Hempstead County Genealogy Records
Hempstead County genealogy records go back to 1837, making this one of the older documented counties in southwest Arkansas. The county seat is Hope, and the courthouse holds marriage registers, probate files, and land records for family history research in this southwest Arkansas county that was formed in 1818 from Arkansas County.
Hempstead County at a Glance
Hempstead County Courthouse Genealogy Records
The Hempstead County Clerk's office is at 400 S. Washington Street, Hope, AR 71801, phone (870) 777-2384. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1837 and probate records from 1837. Hempstead County was created on December 15, 1818, from Arkansas County, making it one of the oldest counties in the state, though courthouse records do not begin until 1837. The Circuit Court Clerk at the same courthouse holds divorce filings, court records, and land records. Birth and death records at the county level begin in 1914.
The gap between the county's formation in 1818 and the start of courthouse records in 1837 means that nearly two decades of settlement are not directly documented in the county courthouse. For the period from 1818 to 1837, researchers should turn to Arkansas County records (which were the parent county before Hempstead was organized), federal census records from 1820 and 1830, and federal land patents from the BLM database. The 1820 federal census for Arkansas Territory may include some Hempstead County households, and land patents from the early 1820s can document the original settlers in this part of southwest Arkansas.
Hempstead County sits near the Texas and Louisiana borders and was part of the early settlement corridor through southwest Arkansas. Washington, the first capital of Arkansas Territory, was in this part of the state, and Hempstead County has historical significance as one of the first organized counties in the state. Many of the earliest Arkansas families passed through or settled in Hempstead County on their way west from older southern states.
Note: Hempstead County was formed in 1818 but courthouse records only begin in 1837, so the earliest settlers appear only in census and federal land records.
Hempstead County Genealogy on FamilySearch
The FamilySearch Hempstead County wiki lists available records and links to digitized collections. Marriage records from 1837 are in the statewide Arkansas marriage index on FamilySearch. Probate records are indexed for the county, and census records run from 1830 through 1940.
The 1830 census is the earliest federal census available for Hempstead County and names heads of household from the early settlement period. This census was taken before courthouse records began, making it one of the only direct sources for Hempstead County families from the 1820s and early 1830s. The 1840 and 1850 censuses, taken after courthouse records had started, can be cross-referenced against marriage and probate files to build detailed family groups for the founding period of the county.
FamilySearch provides military records for Arkansas including Civil War pension files and service records for Hempstead County veterans. The county had significant Confederate service, and the pension files submitted by veterans and their widows contain detailed family history information including marriage dates, children's names, and birthplaces. Some pension files also include supporting documents like marriage certificates and affidavits from neighbors that can be the most detailed genealogical sources you will find for families from the mid-19th century.
ARGenWeb and Southwest Arkansas Resources
The ARGenWeb Hempstead County page provides free genealogical resources compiled by volunteers. Cemetery surveys, family history submissions, and historical documents are available for this southwest Arkansas county.
Hempstead County cemeteries range from the historic graveyards in Hope to rural family plots established by early settlers in the 19th century. The ARGenWeb volunteers have transcribed many of these across the county, preserving stone readings for markers that have weathered significantly over time. The oldest transcribed stones date to the 1820s and 1830s when the county was first being settled.
The Hempstead County Clerk's office in Hope maintains marriage and probate records from 1837 for genealogy research in this southwest Arkansas county.
The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives (SARA) at 201 Hwy 195 S, Washington, AR 71862, phone (870) 983-2633, covers 12 southwest Arkansas counties and holds county records, family papers, and historical manuscripts from the region. Washington, where SARA is located, was the first capital of Arkansas Territory, and SARA's collection includes early territorial records and family papers that directly relate to Hempstead County research. SARA is a key resource for this county and is worth a visit before or after the courthouse.
Vital Records and State Archives
The Arkansas Department of Health holds birth and death records for Hempstead County from 1914. The state marriage index starts in January 1917. For events before those dates, the county courthouse in Hope is the primary official source. Birth certificates cost $12 and death certificates are $10 per copy from the state.
The Arkansas State Archives at 1100 North Street, Little Rock, (501) 682-6900, holds Confederate pension files, military records, and microfilmed county materials for Hempstead County. The BLM land records database holds federal land patents for Hempstead County from the 1820s onward, some of which are among the earliest in the state. Federal records are at the National Archives at Fort Worth, 501 W Felix Street, Fort Worth, TX 76115, phone (817) 831-5620.
Nearby Counties
Hempstead County borders Nevada County, Lafayette County, Miller County, Little River County, Howard County, Sevier County, and Clark County. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives covers this entire region and is an important resource for cross-county research.