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SITE DIRECTORY
AR County Selection List
AR Home Page - Includes
County Links, State History &
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and Discontinued Counties
AR Genealogy Records -
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Military and Vital Records Info
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Includes State Archives,
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Johnson County History and Information
County History | Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map
Johnson County was created on 16 November 1833and was formed from Pope County. named for Benjamin Johnson, a territorial judge in the 1820s and a member of a politically prominent family. Located in the western part of the state, its landscape is diverse. Part of the county is in the Arkansas River Valley and the Ozark Mountains are in its northern borders. The county seat is at Clarksville. Johnson County is bordered by Newton County (north), Pope County (east), Logan County (south), Franklin County (west), Madison County (northwest). Cities, Towns & Communities include Clarksville, Coal Hill, Hartman, Knoxville, Lamar, Pittsburg

Parts of Johnson County was used to form the following counties: Logan County 1871. Other county boundry changes occured when Line with Franklin defined 14 December 1833, S boundary defined 2 November 1835, E boundary defined 5 October 1836. Line with Pope County defined 19 February 1859, 25 March 1871, 16 March 1875, and 9 March 1877.

The Official County Website is located at ? . See Extended History for More information. Records extant from 1838 and in good condition.

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Johnson County Court 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. Records extant from 1838 and in good condition.

   Johnson County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1841 and Land Records from 1836 and is located at 215 West Main Street, Clarksville, 72830; (479) 754-2977 .
   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

   Johnson County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1855 and Probate Records from 1844 and is located at 215 West Main Street, Clarksville, 72830; (479) 754-3967 .
   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.

Search Online 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 Johnson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Johnson 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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Johnson County Vital Records
Search Online 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 Johnson 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.

Birth Certificates
Death Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Divorce Records

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 Johnson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Johnson County Census Records
Search Online 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 Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Johnson County, Arkansas Census Books at Amazon.com

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

  • Johnson County, Arkansas Map Books at Amazon.com

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Johnson County Military Records
Search Online 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 Johnson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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

  • Johnson County, Arkansas Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

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

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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

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County History

   Johnson County was formed in November 1833, from Pope County and was named for Benjamin Johnson, one of Arkansas’ early jurists. Clarksville is the county seat, which was the location for the state’s first school for deaf children in 1851, the same site of today’s University of the Ozarks. The landscape is rugged terrain in the northern half and rolling farmlands, forested ridges, isolated mountains, and lakes in the southern half. The entire northern half of Johnson County is Ozark National Forest that has two wildlife management areas. Little and Big Piney Creeks in the northeast corner and White Rock in the northwest offers hunting, fishing, canoeing, hiking and camping. The southern half of the county is river valley farm country where peaches, cattle, vegetables, soybeans, and grains are grown. Diversified industry is scattered over the county. Johnson County has an annual Peach Festival that started back in 1936, that attracts visitors from all over the country. Johnson County with its Mountains, Rivers and Forest provide scenic beauty for every season.

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