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Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
1
Property research resource guide
Contents
Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Census Records ............................................................................................................................................. 2
County and Sheriff’s Census ..................................................................................................................... 2
City and Business Directories Telephone Books ........................................................................................... 3
County Records ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Deed and Mortgage Records .................................................................................................................... 3
Tax Records ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Probate (Estate) Records .......................................................................................................................... 4
School Census Records.............................................................................................................................. 5
School and Organization Yearbooks ............................................................................................................. 5
Birth, Marriage and Death Records .............................................................................................................. 6
Birth Records ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Marriage Records ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Death Records Statewide Records ............................................................................................................ 8
County Records ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Survey Records .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Original U.S. Survey Plat Maps .................................................................................................................. 9
Miscellaneous Survey Records .................................................................................................................. 9
County Surveyor Records .......................................................................................................................... 9
Real Estate Atlases ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Maps ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
Newspapers and Periodicals ....................................................................................................................... 12
Photographs and Images ............................................................................................................................ 12
Additional Resources .................................................................................................................................. 14
Research Room Library ........................................................................................................................... 15
Resource Guides ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Manuscript Collections ........................................................................................................................... 16
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
2
Purpose
This guide contains resources at the Arkansas State Archives commonly used for researching
properties or individuals associated with a property. This is not a comprehensive guide to our
holdings, but provides starting points for property research. Resources at the State Archives are
best utilized using a name, location, or time period related to the property. This information
will help the researcher focus on a targeted list of resources to obtain the information desired.
Census Records
The United States Census, conducted every ten years since 1790, counts and provides statistical
information about the population of the country. The census record is useful for researching
biographical and vital statistics about people associated with properties. Each census since
1830 is arranged by county, then township, incorporated city or town, and finally the sequence
of households along each road. Starting with the 1850 Census, more detailed information about
the population was collected and included every member of a household, their age, sex, race,
and place of birth; any profession for the members of the household; and any real estate
owned by the family. The Arkansas State Archives contains microfilm records of U.S. census
records from 1830-1940.
Census records from 1830-1940 are also available through free online access to Ancestry.com in
the Arkansas State Archives research room. Ancestry.com has many other types of records
useful to property research including birth, marriage and death records, military draft and
service records, school annuals, city directories, public family trees, land, and court records. The
appendix contains basic search instructions for Ancestry.com.
In addition to the United States Census, territorial sheriffs in Arkansas were directed to conduct
biennial censuses beginning in 1823 for their individual counties to provide a population count
for possible statehood. The 1829 Sheriff’s Census is available on microfilm by county in the
research room. The Sheriff’s Census lists the number of free people in a county or township as
well as a number of slaves owned by name in individual households.
County and Sheriff’s Census
Arkansas County Records: 1823 Sheriff's Census [MFILM County Roll 000086 & 000102]
Jackson County Records: Special Census of Newport, Arkansas [MFILM County Roll 002451]
Census: Independence County 1829 Sheriff's Census [VFHC 1194]
Census: Lawrence County 1829 Sheriff's Census [VFHC 1200]
Census: Washington County 1829 Sheriff's Census [VFHC 1222]
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
3
Census: Sheriff's Census, Arkansas Coubty [VFHC 1177]
Arkansas Sheriff’s Census, 1823 & 1829 [F417 .A65 J3 1978]
City and Business Directories Telephone Books
A city directory is a yearly index of residents and businesses for a community. Histories, listings
of elected officials, profile of local leaders, and business advertisements can also contained in a
directory. The directory is indexed by last or business name, and separately indexed by street
number. City directory information can confirm resident timeline of a property, occupation of
the head of household, their spouse, children, and telephone number. If the listing is business,
information may include the proprietor and business telephone number.
There are two other types of directories similar to a city directory that are in the Archives
holdings and may assist in researching properties. A business directory is an alphabetical listing
of businesses with their physical location, and in some cases, the proprietor. A telephone
directory contains an alphabetical index of people or businesses in a geographic area and
telephone numbers that are associated with their listed address. The telephone directories may
also contain a listing of businesses organized by service provided.
