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Arkansas Phillips County
Guide to Phillips County Arkansas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Phillips County, Arkansas | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location in the state of Arkansas | |||||||
 Location of Arkansas in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | May 1, 1820 | ||||||
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| County Seat | Helena | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Phillips County Courthouse 600 Cherry Street Helena, AR 72342 Phone: 870.338.5505 | ||||||
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County Courthouse
Phillips County Courthouse
600 Cherry Street
Helena, AR 72342
Phone: 870.338.5505
County Clerk has marriage records from 1831 and probate records from 1850; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court, and land records from 1820.[1]
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| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
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1831 |
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1820 |
1850 |
History
Phillips County, Arkansas was formed from Arkansas County on 1 May 1820 by the territorial legislature. Located in Eastern Arkansas, the county's eastern boundary is the Mississippi River.
The county is said to have been named for Sylvanus Phillips, who became the first settler in 1820. Phillips served from Arkansas County, Phillips County's parent county, in the territorial legislature in 1820. Some sources refer to Phillips, Patterson, and Mooney as having been the earliest settlers at what became Helena. Helena, which was laid out by Sylvanus Phillips and became the county seat in 1830, is said to have been named for his daughter.
An early and influential settler was W.B.R. Horner, a lawyer who arrived in the area in 1811. Horner pushed for the division of Arkansas County into two separate counties, and as a result Phillips County was formed in 1820. Evidently the legislative act to divide Arkansas County passed in Feb 1820, but did not take effect until May 1st. Horner then served as the county's first representative in the second legislature.
Phillips County's original county seat was referred to as St. Francis. By 21 Jun 1821, The Arkansas Gazette was referring to Helena as being Phillips County's seat of government. Although the early history is not clear, it would appear that rather than moving the county seat, its name was changed from St. Francis to Helena.
The earliest Phillips County records appear to date to 1820. The earliest deed in the county was recorded 13 Oct 1820, but also though the land involved was near Helena, it was described as being in Arkansas County. The earliest deed for land recorded as being in Phillips County is dated 19 Nov 1820.
The town of Helena was nearly entirely destroyed by fire in 1852. The town was then hit by a yellow fever epidemic in 1855.
Historically, the county is perhaps best known as the site of the well-known Battle of Helena (Wikipedia), an important Civil War battle. This battle took place at Helena in Phillips County on 4 Jul 1863.
This was after the town became occupied by the Union army under General Samuel Curtis in 1862. During the Battle of Helena, Curtis' troops were attacked by three Confederate generals, Holmes, Marmaduke, and Walker, in an unsuccessful attempt to regain Helena. Helena remained in Union hands from 1862 through the rest of the Civil War.
In 1941, Helena was the scene for the beginning of the now-legendary blues radio program, "King Biscuit Time," over KFFA.
For more, see:
- Hellmann. Paul T., Historical Gazetteer of the United States. New York: Routledge, 2005, p. 63 (section headed "Helena"). online copy in Google Books
- McCabe, James D., Jr. A Comprehensive View of Our Country and its Resources. Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers, 1876, section headed "Helena," p. 992. online copy in Google Books
- Shinn, Josiah Hazen. Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas, Vol. 1, Washington: Genealogical and Historical Publishing Co., 1908, especially pp. 117-131. online copy in Google Books
- Whitaker, Robert. On the Laps of Gods: The Red Summer of 1919 and the Struggle for Justice that Remade a Nation. New York: Random House, 2008 (discusses 20th century racial issues and earlier plantation society in Helena and Phillips County). Google Books preview
Parent County
- 1820--Phillips County was created 1 May 1820 from Arkansas and Hempstead Counties. County seat: Helena [2]
Boundary Changes
One factor that must be taken into account in conducting research pertaining to Phillips County is that the Mississippi River has, on occasion, changed course.
In addition, parts of Phillips County later became other counties: Crittenden in 1825, St. Francis in 1827, Monroe in 1829, and Lee in 1873.
See an interactive map of Phillips County boundary changes.
Variant Spellings
Record Loss
A 1906 report by the Arkansas Historical Association (reprinted by the American Historical Association in Washington in 1908) noted that "Some few of the records have been slightly damaged by being moth-eaten, but have been recopied. The records were removed during the war, but were afterwards returned in good condition. During the time they were gone a record was kept in a volume as 'Irregular D.' No misfortune has ever befallen our records, and they are kept in a fireproof vault."
