Lee County, Arkansas Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for General Robert E. Lee, who served as General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States in 1865. The County Seat is Marianna and was founded April 17, 1873. It is located in the East Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lee County Courthouse 15 E Chestnut Street Marianna, AR 72360 Phone: 870.295.7715 Lee County Website County Clerk has marriage, probate and tax records from 1873; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, military and court records from 1873.

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county:

Note: Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Lee County are listed above; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

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 Lee County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1700-1900 - In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, French explorers, hunters, and their American counterparts entered the wilderness via the Mississippi, L’Anguille, and St. Francis rivers.
 * 1790s (late) - Permanent settlers soon replaced hunters; one of the first was Sylvanus Phillips, who moved near the mouth of the St. Francis.
 * 1815 - Growth in the lower St. Francis was made possible by federal surveys that became the basis for the Public Land System.
 * 1838-1848 - Initially, most settlements, such as Walnut Bend and Council Bend, were confined to the Mississippi River, but within a few years, settlers moved into the interior.
 * 1873 April 17 - Lee County was established.
 * 1920-2010 - The population of Lee County peaked in 1920 at 28,800 aand is prsently (2010) at a low of 10,400.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1873-1950 Lee County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and executor records 1873-1916; Guardian records 1873-1905; Probate records 1873-1895; Wills 1873-1950

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1890-1963 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1891-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1901-1929 - at FamilySearch — images only

Probate Records
'''Online Probate Records
 * 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1817 – 1979 at FamilySearch — images
 * Probate Records 1873-1950 Lee County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration and executor records 1873-1916; Guardian records 1873-1905; Probate records 1873-1895; Wills 1873-1950.

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1873 - 1923 - Lee County Marriage Books A-K Index 1873-1923 in at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1873 - 1923 - Lee County Marriage Books A-K Index 1873-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be 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