Business and City Directories Collection [MS.000609]
Arkansas Telephone Directories Collection [MS.000620]
County Records
Representing all 75 Arkansas counties, county records of interest for researching properties
include deed and mortgage records, tax records, probate records, court records, school, and
survey records. Finding aids for these records can be found in either County or General
Microfilm; and the type, dates, and volume of records vary from county to county.
Deed and Mortgage Records
Property records can contain a wealth of information about family relationships and values of
property. Deeds usually contain the names of both the husband and the wife. If the property is
being sold to another family member, the relationship to the seller is often given. The amount
paid may indicate the relationship between the buyer and the seller. Witnesses to the deed can
be family members or close neighbors. Deeds that include the term “appurtenances thereunto”
mean that the deed includes all parts of the property. Deeds do not usually contain a detailed
description or give the location of existing buildings unless for some reason a particular
structure is being excluded from the sale or it forms a part of the property description. It is not
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
4
uncommon to find an inventory of the contents of a home or business which were offered as
collateral for a loan.
The date the deed or mortgage was signed and when it was recorded may be several years
apart. In
Arkansas, a deed or mortgage must be “acknowledged” or signed before a notary public.
Several original county courthouses in Arkansas burned and property owners may have re-
recorded a deed due to destruction of the courthouse. Notary publics are also required to give
their state, county, and township of residence and may indicate that a property owner resides
in a different county or state.
Tax Records
Before 1869, records contained information on real estate and personal property such as the
legal description and the number of slaves owned. Tax records on merchants and
manufacturers are also included. The records may list special assessments on some property
types and personal items. Records also contain an alphabetical list of tax payers who own
property in the county, but live elsewhere.
The Arkansas Constitution of 1868 changed tax collection by creating a system that
distinguished between real estate and personal property. Personal property tax records are
listed alphabetically by township or school district while real estate property taxes are listed by
legal description and block number. Improved properties (structure on site) generate more tax
revenue then unimproved (vacant) properties.
The Arkansas State Archives has personal property tax records and real estate tax records on
microfilm for each county in Arkansas. Tax record finding aids are searchable at the state
archives database.
Probate (Estate) Records
These records, filed after an individual’s death, contain detailed legal property descriptions and
the location of structures on the property. Records may contain descriptions on the condition,
repair and /or renovation of structures on a property. “Loose” probate records are a collection
of all the original documents collected during probate. The State Archives has microfilm
probate records for all Arkansas counties and loose probate records for the following counties:
Calhoun, Clark, Faulkner, Franklin, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Montgomery, Pope, Pulaski,
Saline, White, and Woodruff. All probate record finding aids are searchable online at
archives.arkansas.gov.
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
5
School Census Records
Both the Annual Report of the County School Superintendent and School Census Records
include school enrollment and are useful for researching properties associated with primary or
secondary education. The State Archives contains county school registers for most Arkansas
counties and finding aids for the collection are searchable online at archives.arkansas.gov.
School and Organization Yearbooks
These records can be useful in determining years of residence for individuals, as well as locating
an individual’s photograph.
