Clay County, Arkansas Genealogy
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Guide to Clay County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Tax Records
- 2.27 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named after John M. Clayton, then a member of the Arkansas Senate and a brother of then-U.S. Senator Powell Clayton, though some sources suggest it may have been named for Powell Clayton instead. It is located in the northeast area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Clay County Courthouse
PO Box 306
Piggott, AR 72454
Phone: 870.598.2813
Clay County website
Clerk Circuit Court has land, divorce and court records from 1893.
County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1893.[3]
Clay County, Arkansas[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914* | 1893 | 1914* | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
|
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Arkansas county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arkansas County Boundary Maps" (1813-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Clay County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. [7]
- 1800s - early, European settlement in the Clay County area began with Pierre LeMieux, a Frenchman who settled east of the Black River.
- 1800s - Veterans of the War of 1812 who were given land grants in Arkansas began to settle in the area.
- 1849-1850 - Congress passed the Swamp Land Acts of 1849 and 1850. Public swampland was transferred to Arkansas, and then the land was sold cheaply.
- 1873 - March 24, During Reconstruction, Clayton County was created by the Arkansas legislature taking portions of Greene and Randolph counties.
- 1875 - Arkansas General Assembly of 1875 changed the name of Clayton County to Clay County.
- 1883 - Railroads did more than provide a new avenue for export and import of raw and finished products. They also brought more settlers into the area.
- 1900s - At the start of the twentieth century, the timber industry reached its zenith.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1880 | 7,213 | — |
| 1890 | 12,200 | 69.1% |
| 1900 | 15,886 | 30.2% |
| 1910 | 23,690 | 49.1% |
| 1920 | 27,276 | 15.1% |
| 1930 | 27,278 | 0.0% |
| 1940 | 28,386 | 4.1% |
| 1950 | 26,674 | −6.0% |
| 1960 | 21,258 | −20.3% |
| 1970 | 18,771 | −11.7% |
| 1980 | 20,616 | 9.8% |
| 1990 | 18,107 | −12.2% |
| 2000 | 17,609 | −2.8% |
| 2010 | 16,083 | −8.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch — index
- Hopewell Baptist Church, near Reyno
Court Records[edit | edit source]
(Western District)
Clay County Clerk's Office
Western District
800 W 2nd St
Corning AR 72422
870-857-3480
(Eastern District)
Office of the County Clerk
PO Box 306
Piggott AR 72454-0306
870-598-2813
Various Court Records of Clay County
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Probate Records 1881-1955 Clay County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
- Includes Administration bonds and letters 1881-1955; Guardian bonds and letters 1893-1938; Inventories and appraisements 1881-1919; Minutes 1881-1918; Probate records 1893-1906; Sale bills 1881-1920; Wills 1884-1944.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for {{{1}}} County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. Click for a brief Timeline History of the county. For more about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
- Goodspeed's Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeastern Arkansas (1891)
- Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, Clay County Residents
- Clay County Home
- Elected Officials who have served Clay County
- Pauper Deaths in Clay County
- Piggott Mayors
- Road System in Northeastern Arkansas
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1861-1865 - Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1890-1963 - Arkansas Confederate Soldier Home,1890-1963 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1891-1939 - Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1901-1929 - Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images
Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battle was fought in Clay County.
- May 1-2, 1863 = Chalk Bluff[8]
- Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Arkansas Newspapers Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Clay County, Arkansas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Clay County, Arkansas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayetteville Daily Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Fayetteville Democrat at Ancestry.com ($)
- Northwest Arkansas Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Courier Times at Ancestry.com ($)
- Clay County Newspapers
- Various Excerpts from the Clay County Courier
- Various Obituaries of Clay County Residents
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1817 – 1979 Arkansas Probate Records 1817-1979 at FamilySearch — images
- Probate Records 1881-1955 Clay County portion of the collection: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979: Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
- Includes Administration bonds and letters 1881-1955; Guardian bonds and letters 1893-1938; Inventories and appraisements 1881-1919; Minutes 1881-1918; Probate records 1893-1906; Sale bills 1881-1920; Wills 1884-1944.
School Records[edit | edit source]
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
| Y | M | |
| Name of Child | 
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| Birth Date and Place |
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| Parent's Names |
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| Mother's Maiden Name |
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| Parent's Ages |
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| Father's Occupation |
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| Current Residence |
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| Name of Doctor or Midwife |
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In 1877, a few county and city clerks[9] started keeping birth and death records.
In 1914, the state law required all county clerks to record births and forward them to the state.
- Arkansas Births and Christenings, 1812-1965 at FamilySearch. (Free, index only)
- Small file, but worth searching. Most entries were user-submitted.
See also: • Arkansas Online Genealogy Records, • How to Find Arkansas Birth Records and • Arkansas Vital Records—Birth.
- 1947 - 1958 - Clay County Birth Index 1947-1958. Batch C734491 at FamilySearch - free.
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1860 - 1976 - Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1881 - 1923 - Clay County Marriage Books A-I, 1-11 Index 1881-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[10]
- 1893 - 1950 - Clay County Marriage Books 1-57, A-U Index 1893-1950 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[11]
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1947 - 1958 - Clay County Death Index 1947-1958. Batch B734489 at FamilySearch - free.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Corning Library
613 Pine St
Corning AR 72422
870-857-3453 - Piggott Library
316 W Main
Piggott AR 72454
870-598-3666 - Rector Library
121 W 4th St
Rector AR 72461
870-595-2410
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
- USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- RootsWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Arkansas
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Clay County, Arkansas. Page 67 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 65.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay County, Arkansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, URL,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Arkansas accessed 2 September 2018.
- ↑ Tracy L. Johnson, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=755&type=Category&item=Counties&parent=Counties%2c+Cities%2c+and+Towns&grandparent=+%3a+accessed+January+6%2c+2016)%2c : accessed January 11, 2016), “Clay County.”
- ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 2 August 2012).
- ↑ such as Sebastian County (Fort Smith) and Pulaski County (Little Rock) (No entry in FamilySearch Catalog found for Pulaski County nor for Little Rock, Aug 2014)
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/5/5c/Igiarkansasad.pdf.
- ↑ FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "Arkansas County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records," in FamilySearch Wiki.
