Perry County was created on 18 December 1840 and was formed fromConway County. It was named in honor of Commodore Oliver Perry, hero of a naval battle on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Featuring mountains, wide valleys and fertile river bottomlands, this area is conducive to farming. Several small creeks like Fourche la Fave Creek (named for Peter Le Fevre, a French Canadian who came to the area around 1818) run through the area. The seat of government is at Perryville. Perry County is bordered by Conway County (north), Faulkner County (northeast), Pulaski County (east), Saline County (southeast), Garland County (southwest), Yell County (west). Cities, Towns & Communities include Adona, Bigelow, Casa, Fourche, Houston, Perry, Perryville
Other county boundry changes occured when Line with Pulaski, Saline, and Montgomery defined 23 December 1846, old line with Montgomery re-established 21 December 1848, line with Yell defined 8 April 1891.
The Official County Website is located at http://www.perrycountyarkansas.com/ .
See Extended History for More information. It was reported one small chancery volume saved in the 1881 fire and the records complete from that time.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. It was reported one small chancery volume saved in the 1881 fire and the records complete from that time.
Perry County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1874 and Land Records from 1882 and is located at 310 West Main Street, Perryville, 72126; (501) 889-5126 . The circuit clerk is the clerk of the circuit, chancery court, and juvenile court and usually acts as the ex-officio recorder of the county. The administrative duties of the clerk are to maintain a record of all proceedings of the circuit, chancery and juvenile courts and to prepare the dockets for these courts. They are also the ex-officio county recorder; and is responsible for recording deeds, mortgages, liens, and surety bonds, and many other orders and instruments which involve property within the county
Perry County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1881 and Probate Records from 1882 and is located at 310 West Main Street, Perryville, 72126; (501) 889-5126 . Although probate court is a court of equity and is presided over by the chancery judge, prior to 1937 it was a function of the county court, and under the amended procedure, the county clerk still operates ad the clerk of the probate court. As clerk to the probate court, the clerk files all instruments making them a matter of record in descendent estate cases, and swears in all witnesses in contested estates. The clerk, also in this capacity, maintains all records relative to adoptions and guardianship cases within the county. Although probate court is a court of equity and is presided over by the chancery judge, prior to 1937 it was a function of the county court, and under the amended procedure, the county clerk still operates ad the clerk of the probate court
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Arkansas Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Arkansas Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Vital Records, 4815 West Markham St Little Rock, AR 72205, Please allow up to approximately 4-6 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: Birth records maintained by Arkansas Vital Records start with February 1, 1914 through the present. Vital Records does have a limited number of birth records prior to 1914. The birth records dated prior to 1914 were filed with Arkansas Vital Records after 1914. They have original copies of Little Rock and Fort Smith births dating from 1881.
Cost: The cost of a birth record is $12.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy ordered of the same record at the same time. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. The customer may request a refund of any amount paid over the required $12.00 search fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Arkansas Vital Records start with February 1, 1914 through the present. Arkansas Vital Records does have a limited number of deaths occurring prior to 1914 for Little Rock and Fort Smith dating from 1881. The Arkansas History Commission has a death index of deaths occurring in Arkansas from 1914 through 1949. This is only an alphabetical listing of deaths occurring in Arkansas. The History Commission does not have copies of the death records.
Cost: The cost of a certified death certificate is $10.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for each additional copy issued at the same time for the same certificate. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $10.00 for a searching fee. The customer may request a refund of any amount paid over the required $10.00 search fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage records maintained in Arkansas Vital Records begin with January 1917. Arkansas Vital Records does not have any marriage records prior to 1917.
Divorce records maintained in Arkansas Vital Records begin with January 1923. Arkansas Vital Records does not have any divorce records prior to 1923. Records of marriage & divorce proceedings are available from the Perry County clerk of Probate Court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates .
Cost: Arkansas Vital Records maintains a file of marriage and divorce coupons. These coupons are acceptable with organizations that require a certified record. The cost of a marriage or divorce coupon is $10.00 for each copy. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $10.00 for a searching fee. The customer may request a refund of any amount paid over the required $10.00 search fee.
Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office. If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. Monday – Friday. The office is located at 4815 West Markham St Little Rock, AR 72205.
Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Vital Records, PO Box 8184,
Little Rock AR 72203-8184. Please include return address on envelope and application form. Processing Time takes 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please click below.
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Arkansas newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Arkansas Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Perry County, Arkansas are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Perry County, Arkansas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Arkansas and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Arkansas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Arkansas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at The Arkansas Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Maps. Email us with websites containing Perry County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Arkansas Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Arkansas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Tax
records are available at the respective county courthouses and
in the Arkansas History Commission. Nearly 600 tax books, original
or microfilmed, for Arkansas counties are included in the collection
at the Commission. Legislation was enacted in Arkansas which
required that copies of early county tax records be sent to
the state auditor in Little Rock. Where county records were
lost, the state auditor's copies are especially valuable.
Personal property tax records have been published for
a few counties. Tax lists, along with other sources, are being
used to reconstruct the lost 1890 federal population census.
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Perry County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Perry County Historical & Genealogical Society,
P. O. Box 156,
Perryville, Arkansas 72126,
meets every 2nd Tues 7:00 p.m. at Max Milan Library located on Hwy. 60 West, Perryville, AR 72126. e-mail paljac@arbbs.net
Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 4462,
Shreveport, LA 71134-0462,
Phone: 318-687-3673
Arkansas Historical Association, 416 Old Main, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701; 479-575-5884, 479-575-2775 FAX
Arkansas Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Arkansas Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Some
church records for Arkansas churches are available at the Arkansas
History Commission. These include published church histories,
church records, newspapers, and manuscript collections.
Local county genealogical and historical organizations have copied, cataloged, and published records of local cemeteries. Most of these are in the collection at the Arkansas History Commission; many are in the DAR Library. Most of those in the DAR collection have been microfilmed by the FHL.
Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Arkansas obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Arkansas newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Arkansas .
Click Here to Search Arkansas Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Perry County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Arkansas Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Perry County was formed in December 1840, from the part of Conway County south of the Arkansas River and was named for Oliver Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. The landscape of Perry County is rolling foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Close to half of Perry County is in the Ouachita National Forest with timber being the principal economy. Cattle, hog and poultry productions, rice, soybeans and small manufacturing make up the economy. The Heifer Project International Learning and Livestock Center is a privately financed, nonprofit group located on 1,200 acres in the county and has for over 55 years, continuously provided livestock and training to low-income farmers in developing areas who, in turn, can pass on their newly acquired skills and the livestock offspring to other needy families. Many residents of the county commute to surrounding counties for employment. Harris Brake Wildlife Management Area is the smallest in the system and is extremely crowded during duck season. Lake Nimrod, situated between the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains, is well known for its water skiing, hunting, and fishing. The lake is lined with pine and hardwood. Harris Brake Lake is popular with anglers and Fourche LaFave River has large catfish. The eastern boundary of the county follows the Arkansas River for several miles. The county courthouse located at Perryville, the county seat, has great memories of times' past. Individuals contributed much of the cost of the courthouse. The original red bricks, now painted white, were made from Perry County clay. The courthouse is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