"The Mabelvalian" and "The Lion" McClellan high school yearbook [MG06414]
"Almyra booster" and "Riceonian" Almyra high school yearbook [MG06530]
"Bobcat" Marshall, Arkansas, high school yearbook [MG04811 - MG04813]
"Dragonette" Scipio A. Jones high school yearbook [MG04808 -MG04809]
"Little Tiger" Sewanee, Tennessee, military Academy yearbook [MG01380]
"The Bobcat" J.C. Cook high yearbook, Sweet Home high yearbook [MG06509]
"The Bulldog," Hampton, Arkansas, yearbook [MG04983]
"The Cage" Little Rock high school yearbook [MG04738]
"The Gallowegian" Galloway college yearbooks [MG06653 - MG06650]
"The Lion" McClellan high school yearbook [MG04753, MG04794, MG04819 -MG04821,
MG04828, MG04849-4860, MG06415]
"The Optic" Arkansas school for the deaf yearbook [MG04816]
"The Rocket" Little Rock Catholic high school yearbook [MG04952]
"The Scroll" Arkansas state teachers college yearbook [MG06510]
"Wildcat" North Little Rock high school yearbook [MG05025]
1961 Lion A.M. & N. College Yearbook [MG08946]
American Baptist Association Yearbooks [MG08494 -MG08498, MG07635 -MG07641,
MG08506]
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
6
Amity High School Yearbooks, ""The Reflector" MG00029
Arkansas Baptist College Yearbooks [MG08492]
Arkansas State Teachers College the Scroll yearbook [MG08545]
Central High School Yearbooks [MG03384 - MG03399]
Fuller Senior High Yearbooks [MG08927]
Lincolnite Yearbook [MG08851]
Little Rock aesthetic club yearbooks [MG03952 - MG03951]
Lonoke, Arkansas High School Yearbooks [MG00123 - MG00133]
McRae High School, “The Tigers" Yearbooks [MG00140]
Miscellaneous yearbooks [MG04875]
Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship Yearbook [MG08009]
North American Baptist Association Yearbook [MG07660 - MG07668]
Subiaco Academy, Pax Yearbook [MG08640]
The Panther yearbook, Bigelow, Arkansas [MG03236]
Witt Springs high school yearbook [MG04867]
Women's State Baptist Auxiliary of Arkansas Yearbook [MG08534]
Birth, Marriage and Death Records
Most birth, marriage and death records are searchable online at Ancestry.com; Find-A-Grave or
other genealogy sites. The information is recorded as data; usually no images are available. The
Arkansas State Archives contains a very large collection of these original records, a few of which
are the original certificates.
Birth Records
Boone County Records: Gipson Family Birth Records [MFILM County Roll 000314]
Carroll County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll 000447]
Clay County Records: Orders for Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll
000755
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
7
Craighead County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates: Books "1-2" [MFILM County Roll 001031]
Crawford County Records: Birth Credentials: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll 001090]
Faulkner County Records: Conway & Cadron Township's Birth & Death Records [MFILM County
Roll 001706]
Faulkner County Records: Birth & Death Records [MFILM County Roll 001707]
Franklin County Records: Records of Births & Death: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll 001759]
Greene County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates: Names: "A-Y" [MFILM County Roll 002017]
Independence County Records: Delayed Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFILM County
Roll 002364]
Jefferson County Records: Pine Bluff Birth Records [MFILM County Roll 002725]
Lincoln County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003166]
Little Rock birth records transcribed by the daughters of the American Revolution [MG04752
AHC]
Logan County Records: Birth Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003243, 003246]
Madison County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003344]
Marion County Records: Delayed Birth & Death Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003374]
Miller County Records: Miller County Birth Records [MFILM County Roll 003429]
Nevada County Records: Delayed Nevada County Birth Certificates: Book "1" [MFILM County
Roll 003672]
Pulaski County Records: Little Rock Birth Records [MFILM County Roll 004566]
Sebastian County Records: Fort Smith City Birth & Death Records [MFILM County Roll 005050]
Sebastian County Records: Fort Smith City Birth Records [MFILM County Roll 005053 - 005054]
Washington County Records: Birth Certificates [MFILM County Roll 005462]
Woodruff County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates [MFILM County Roll 005759]
Logan County Records: Abstracts of Logan County: Birth and Death Records [MFILM County Roll
006522]
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
8
Clay County Records: Orders for Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFNE0025]
Craighead County Records: Delayed Birth Certificates: Books "1-2" [MFNE0064]
Independence County Records: Delayed Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFNE0182]
Miller County Records: Miller County Birth Records [MFSA1882]
Nevada County Records: Delayed Nevada County Birth Certificates: Book "1" SARA [MFSA1912]
Marriage Records
The Arkansas State Archives has marriage records for each county available on microfilm.
