Lawrence County was created on 15 January 1815and was formed fromNew Madrid County, Missouri . One of the first counties created in Arkansas was Lawrence County. Established in 1815, this county has given birth to many others and included lands in the northern part of Arkansas and southern part of Missouri. It was named for Capt. James Lawrence, a commander of the vessel Chesapeake in the War of 1812. In the early 1800s, the first settlers of the area settled along the Black and Spring rivers. The first county seat was at Davidsonville, moved to Smithville in 1832, Clover Bend in 1868, and finally Powhatan in 1869 when the railroad arrived. Walnut Ridge is also considered a second county seat as well. Lawrence County is bordered by Randolph County (north), Greene County (east), Craighead County (southeast), Jackson County (south), Independence County (southwest), Sharp County (west). Cities, Towns & Communities include Alicia, Black Rock, College City, Hoxie, Imboden, Lynn, Minturn, Portia, Powhatan, Ravenden, Sedgwick, Smithville, Strawberry, Walnut Ridge
Parts of Lawrence County was used to form the following counties: Greene 1833, Independence 1820, Randolph 1835, Sharp 1868. Other county boundry changes occured when E boundary defined 30 October 1823, line with Independence changed 26 December 1840, part annexed to Fulton 18 January 1855, part to Randolph 18 January 1861, part annexed from Sharp 21 March 1917 and part annexed to Sharp 24 March 1917.
The Official County Website is located at ? .
See Extended History for More information. Records are mostly extant from county formation.
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 are mostly extant from county formation.
Lawrence County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1816 and Land Records from 1815 and is located at 315 West Main, Walnut Ridge, 72476; (870) 886-1112 . 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
Lawrence County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1821 and Probate Records from 1817 and is located at 315 West Main, Walnut Ridge, 72476; (870) 886-1111 . 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 Lawrence County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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.
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
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 Lawrence 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Lawrence County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, Arkansas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 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 Lawrence County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Lawrence County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lawrence County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 Lawrence County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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 Lawrence County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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.
Lawrence County was created on January 15, 1815, by the Missouri Legislature, which had jurisdiction over the region until Arkansas became a territory in 1819. The county seat is Walnut Ridge. The county was named for Capt. James Lawrence, a naval officer killed in the War of 1812. The landscape of Lawrence County is flat-topped rolling hills in the western half and flat fertile delta river bottomland in the eastern half. The economy is made up of agriculture, with rice, soybeans, and milo as leading crops. Cattle, poultry, and light manufacturing also contribute to the economy. There are three highways that make it convenient to ship in and out of the county. Three rivers, the Strawberry, Spring, and Black flow through the county. Lake Charles along with Lake Charles State Park offers fishing, hiking, picnicking and water sports. The park consists of 645 acres with 96 campsites scattered among the trees. The Shirey Bay-Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area is a 10,500 acre tract between the Strawberry and Black Rivers and is managed primarily for water fowl. It also has excellent fishing. Thirty-one of the state’s present counties were carved from the original Lawrence County. The original courthouse was at Powhatan and was destroyed by fire in 1885. The archives were saved because they were stored in a stone vault and today they are a part of the Powhatan State Park Museum’s regional archive. In 1963 the two districts at Powhatan and Walnut Ridge were consolidated. Some of the oldest records in Arkansas that were written by quill with homemade ink is now stored at the abandoned 1888 courthouse in Powhatan.
Early History of Lawrence County
About 65 years ago, there was published a biography of the prominent families of Lawrence County but I was never able to procure a copy. Later, I read a synopsis of this information in a Walnut Ridge newspaper, details of which I remember very well.
Oldest Settlements
The oldest settlement in the county was a Clover Bend in 1797. Old Davidsonville became the first county seat and postoffice in 1818. Uncle James Gray told me a man named Gardner settled the Gray place in about 1798. Uncle Mat Smith told me, as a small boy, he lived with his father at Old Jackson in 1828, which was then a good sized town. It was the county seat. Smithville became the county seat in 1834.