The same report also noted that "the records seem to be complete" from the first deed, dated 13 Oct 1820, the first probate record, dated 17 Jan 1821, and the first Court of Common Pleas order, dated 15 Jan 1821.
For more, see:
- Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1906, Vol. 2. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1908, p. 45. online copy in Google Books
- John Hugh Reynolds, ed., Publications of the Arkansas Historical Association, Vol. 1. Fayetteville, AR: Arkansas Historical Association, 1906, p. 136. online copy in Google Books
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
- Arkansas
- Bolivar County, Mississippi
- Coahoma County, Mississippi
- Desha
- Lee
- Monroe
- Tunica County, Mississippi
Genealogy Resources
Research Guides
African Americans
Bible Records
Cemeteries
General:
Individual Cemeteries:
- Marvell Eventide Cemetery, Marvell BillionGraves
- Turner Cemetery, Marvell BillionGraves
Census
- Phillips County, Arkansas Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African Americans on 1870 Census (Tom Blake)
- 1820--Census is missing.
Church Records
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Arkansas denominations, view the Arkansas Church Records wiki page.
Court
Genealogy
Land and Property
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Arkansas Land and Property for additional information about early Arkansas land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Phillips County deed records from 1886 to 1906 were microfilmed by the Arkansas History Commission in cooperation with the Arkansas History Commission. This was a part of a project which was completed in 2007. The filming project is discussed in an Internet news item in the Arkansas History Commission website.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Phillips County, Arkansas. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Arkansas Local Histories.
Maps
Military
Revolutionary War
- Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FHL Collection 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry
Civil War
Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Phillips County.
- Map showing Civil War battles in Arkansas.
- Men from Phillips County enlisted in the 2nd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry (Union).
Naturalization
Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Phillips County, Arkansas newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Phillips County, Arkansas Place-name search for these and other records in the Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see, FHL Catalog Place-name Search).
- Constitutional Journal
- Political Intelligencer, established in 1833 at Helena, moved later that year to Little Rock
- Regional Newspapers - Phillips County, Arkansas (list)
Occupations
Probate Records
Probate records of Arkansas have been kept by the probate or county courts. You can obtain copies of the original records by contacting the clerk's office in the county courthouse.
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many Arkansas probate records. See Arkansas Probate Records for more information about Probate records in Arkansas, including statewide indexes.
Taxation
Arkansas tax records replace missing censuses and provide lists of residents during years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years for some counties. For more information see Arkansas Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Arkansas Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Arkansas Vital Records Online and Arkansas Statewide Indexes and Collections at the Family History Library.
Birth
Marriage
- 1820-1879 - Murray, Dorothy L. Phillips County, Arkansas, 1820-1879: Computer Indexed Marriage Records. Hunting for Bears, 1991. Google Books page
- 1831-1946 - Phillips County Marriage Books 1, A-Z, A1-N1 Index 1831-1946 in Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch - free.[4]
- 1831-1921 - Phillips County Marriage Books 1, A-Z, A1-N1 Index 1831-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[5]
- 1921-1951 - Phillips County marriage records from 1921 to 1951 were microfilmed by the Arkansas History Commission in cooperation with the Arkansas History Commission. This was a part of a project which was completed in 2007. The filming project is discussed in an Internet news item in the Arkansas History Commission website.
Death
Vital Record Substitutes
Genealogy Societies and Libraries
- West Helena Public Library, 721 Plaza St., West Helena, AR 72390
- Tri-County Genealogical Society, PO Box 580, Marvell, AR 72366, covers Lee, Monroe, and Phillips Counties, Arkansas. The society publishes Tri-County Genealogy.
Family History Centers
Websites
- The Battle of Helena (The American Civil War site)
- Council Bend Plantation (Sankofagen Wiki)
- Family History Library Catalog
- Helena-West Helena (Born and Raised in the South blog)
- Helena-West Helena (Wikipedia)
- Helena-West Helena, Arkansas in The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
- Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy Forum
- Phillips County, Arkansas Genealogy Trails
- Phillips County, Arkansas History, Records, Facts, Genealogy and Ancestry (Family History 101)
- Phillips County GenWeb (ARGenWeb)
- Phillips County in The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
- Sidney H. Horner House (Wikipedia)
References
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), p. 69.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 2 August 2012).
- ↑ FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "Arkansas County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)," in FamilySearch Wiki, accessed 18 April 2013.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/d/d7/Arkansasnz.pdf.
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- This page was last modified on 20 May 2013, at 20:25.
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