Records typically include the age of spouses, their birth years, place of residence, the marriage
date, and marriage county. Marriage records are searchable at www.ark-ives.com
Death Records Statewide Records
Arkansas Death Indexes, 1914-1948 [F410.A44]
Arkansas social security death master files, 1950-1991 [MG04352 - MG04359]
AHC County Probate Court Records from all 75 counties
County Tax Assessor records from all 75 counties Arkansas Cemetery Board records 1961-1967
Approximately 400 books on cemeteries and death records from Arkansas counties
County Records
Booneville Democrat death notices [MG04934]
Clay County Records: Orders for Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll
000755]
Dallas County Records: Death Certificates [MFILM County Roll 001421]
Faulkner County Records: Conway & Cadron Township's Birth & Death Records [MFILM County
Roll 001706]
Faulkner County Records: Birth & Death Records [MFILM County Roll 001707]
Franklin County Records: Records of Births & Death: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll 001759]
Garland County Records: Hot Springs Death Records [MFILM County Roll 001877]
Garland County Records: Death Records: Gross Mortuary [MFILM County Roll 001878]
Greene County Records: Delayed Death Certificates: Names: "A-T" [MFILM County Roll 002017]
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
9
Independence County Records: Delayed Birth & Death Certificates: Book "A" [MFILM County
Roll 002364]
Logan County Records: Death Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003243]
Marion County Records: Delayed Birth & Death Certificates [MFILM County Roll 003374]
Pulaski County Records: Little Rock Death Records: Books "1-2" [MFILM County Roll 004563-
004564]
Pulaski County Records: Death Certificates [MFILM County Roll 004565]
Searcy County Records: Records of Vital Statistic Death: Book "A" [MFILM County Roll 004983]
Sebastian County Records: Fort Smith City Death Records [MFILM County Roll 005050-005051]
Logan County Records: Abstracts of Logan County: Birth and Death Records ASA Logan County,
Arkansas MFILM County Roll 006522
Survey Records
Original U.S. Survey Plat Maps
Made by the U.S. Government between 1815 and 1865, these maps record the official survey of
each township in Arkansas. They usually show locations of roads, fields, and other natural or
man-made features. Property owners within the survey are often shown. In addition to being
available on microfilm, some maps may be available digitally.
State land office original entries-original survey plat maps [MG04462-MG04464]
Miscellaneous Survey Records
Arkansas land surveys, 1817-1819: N. Rightor and William Russell [MG04010]
Henry H. Haizlip Collection: Land survey certificates and legal documents [MG00085]
Letters and Surveying Contracts Received by the General Land Office From the Surveyor
General for Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, 1813-1832 [MG02124-MG02125]
Transactions of the Arkansas Society of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors [MG00745]
County Surveyor Records
These records survey a specific plat or property and indicate the location of houses or buildings.
Corresponding notes may use a structure as a reference point. Township, section, and range
data are needed to search these records.
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
10
Baxter County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 000202]
Calhoun County Records: Surveyor's Field Notes, County Surveyor's [MFILM County Roll
000415]
Drew County Records: County Surveyor's Records: Books "A-C" [MFILM County Roll 001647]
Greene County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 001991]
Independence County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 002365]
Lawrence County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 003007]
Logan County Records: County Surveyor's Fieldnotes [MFILM County Roll 003246-003247]
Logan County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 003247]
Nevada County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 003666]
Prairie County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFILM County Roll 004127]
White County Records: County Surveyor's Field Notes: Books "1-2" [MFILM County Roll 005641]
Baxter County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFNE0013]
Greene County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFNE0112]
Lawrence County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFNE0289]
Nevada County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFSA1906]
Lawrence County Records: County Surveyor's Records [MFSA4576]
Plat book of Washington County, Arkansas: compiled from county records and actual surveys
[MG04641]
Real Estate Atlases
These maps show property owners, location of roads, fields, and houses in a county according
to township.
