St. Francis County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map St. Francis County was created on 13 October 1827and was formed from Phillips County. It was named for the river that flows through the area - the St. Francis. The first seat of government was located at Franklin before moving to Madison. In 1874, Forrest City became the seat of government. St. Francis County is bordered by Cross County (north), Crittenden County (east), Lee County (south), Monroe County (southwest), Woodruff County (northwest). Cities, Towns & Communities include Caldwell, Colt, Forrest City, Hughes, Madison, Palestine, Wheatley, Widener Parts of St. Francis County was used to form the following counties: Cross 1862, Lee 1873, Poinsett 1838, Woodruff 1862. Other county boundry changes occured when St. Francis River declared boundary with Crittenden 3 November 1831, part annexed to Jackson 1 January 1851. The Official County Website is located at ? . See Extended History for More information. A fire in the latter part of 1874 destroyed many of the county records, but many of the deed records were only partially burned. They have since been recopied as far as possible. All the records were destroyed by fire during the War. They are therefore complete since 1874, and almost complete since 1865. St. Francis County, Arkansas History Books at Amazon.com Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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St. Francis County Court Records

See Also Arkansas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

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. A fire in the latter part of 1874 destroyed many of the county records, but many of the deed records were only partially burned. They have since been recopied as far as possible. All the records were destroyed by fire during the War. They are therefore complete since 1874, and almost complete since 1865.

   St. Francis County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1872 and Land Records from 1860 and is located at 313 South Izard Street, Forrest City, 72335; (870) 261-1715 .
   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

   St. Francis County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1875 and Probate Records from 1865 and is located at 313 South Izard Street, Forrest City, 72335; (870) 261-1725 .
   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

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Arkansas Marriages, 1779-1992, Arkansas Marriages, 1820-1949, Arkansas Marriages to 1850, Arkansas Marriages, 1851-1900 and Arkansas Divorce Index, 1923-1939. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does not cover Arkansas but does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Arkansas Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for St. Francis County Court Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Court Books at Amazon.com
• 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.

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St. Francis County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Arkansas

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.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

• 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.
  • Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
• 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.
  • Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• 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 St. Francis County clerk of Probate Court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates . You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
  • 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.
  • Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY

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. 
Directions to Vital Statistics Office 
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.
Order On-Line:  To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.

There are a few online marriage databases which include:Arkansas Marriages, 1779-1992, Arkansas Marriages, 1820-1949, Arkansas Marriages to 1850, Arkansas Marriages, 1851-1900 and Arkansas Divorce Index, 1923-1939

Below is a list of online resources for St. Francis County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• St. Francis County, Arkansas Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

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 St. Francis County, Arkansas are 1830, 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 St. Francis 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

See Also Statewide Records that exist for Arkansas

Below is a list of online resources for St. Francis County Census Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Census Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Maps & Atlases

   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 St. Francis County Maps. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Maps by clicking the link below:

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Map Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Arkansas

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 St. Francis County Military Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis 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.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (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.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• 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.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Arkansas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the CSA (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from southern units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Arkansas Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Arkansas Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• St. Francis County, Arkansas Military Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   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 St. Francis County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Tax Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Arkansas Genealogical Addresses

   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 St. Francis County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• ?
• Local Arkansas Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Arkansas History Commission, One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201; 501.682.6900
• Arkansas Genealogical Society, 1411 Shady Grove Road, P.O. Box 908, Hot Springs, AR 71902-0908; Phone: 501-262-4513
• Arkansas Historical Society, 422 South Sixth Street, Van Buren, AR 72201
• Arkansas Family History Association, 609 Colynwood, Sherwood, Arkansas 72120; 501-835-7502
• 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.
• Arkansas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

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St. Francis County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Arkansas

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.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in St. Francis County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the St. Francis County Tombstone Transcription Project.

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 St. Francis County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• St. Francis County, Arkansas Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• St. Francis County, Arkansas Church Books at Amazon.com

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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 St. Francis County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing St. Francis County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project - Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ St. Francis County ] [ Arkansas ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• 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.
• Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
• 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.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• St. Francis County, Arkansas Family Books at Amazon.com

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County History

   St. Francis County was formed in October 1827, by the legislature of the Arkansas Territory, taking a part of Phillips County. It was named for the St. Francis River that flows across it. The landscape of the county is rich, flat farmland in the eastern and western halves and rolling hills in the center. The county seat is Forrest City. St. Francis County dependent on rural agriculture now has light manufacturing to help its economy. Crowley’s Ridge that runs through the county is noted for growing peaches and other fruit crops. The Arkansas Community College and the Crowley’s Ridge Vo-Tech both are located in the county and are continuously working toward upgrading the skills of the work force. St. Francis County is at the crossroads of eastern Arkansas. Both railroads and major highways lead east to Memphis, west to Little Rock, north to Jonesboro and south to Helena. Village Creek State Park has become the region’s top recreational place with almost 7,000 acres on the St. Francis-Cross County line. Facilities include two fishing lakes, rental boats, trails, campsites, tennis courts, ball fields, swimming, and duck hunting. The courthouse is a 1972 contemporary structure and is located on the hill that was the site of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s camp while he was in charge of building the railroad from Little Rock to Memphis. The courthouse is known for its extensive use of large seals. The great seal of St. Francis County and the seal of the centennial of Forrest City, 1870-1970, both of which are three feet in diameter, are located in the foyer of the courtroom wing of the building. A three-foot brass seal of Arkansas dedicated to Judge R. B. MCCullough, Sr., by his son, Judge Richard McCullough, is filed above the bench in the Chancery courtroom. A three-foot Great Seal of the County Court of St. Francis County hangs over the bench in the Circuit courtroom.

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