Baxter County History and Information

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Baxter County was created on 24 March 1873 and was formed from Fulton, Izard, Marion and Searcy Counties. Baxter County was named for Gov. Elisha Baxter of Batesville. One of the oldest structures in Arkansas, the Jacob Wolf House, can be found in Baxter County. Mountain Home is its county seat and the communities of Cotter and Norfork are found within its boundaries. Baxter County is bordered by , Ozark County, MO (north), Fulton County (east), Izard County (southeast), Stone County (south), Searcy County (southwest), Marion County (west). Cities, Towns & Communities include , Big Flat, Briarcliff, Cotter, Gassville, Lakeview, Mountain Home, Norfork, Salesville

Other county boundry changes occured when Line between Izard and Fulton defined 16 October 1875, line with Marion changed 9 March 1881.

The Official County Website is located at http://www.baxtercounty.org/ . See Extended History for More information. The courthouse burned 24 Feb. 1890; "court records, five deed records and marriage records except one" were saved; "all records not totally destroyed have been transcribed and rebound."

  • Baxter County, Arkansas History Books at Amazon.com
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Arkansas (1819 - 1999) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
Back to top

County Court Records

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

Search Arkansas Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! 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. The courthouse burned 24 Feb. 1890; "court records, five deed records and marriage records except one" were saved; "all records not totally destroyed have been transcribed and rebound."

Baxter County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1874 and Land Records from 1876 and is located at #1 East Seventh Street, Mountain Home, 72653; (870) 425-3475 .

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

Baxter County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1873 and Probate Records from 1874 and is located at #1 East Seventh Street, Mountain Home, 72653; (870) 425-3475

The circuit clerk is the clerk of the circuit,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

The circuit clerk is the clerk of the circuit, 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 Baxter County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Baxter County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Baxter County, Arkansas Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers the State of Arkansas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
Back to top

County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Arkansas

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Arkansas 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 Baxter 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 Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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

Back to top

County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Arkansas

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 Baxter 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 Baxter 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 Baxter County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Baxter County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Baxter County, Arkansas Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
Back to top

County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

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

  • Baxter County, Arkansas Map Books at Amazon.com
  • Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.
Back to top

County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Arkansas

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 Baxter County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Baxter County Military Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

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

  • Baxter County, Arkansas Tax Books at Amazon.com
Back to top

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

  • Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1611, Mountain Home, AR  72654
  • 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
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Arkansas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
Back to top

County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Arkansas

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 Baxter County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Baxter 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 Baxter County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Baxter County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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

Back to top

Extended History

 

Baxter County became the 68th county in Arkansas on March 24, 1873, with the small village of Mountain Home as the County Seat. The County was created from parts of Fulton, Izard, Marion, and Searcy counties and was named for the Governor of Arkansas at that time, Elisha (Elizah) Baxter. The community of Mountain Home, situated on a high plateau between the North Fork and White Rivers, was first settled in the 1850s with a post office established as early as 1857 (the name was drawn from the plantation house built by Colonel O.L. Dodd at the future site of Mountain Home - first called Rapp's Barren - to which his slaves allegedly referred as "my sweet mountain home" whenever discussing the mountain setting vs. the site of Colonel Dodd's other plantation, down the White River at Augusta). The restored historical village of the Rapps Barren Settlement can be visited today at Cooper Park on Spring Street in Mountain Home.

According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the town grew up around the Mountain Home Male and Female Academy, opened in 1853 by Professor J.S. Howard, a minister and schoolmaster from Wisconsin. The Academy, like many other contemporaneous schools in the Ozarks, filled a need for education that was accessible to the mountain children in the face of a frequent lack of established public education. Parents from many miles away, as well as those that lived locally, frequently sent their children to board with residents or to stay with family in the community where the school was located. However, the success and local significance of the Academy had little impact upon the bushwhackers that virtually leveled the town during the Civil War, including the first buildings constructed for the Academy. The town re-built in the years thereafter, but was still a relatively small town and unincorporated as of 1873, when Baxter County was established.
Court was first held in the name of Baxter County on July 7, 1873 at the Casey Store, located on the grounds of the Casey House, at the entrance of today's Baxter County Fairgrounds. The county paid Mr. Casey $7.00 per month to use his store for a courtroom and a place to conduct county business. There was no jail and reliable citizens were paid $10.00 per month for finding, keeping and guarding prisoners and for taking care of their horses.

In 1874, the county purchased a boarding house on Main Street of the ever-growing town of Mountain Home for use as a courthouse. They paid the owner $600.00. In 1876, a jailhouse was built on a nearby rock ledge for just over one thousand dollars. To keep dangerous prisoners from escaping, they were chained to heavy rings embedded in the rock ledge.