Bagley's Map of Little Rock, 1930 Benton County Records: Real Estate Atlas of Benton County,
Arkansas (Philadelphia, 1903) 114 Pp. [MFILM County Roll 000289]
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
11
Benton County Records: Index to Real Estate Atlas of Benton County, Arkansas (Harker & Paulk)
100 Pp., [MFILM County Roll 000290]
Jackson County Records: Jackson County Real Estate Atlas & Plat Books, Arkansas [MFILM
County Roll 002451]
Jefferson County Records: Atlas of Jefferson County [MFilm County Roll 2599 & 2713]
Sebastian County Atlas, 1887-88 and 1903 [MFilm County Roll 5052]
Washington County Records: Washington County Real Estate Atlas [MFILM County Roll 005462]
Maps
The State Archives has over 2500 maps in its collection, including political, geological,
topographical, plat, highway, railroad, military, illustrated, and thematic maps. Each type of
map has its benefits for research different types of properties. Topographical and geological
maps may be helpful for archeological or natural resources research. Early Arkansas maps
identify important properties such as churches, schools, and post offices. Railroad and highway
maps may also identify these properties. Both types of maps are best for researching rural
properties. If researching a property where there is dense population or other developed land,
a city map provides more details such as street names and block numbers, and identifies
important public structures.
The Sanborn Map Company first published maps illustrating fire risks for various structures in a
particular community in 1866. When used in conjunction with city directories or real estate tax
records, Sanborn maps also provide information about the occupant of the property. The color
maps, drawn using a 50 feet to one inch scale on 21x25 sheets of paper, and updated every few
years, were based on site observations that measured structures and plots. A location key at
the bottom of the first sheet on each map helps locate what sheet a street block, intersection,
or important property can be located on. In addition to the location key there is a separate key
to reading each map. This key, updated periodically, identifies with symbols the types of
material each structure on a property is constructed of, as well as locations of doors, windows,
porches, street widths, and utilities.
The State Archives has over 800 Sanborn maps, in black and white, for communities in
Arkansas, available on microfilm in general microfilm [MG01234 - MG01245]; an index of maps
microfilmed is available in the Archives research room. The Staples Collection of Arkansas Maps
[MS.000349] contains 288 color Sanborn maps.
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
12
Newspapers and Periodicals
Newspapers contain a wealth of information helpful for researching properties in Arkansas.
Newspaper articles may contain reports on important events relating to a property such as its
commissioning, its architect, builders, occupants, or any renovations or demolition; this is
particularly true for important public structures. Articles may also contain context for the
development of a property. Photographs showing the progress of a property’s development
can also be found in newspapers. Newspapers publish obituaries that may provide information
on a person associated with the development of a property. Special issues or sections in
newspapers that highlight a community’s progress over the last year including new properties,
businesses, and families may also be useful to researchers.
The State Archives has the largest collection of microfilmed Arkansas newspapers published
daily, biweekly, weekly, or monthly. The Arkansas Gazette (the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
beginning in 1991) is indexed from 1819-1900 and 1960-1999. In addition to newspapers, the
State Archives also has periodicals relating to Arkansas on microfilm. The periodicals published
by schools, religious organizations, or interest groups may also contain information helpful for
researching properties in Arkansas. A listing of available newspapers and periodicals from the
Archives can be found by using “Search Records” feature on the State Archives website.
Photographs and Images
Photographs provide a visual representation of a property or persons associated with a
property at a fixed time. Photographs and other images are best used for researching
properties to document changes in the natural or built environment.
