Clark County Genealogy Records
Clark County genealogy records date to 1840, when courthouse record-keeping began in this south-central Arkansas county. Formed in 1818 from Arkansas County, Clark County is one of the oldest in the state, and the Arkadelphia courthouse holds marriage registers, probate files, and court records for family history research. Whether you are tracing settlers from the early territorial period or searching for families from the late 19th century, Clark County has a substantial record base and access to several regional archives and online databases.
Clark County at a Glance
Clark County Courthouse and Clerk Records
The Clark County Clerk's office is at 401 Clay Street, Arkadelphia, AR 71923, phone (870) 246-4491. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1840 and probate records from 1840. Court records and land records also begin in 1840. The Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse maintains divorce filings and civil and criminal court records from the same period. Birth and death records at the county level start in 1914.
Clark County was created on December 15, 1818, from Arkansas County. It is among the oldest counties in Arkansas and was a significant region during the territorial and early statehood periods. Arkadelphia sits on the Ouachita River and was an important early settlement that attracted families from across the South. Many Clark County pioneer families came from Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, and their probate files and deed records often reference those origins.
The gap between the county's formation in 1818 and the start of courthouse records in 1840 means that the first two decades of settlement are not directly documented in county records. Census records from 1830, which is the earliest federal census available for this area, can help bridge that gap. The 1820 census may also include some Clark County households, though coverage for Arkansas Territory in that census is incomplete.
Note: Clark County was formed in 1818 but courthouse records only begin in 1840, so early settlers before that date appear in census and federal land records instead.
Clark County Genealogy on FamilySearch
The FamilySearch Clark County wiki provides a guide to available genealogical records and online access. The statewide Arkansas marriage index on FamilySearch includes Clark County marriages from 1840 onward. Probate records are also indexed for the county, and census records run from 1830 through 1940. The 1830 census is the earliest federal census available for this county and names heads of household from the early territorial period.
FamilySearch also links to land records and military records for Clark County. Civil War pension files are particularly useful for the post-war period, and the Clark County area sent men to both Union and Confederate armies. The pension files include sworn statements from veterans and family members that provide detailed family history information.
ARGenWeb Clark County Resources
The ARGenWeb Clark County page provides free genealogical resources compiled by volunteers. The site includes cemetery surveys, family history submissions, and some transcribed official records from the county. Clark County cemeteries range from the older church graveyards in Arkadelphia to rural farm cemeteries scattered across the county's townships. The ARGenWeb transcriptions often include stones that are now barely legible in the original, making the transcribed records important for research.
Obituaries from the Arkadelphia newspapers appear on the ARGenWeb site in some cases. These notices often named parents, siblings, and the place of origin for the deceased, which helps researchers trace families back before they arrived in Clark County. Family history submissions on the site may also document multiple generations of local families.
Regional Archives for Clark County Research
Clark County falls within the coverage area of the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives (SARA) at 201 Hwy 195 S, Washington, AR 71862, phone (870) 983-2633. SARA covers 12 southwest Arkansas counties and holds county records, family papers, and historical manuscripts from the region. The Washington, Arkansas location is the site of the original state capital of Arkansas, and the archives there hold significant early state records that complement county-level research.
The Arkansas State Archives at 1100 North Street, Little Rock, (501) 682-6900, holds state-level records for all Arkansas counties. For Clark County genealogy, the State Archives has Confederate pension records, military discharge files, land records, and microfilmed county records. Admission is free. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., plus the first and third Saturday of each month.
Vital Records and Federal Archives
The Arkansas Department of Health maintains birth and death records for Clark County from 1914. The state marriage index begins in January 1917. For earlier records, the county courthouse is the primary source. The state charges $12 for birth certificates and $10 for death certificates.
The Bureau of Land Management database holds federal land patents for Clark County. These patents can document the original landowners in each township and establish when your ancestor first purchased land in the county. Many Clark County land patents date to the 1820s and 1830s, when the federal government was actively selling land in the territory.
The National Archives at Fort Worth, phone (817) 831-5620, holds federal records for Arkansas including military pension files and Freedmen's Bureau records. The Freedmen's Bureau materials for south Arkansas cover Clark County and include labor contracts, marriage registers, and registers of freedpeople from 1865 to 1872.
Nearby Counties
Clark County borders Garland County, Hot Spring County, Pike County, Nevada County, Dallas County, and Ouachita County. Families in this part of south-central Arkansas often had connections across these county lines.