Hot Springs Genealogy Records
Hot Springs genealogy records are held by Garland County, with the Melting Pot Genealogy Society, Garland County Historical Society, and the Hot Springs National Park archives providing additional local resources for family history research.
Hot Springs at a Glance
Garland County Courthouse Records
Hot Springs is the county seat of Garland County. The Garland County Clerk's office is at 501 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901, phone (501) 622-3610. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1874 and probate records from 1877. Garland County was formed in 1873 from Hot Spring County and Saline County, with Hot Springs as the county seat from its formation. The Circuit Court Clerk holds land records and court files. Birth and death records at the county level begin in 1914.
Hot Springs has been a nationally known resort city since the nineteenth century, and the population that passed through and settled here was unusually diverse for an Arkansas community. The Hot Springs area drew visitors from across the country to its thermal baths, and some of those visitors became permanent residents. This means the Garland County record base may include families from a wider range of geographic origins than typical Arkansas counties. Pre-1873 records for the Hot Springs area are in Hot Spring County at Malvern and Saline County at Benton.
The Garland County courthouse in Hot Springs is the primary repository for county genealogy records from 1874.
The Garland County courthouse at 501 Ouachita Avenue holds marriage records from 1874, probate records from 1877, and land records for Hot Springs area genealogy research.
Genealogy Society and Local Archives
The Melting Pot Genealogy Society serves the Hot Springs area and maintains a Hot Springs Sentinel-Record obituary index covering 1996 to 1999 and 2005 to the present, as well as cemetery records and research assistance. The Society is a valuable local resource for recent-period research in the area and can help identify which cemetery or courthouse record to look for next.
The Hot Springs City Clerk at City Hall holds city records and historical documents.
The Hot Springs City Clerk maintains city records. Garland County genealogy records are at the courthouse at 501 Ouachita Avenue.
The Garland County Historical Society holds historical archives, photographs, and publications covering the county and city history. The Hot Springs Public Library holds a local history collection and genealogy resources including online database access. The Hot Springs National Park's historical documents and archives at the Visitor Center also provide context for families connected to the bathhouse era of Hot Springs history.
The Arkansas Department of Health holds birth and death records from 1914. The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds Confederate pension files and microfilmed county materials for Garland County. Federal records are at the National Archives at Fort Worth, 501 W Felix Street, Fort Worth, TX 76115, phone (817) 831-5620.
Nearby Cities
Cities near Hot Springs with genealogy pages include Benton and Little Rock. Benton is the Saline County seat to the northeast, which is one of the parent counties for Garland County. Little Rock is the Pulaski County seat and the location of the Arkansas State Archives.