Grant County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Grant County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The county was named for Ulysses S. Grant. It is located in the central of the state.

County Courthouse
Grant County Courthouse 101 W Center Street #106; PO Box 364 Sheridan, AR 72150 Phone: 870.942.2551 Grant County Website County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1877.

Populated Places
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:

History Timeline
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Grant County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1800s (early) - Cherokee and Choctaw settlers lived for a time in Grant County before being forcibly removed to Indian Territory.
 * 1840s - The inexpensive land attracted settlers; some brought their African-American slaves. They arrived by wagon train, some coming  from Alabama.
 * 1857-1858 - One typical early white settler was Richard D. Rhodes, who somehow obtained certificates intended for Choctaw settlement and claimed 320 acres of land in 1857 and another 320 acres in 1858.
 * 1861 - When the Civil War broke out, many men from Grant County joined Arkansas regiments, and a year later, the area had few able-bodied men left.
 * 1869 February 4 - Governor Powell Clayton signed a bill creating Grant County.
 * 1933-1942 - The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in Grant County during the Depression. The men at Camp Sheridan were primarily involved in forestry work. Also active in the county was the National Youth Administration, which built school buildings in Prattsville, Grapevine, Oak Grove, Leola, Poyen, and Sheridan

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection

Court Records

 * 1869-1917 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1877-1954 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Buie Funeral Home in Sheridan
 * Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in Sheridan

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1877-1949 Grant County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)- How to Use this Collection


 * Includes Administration bonds and letters 1877-1949; Administration, executor and guardian settlements 1882-1918; Dockets 1877-1924; Inventories and appraisements 1880-1934; Probate records 1877-1934; Wills 1877-1936.

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Central Counties of Arkansas. (Grant County, Ch. XXIV, pp747-793) 1889. Chicago; St. Louis: Goodspeed Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust — index & images; Internet Archive, Ancestry — index & images ($)


 * A Pictorial History of Arkansas, From Earliest Times to the Year 1890, (Grant County, pp1125-1127). 1890. by Faye Hempstead. St. Louis: N.D. Thompson Publishing Co. Online at: Internet Archive

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)
 * Family Maps of Grant County, Arkansas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * 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

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection


 * 1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection


 * 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection


 * 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battle was fought in Grant County.


 * April 30, 1864 = Jenkins' Ferry
 * Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1783-1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1817-1979 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1877-1949 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 Arkansas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection


 * 1877 - 1953 - Grant County Marriage Books A-K Index 1877-1953 in at FamilySearch - free. - How to Use this Collection


 * 1877 - 1921 - Grant County Marriage Books A-E Index 1877-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1917-1969 Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Death

 * 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

 * 1923-1969 Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1868-1910 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

Family History Centers

 * Hot Springs Arkansas Family History Center
 * Little Rock Arkansas Family History Center
 * Pine Bluff Arkansas Family History Center


 * Central Arkansas Library System - Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Dee Brown Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children Library and Learning Center - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sidney S. McMath Library - an affiliate library
 * Central Arkansas Library System - Sue Cowan Williams Library - an affiliate library
 * Pine Bluff/ Jefferson County Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * 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 ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * - 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