Russellville Genealogy Records
Russellville genealogy records are held at the Pope County courthouse, which is located in Russellville as the county seat, with records going back to 1831 and Arkansas Tech University providing additional archival resources for the Arkansas River Valley region.
Russellville at a Glance
Pope County Courthouse Records
Russellville is the county seat of Pope County. The Pope County Clerk's office is at 100 W. Main Street, Russellville, AR 72801, phone (479) 968-7499. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1831 and probate records from 1831. Pope County was formed in 1829 from Crawford County. The Circuit Court Clerk holds land records and court files. Birth and death records at the county level begin in 1914.
Pope County sits along the Arkansas River, and Russellville has been the county seat since the county's early decades. The record base goes back to 1831, giving researchers nearly two centuries of continuous courthouse documentation. Pope County was the parent county for Johnson County (formed 1833) and Yell County (formed 1840), so families in those areas before their formation dates have their earlier records in Pope County at Russellville. Pre-1829 records for the Russellville area are in Crawford County at Van Buren.
The Russellville City Clerk at City Hall holds city records including ordinances and historical documents.
The Russellville City Clerk maintains city records. Pope County genealogy records are at the courthouse at 100 W. Main Street.
Arkansas Tech University and Local Archives
Arkansas Tech University's Ross Pendergraft Library in Russellville holds archives and special collections including Pope County history materials. The ATU Archives and Special Collections department holds materials relevant to the Arkansas River Valley region and can supplement the courthouse records for genealogical research in Russellville and Pope County. The Pope County Historical Society maintains historical archives, photographs, and publications and holds a museum in Russellville with materials covering the county's history since the 1820s.
The Pope County Library at Russellville holds an Arkansas Room collection with local history materials and genealogy resources including online database access. The library's Arkansas Room is the primary public library genealogy resource in the area. 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 Pope 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 Russellville with genealogy pages include Conway and Fort Smith. Conway is the Faulkner County seat to the east along the Arkansas River Valley. Fort Smith is the Sebastian County seat to the west, and Crawford County at Van Buren (between Russellville and Fort Smith) holds pre-1829 records for the Russellville area. Van Buren is the Crawford County seat directly west.