In 1882, the former boarding house was deemed an unfit place to conduct county business. The entire building fund was allotted to build a new courthouse on a lot donated by merchant J.S. Russell. For the first time, the courthouse was located in the middle of the Town Square. This wooden frame building burned in 1890 and many of the beautiful, handwritten records were lost, but not all. Some, with pages scorched and brown, can still be examined with care in the County Clerk's Office.
In 1890 a new, two-story brick, gothic-style Courthouse was built in the middle of the square. The cost was $4,200. It was surrounded by a fence to keep visitors to town from riding their horses up the steps and into the courthouse. Running water came to the courthouse in 1904 when a windmill was erected on the courthouse lawn.
In 1912, a third story was added to the top of the courthouse because Arkansas Law states that a county seat cannot be moved from a three-story building. The railroad town of Cotter had about three times the population of Mountain Home, so a drive had begun to move the courthouse to Cotter.

In 1937, when plans were being made to build a new courthouse, Cotter once again tried to get the courthouse moved there. While the brick building was being demolished, the courthouse was moved to the county warehouse on the square. This was during the building of the Norfork Dam and the town of Ellis was located near the dam site. Officials there tried without success to move the county seat to Ellis. The town of Ellis has since faded from existence.
In the spring of 1939 County Judge R. M. Ruthaven determined the original Baxter County Courthouse building to be inadequate for the needs of the county and structurally unsafe as well. The architectural firm of T. Ewing Shelton of Fayetteville was employed to draft plans for a new courthouse, and a special county election was held on October 28, 1939 to allow the citizens to vote on the construction of a new courthouse. The courthouse was approved by the voters, and despite a suit filed by the residents of Gassville and Cotter contesting the election, plans for construction continued. In November of 1940, the new courthouse was approved by state officials as a Works Program Administration (WPA) project. In January of 1941 County Judge Jim Martin determined that the new courthouse would be built on the site of the original courthouse. The old building was razed in August, 1941, and construction on the new structure began that fall. The week of August 13, 1943, the new courthouse was unveiled.

During this period there were many federal government programs at work in Baxter County, including construction of the Norfork and Bull Shoals Dams.
The WPA was involved in public construction projects throughout Arkansas during the 1930s and early 1940s. This national organization that hired unemployed men and women to work on a variety of public projects throughout the nation was one of many federal programs established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his administration in response to the dire economic circumstances brought upon the American people by the Great Depression.

Through its many projects in the area, the WPA had a major impact on the growth and development of Baxter County. The minimalist design of the Baxter County Courthouse and the use of local materials in its construction are features common to many depression-era public works projects. Therefore the court house reflects the history of the WPA in Arkansas and Baxter County and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At one time, all of the county offices were located in the courthouse, with space left over to rent out to lawyers and abstract companies. The Health Department was located in the basement and the jail was located on the top floor. Prisoners would hang out between the bars and try to make dates with the girls walking around the square on Saturday afternoon. The first county library was started in the little room above the courtroom, now used as a deliberation room for jury members. Many of the county offices and related business places are now located outside of the courthouse, but the Courthouse Square remains the heart and soul of Baxter County.
The National Register of Historic Places is the country's official list of historically significant sites worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological resources.

In Arkansas, the National Register is administered by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP), which is the agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage that is headed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Baxter County has eleven structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of 2002 including the Baxter County Courthouse, according to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. They include:

The North Fork Bridge in Norfork. The steel-deck Warren-truss bridge was built in 1927 and takes Highway Five over the White River.

The Cotter Bridge, US Hwy. 62 over the White River, is a 1930 Marsh rainbow-arch bridge. The Cotter Bridge is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The Jacob Wolf House on Highway five in Norfork, a two-story, dog-trot log home which was built c. 1829 as a court house for then Izard County and is oldest known standing structure in the state.

The Casey House, a c. 1858 dog-trot structure, located at the Fairgrounds in Mountain Home.

Case-Shiras-Dearmore House, located on 4th Street in Mountain Home, is a 1880 Plain Traditional style home linked to prominent local families, including Tom Shiras who, with his brother, built the Baxter Bulletin into the principal news source and editorial voice for the entire north-central region of the state in the first part of the 20th Century.

The Davis House in Norfork, located on the SE corner of Wolf Street and Highway Five, is a 1928 pyramid-roof cottage.

The Buford School Building on Highway 126 in Buford is a 1936 Works Progress Administration (WPA)-built educational structure.

The Old Cotter High School Gymnasium, a 1936-38 structure built by Works Progress Administration, is located on Powell Street in Cotter.

The Big Flat School Gymnasium, on County Road 121, South of Highway 17, is a 1938 structure built by National Youth Administration.

The Old Joe Site is a c. 1500 rock art site, location restricted.

Back to top
Arkansas Site Map | | Site Hosted by HostMonster.COM. | Copyright © 2009 Genealogy Inc,