In these brief accounts, I shall endeavor to deal largely with Spring River Township and its early settlers. The river places were first settled before the Civil War. Two Methodist preachers, Thacker and Oaks, entered the lands on the north and south sides of the river near Ravenden. East of them was the Gee place, west was the Stuarts and beyond the Gray place were the Crawfords and Beards. A ford of the river was named after each family, but Mrs. Oaks was drowned at the Oaks ford and it was then renamed the Liza Ann ford in her memory. From the east on line with Opposition, came first the Simmons and Stypes, then the Browns, Gipsons, Balls, Well, Criders, Sharps, Holders, Halsteads, East, Starlings, Hollowell and others.
Flatwoods Area
The Dents, Bradys and Buchanans first came to the flatwoods, then west of them were Barkers, Ellis, Watts, Goings, Holders, Halsteads, Blackwells, Helms, Ratcliffs and Honey. After the war, came the Clements, Picketts, Jenkins, Pettyjohns, Bellamys and others. The lands of Lawrence County were first surveyed in 1828. Much of it was already settled. There were early entries, then came homesteads. A lot of lands were granted the Iron Mountain Railroad in 1870. Later in the century came a lot of homesteads. For me to relate a connected story, I will start in the flatwoods. It is a legend that first settlers found there a prairie, but the nature of the soil and the old timber proves otherwise, but I remember when the area was all open country in large timberlands for miles.
Early Families
Recalled Uncle Josiah Dent, the father of all the Dents, lived on the present Pleasant Grove Church site at the time of the Civil War. He entered most of the lands from Smithville to the Big Lick. His eldest son, Attorney G.G. Dent, built Annieville which was named for his first wife. There were the best buildings in the county. The Buchanans and Bradys were east of the Dents. Grandfather Buchanan is buried in the N.W. corner of the Burns Brady place, at the old crossing of the Powhatan and Smithville roads. There are half dozen old family graveyards north from Smithville. Three are former church sites. The Bradys made up a large family, whose father settled in that community. Farther south is the Uncle Friend Phillips, Goff and Guthrie farms. Barker is the name of a large family reared near the Big Lick. I have names of Wash, Silas, Frank, Andrew, John and Mrs. Jeff Honey. Ellis is a name I connect with the Barkers, Elisha, Thomas and Martha who married Wash Barker. Barker was killed in an accident. Aunt Martha was housekeeper for Uncle Prior Simmons for years. They also kept Henry and Adah Ellis. I know of no Barkers connections left. When my father moved to Jeff Creek in 1887, the old Barker rendezvous remained in a deep hollow with the old camp house and corral.
More Old Families
Watts were pioneers, also about the Big Lick included Wilse, Bennett, Williams, Thomas, George, Mattie and Timmie. the Thomas Watts family is around Opposition. A story of old Grandfather Watts about skinning coons, “It is just that way, when my persimmon pond freezes over, the coons come and sit about eating the persimmons and freeze to the pond. I can prove by Mattie and the children, that I would take my butcher knife and go along, hack them over the head and they would jump out of their hides.” The Big Lick Jeff Honey lived at the Big Lick in the large log building with port holes in the upper story. This establishes proof that it was built at a time when Indians were still in the country. There was another such building on Osburn Creek in Sharp County. These structures were used during the Civil War for storehouses. Honey had several outbuildings which were burned during the early 80’s. I remember an investigation of it by my father’s J.P. Court, but nothing came of it. There should be several Honeys in Lawrence County. The Big Lick is a large, natural salty place, where Deer came. Holders should be next with the Goings and Halsteads. I think they came from Georgia. Pleasant Going and Halstead were pioneer Methodist ministers. Going was the father of my mother-in-law, Mrs. Emerine Helms. He was a circuit rider for many years. Going’s wife died in 1859 and his large family of children were cared for by the Holders, until his death in the war. Eunice, a sister of Pleasant Going, first married James Blackwell, father of Wm. Blackwell who had a store at Ravenden in 1900 and was a drummer for many years. Her second husband was Grandfather Bennett Holder. In her old age, my went on a cold night to the home of her son-in-law, Frank Barker, to marry her to Uncle Charlie Parks. I think one of the Goings has several grandchildren in Lawrence County. I am not sure, but believe that this Bennett Holder was the father of all I will name. They all settled about Friendship, but later moved north to Wells Creek, sowthwest of Opposition. Uncle Henry J. Holder, during the war, lived on the Helms place, south of Friendship. For many years, he was sheriff and deputy in the county. He had two sets of children. first came Berry, Babe and Dow. Berry moved to Boone County. Babe died near Portia years ago. Dow died last year at Imboden. The second group were Frank, George, Whit, Nancy, Linn, Ball, and Toy. The last three are still living. The old Wells place is now known as the Holder Place.
