Desha County Genealogy Records

Desha County genealogy records go back to 1840, when courthouse record-keeping began in this southeast Arkansas delta county. Formed in 1838 from Arkansas and Union counties, Desha County's seat is Arkansas City on the Mississippi River, and the courthouse holds marriage registers, probate files, and land records for family history research dating to the early settlement period.

Desha County Courthouse Genealogy Records

The Desha County Clerk's office is at 608 Robert S. Moore Avenue, Arkansas City, AR 71630, phone (870) 877-2323. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1840 and probate records from 1840. Desha County was created on December 12, 1838, from Arkansas County and Union County, with courthouse record-keeping beginning two years later in 1840. The Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse holds divorce filings, court records, and land records from the same period. Birth and death records at the county level begin in 1914.

Desha County sits along the Mississippi River in the southeastern corner of Arkansas and was part of the plantation economy that dominated the delta region before the Civil War. The county was one of the wealthiest in Arkansas in the antebellum period, and probate records from that era are detailed, often listing extensive property inventories and the names of enslaved people as part of estate valuations. These records are public and can be accessed through the courthouse or the Arkansas State Archives.

For families who lived in the Desha County area before 1840, the parent counties of Arkansas and Union hold earlier records. Arkansas County records go back to 1814 for some record types, and Union County records begin in 1829. If your ancestor was in this part of southeast Arkansas before 1840, checking the parent county courthouses can extend your research back into the territorial period.

Desha County Genealogy on FamilySearch

The FamilySearch Desha County wiki lists available records and links to digitized collections for the county. Marriage records from 1840 are included in the statewide Arkansas marriage index on FamilySearch. Probate records are indexed for the county, and census records run from 1850 through 1940.

The antebellum censuses for Desha County include Slave Schedules, which are separate forms listing enslaved people by age and sex under the name of the enslaving household. These schedules are searchable on FamilySearch and can be cross-referenced with probate inventories and Freedmen's Bureau records to trace enslaved and formerly enslaved families. The 1870 census is the first in which formerly enslaved people appear as named individuals in the regular population schedule and is essential for continuing research on Black families after emancipation.

FamilySearch also provides access to military records for Arkansas. For Desha County, Civil War service records and pension files are available through FamilySearch. The county had both Confederate and Union service, and the pension files from both sides contain detailed family history statements from veterans and their widows that include marriage dates, children's names, and birthplaces.

ARGenWeb Desha County Resources

The ARGenWeb Desha County page provides free genealogical resources compiled by volunteers. Cemetery surveys, family history submissions, and historical documents are available on the site for this southeast Arkansas county.

Desha County cemeteries document both the plantation families and the African American communities that formed after emancipation. Volunteer transcribers have recorded stones from many rural Desha County burial sites, including some that are on private property or in areas subject to Mississippi River flooding. The ARGenWeb transcriptions are sometimes the only accessible record of graves that have been damaged or lost over time.

Family histories on the ARGenWeb site for Desha County sometimes trace multiple generations of both white and Black families. For African American genealogy research in Desha County, these family history submissions can provide oral tradition connections that help bridge the gap between the pre-Civil War period and the documented post-war record. Searching by surname is a quick way to check whether another researcher has already compiled information on your family line.

African American Genealogy in Desha County

Desha County's history as a major cotton-producing area means that African American genealogy research here requires specialized sources. The Freedmen's Bureau records from 1865 to 1872, held at the National Archives at Fort Worth, cover southeast Arkansas and include labor contracts, marriage registers, and ration records that name formerly enslaved individuals. These records are essential for tracing Black families in the immediate post-war period.

The Freedman's Bank records may also include Desha County depositors. The Freedman's Bank operated branches in Arkansas after the Civil War, and depositor records include family information provided at the time of account opening. These records, available through FamilySearch, can name parents, siblings, and former enslavers, helping researchers identify origins before emancipation.

Vital Records and State Archives

The Arkansas Department of Health holds birth and death records for Desha County from 1914. The state marriage index begins in January 1917. For earlier records, the county courthouse in Arkansas City is the primary source. Birth certificates cost $12 and death certificates are $10 from the state.

The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds state-level records for Desha County including Confederate pension files, military records, and microfilmed county materials. The Archives is free to visit and open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., plus the first and third Saturday of each month. The BLM land records database also holds federal land patents for Desha County from the early settlement period.

Nearby Counties

Desha County borders Arkansas County, Chicot County, Drew County, Lincoln County, and Jefferson County. The Mississippi River forms the eastern border with Mississippi. Families in southeast Arkansas frequently had ties across these county lines and across the river into the Mississippi delta.