historical and genealogical societies, most of which will be listed in the . See United States Societies for a national directory of genealogical and ethnic societies.


 * 