More About the Holders
Uncle Thomas Holder lived on the Creek. I name Jackson, Henry, Bennett, Dutch Billie, Mart, John and Susie. Only John is yet living. He is at Black Rock. Jackson Holder’s first wife was Harriet Davis, a sister to the mother of W.H. Hales and Safronia Davis Stuart McDaniel McBride. She was courted by many of the young men and was about to marry Bud Wells, but later was married to Bud Stuart. My father officiated at the ceremony. Fronia lived with Uncle Thomas Holder in later life, she was married to McBride. Jackson Holder’s second wife was Mrs. Sarah Gilbert Hoffman. She was the mother of Mrs. W.H. Hales and the late George Hoffman. Both the Gilberts and Hoffmans were pioneers of the Smithville territory. Henry Bennett Holder’s wife was the late Aunt Sarah Sharp Holder Smith, mother of Mrs. Katie Hathcoat, Mrs. Mollie Bottoms, Arson, Albert and Bennett Holder. There ware all some of my school mates. Dutch Billie Holder married Vianne Helms. I think there are grandchildren around Black Rock. Mart Holder married Annie Miller and had a large family. They moved to Oklahoma and had several girls. The late Waymon Holder was his son. Uncle Bletch Holder also had a large family. They finally settled west of Opposition. Bill first married Samantha Helms and they had four boys and a girl. James Holder married Luch Washum. Blech Holder married Edith Bottoms. Jane married Rich McIntyre. They had a large family. Martha was married to Wm. T. Sharp. This is also a large family. I’ll mention them later. Mrs. Ben Ragsdale was of the Holder family. John Pony Holder married Emma McBride. Charlie Holder was married to a Gilbert. Uncle Josh Holder moved up in Randolph County. I was not acquainted with him. Aunt Lucy Washum to the older Holders. She was the mother of James H., John and Lucy Washum. I remember Jim Washum as a clerk for Sam Ball at Opposition and later at Ravenden. His first wife was the daughter of Uncle Mat Smith and a sister to the late Jake Smith. Aunt Nancy Halstead was a Holder. James Halstead was father of all the Halsteads in Lawrence County. In this family I have the names of Blech, Alex, Mark, Jane, Mrs. Alex Anderson, Whit and Allie. Jane married Pete Stuart the grandfather of Bates Stuart at Ravenden. I have many memories of the Halsteads. James Halstead was constable in 1887 in a famous rape case which came before my father. Opposition was filled with angry men. Halstead, with six or eight men, stood guard about our house with loaded guns until things quieted down. They left for Powhatan, about midnight, with the prisoner and made the trip successfully.
Prisoner Later Lynched
Some three weeks later, a band of men, mostly from Sharp County, took the prisoner from jail and lynched him. I never knew of any investigation. Although some of the men left the country. It was that year and winter when the typhoid fever epidemic was at the worst. Almost all the Halstead family had the fever. My sister, Mrs. Isaac Crider, died with it. Aunt Lizzie, the wife of George Blackwell, was also of the older Holder generation. There was a boy named Bill and a girl, who married Joe Rogers at Imboden. Afterwards, the Holders, numerous as they were scattered to various places and still constitute a large family.
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