The Arkansas State Archives has a collection of over half a million photographs, photographic
prints, and negatives relating to Arkansas; there is also a separate collection for postcards
relating to Arkansas. The images may be of buildings street scenes, businesses, individuals, or
natural landscapes. Many of them can only be dated by noticing building features, automobile
models or clothing styles. Guides containing photocopies of the Archive photographs are
available for researchers in the Research Room.
In addition to the general photograph collection, the Archives contains three large individual
commercial photographer’s collections and the Ozark Folk Center Collection.
The Joseph Shrader Collection
Gustave Joseph Shrader (b. May 25, 1870 in Orel, Russia) was a photographer who owned and
operated a studio in Little Rock from 1910 until his death in 1944. He specialized in professional
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
13
and school portraits. The collection has over 50,000 photographic negatives,
searchable online by subject name.
Approximately 1400 negatives have been digitized and they are searchable
through the online catalog at archives.arkansas.gov.
The Thomas Harding Collection
Harding photographed many business and political leaders, as well socialites from Arkansas. He
owned and operated a photograph studio in Little Rock from 1945 to 1965 and from 1970 to
1981. The period between his Little Rock studios was spent in New York City where he
photographed many world famous people. Upon retirement in 1981, Harding’s photographic
interest shifted from portraits to artistic as he began to specialize in the pinhole camera
technique. His pinhole photographs were exhibited in galleries across the country. The State
Archives has almost 7,200 of Harding’s portraits and photographs which are searchable by
name of subject through the Archives’ website.
The Ernie Deane Collection
Deane received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in
1934, where he also was the editor of the student newspaper, The Arkansas Traveler, and his
master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1936. Deane served as a press
officer in the Army during World War II for Lt. General Omar Bradley, and Generals Eisenhower
and Patton. At the end of the war he was a press liaison for the Nuremburg International
Military Tribunal. Following his military career Deane was a journalism professor at the
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and editor and columnist for several newspapers
including the Arkansas Gazette and The Springdale News. Deane was also a member of the
Arkansas History Commission from 1974-1990. The State Archives contains over 7,000 of
Deane’s photographs digitized and searchable through the Arkansas State Library’s online
catalog. The collection contains many Arkansas scenes and events organized by date; searching
this collection by date or location yields the best results.
The Ozark Folk Center and the Ozark Cultural Resources Collections
Located in Mountain View, Arkansas, the Folk Center opened in 1973 as a living history state
park committed to preserving and demonstrating traditional crafts, folkways and music of the
Ozarks. The concept of the park originated with the Arkansas Folk Festival that promotes
traditional Ozark crafts and music. The State Archives has over 2500 photographs, photographic
prints, and negatives depicting various artists, crafters, Arkansas politicians, and events at the
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
14
Ozark Folk Center. These images include, but are not limited to, live performances, annual
festivals, musical artists’ and/or groups’ publicity photographs, folkways cultural
demonstrations, and anniversary events at the Ozark Folk Center. These photographs are
searchable by selecting “Ozark Photographs” under the record type dropbox on the Archives
search records screen.
Additional Resources
Nonpopulation Census Schedules [on microfilm]
The Arkansas State Archives has nonpopulation census records, known as schedules, between
1820 and 1880 on microfilm available in the research room for several states including
Arkansas. Manufacturing schedules, arranged by county and township, include the name of the
manufacturer, type of business or product; amount of capital invested; raw materials used;
value of product produced annually; kind of power or machinery used; number of men and
women employed; and labor cost. These records may be useful for research related to property
associated with industrial production. Agriculture schedules, also arranged by county and
township, provided information about farmers and their farms (number of acres; cash value of
farms, livestock, crops; types of crops; poultry and number of eggs produced; and “homemade
manufacturers”) and may be useful for research associated with a farm. Mortality schedules
record deaths during the year preceding the census and includes the name, age, sex, marital
status, state or county of birth, month of death, occupation, cause of death, and length of final
illness.
This type of schedule may be useful where death records are absent. Social statistics schedules
provide data about communities such as the number of churches and schools and may be
useful for research associated with these types of properties.
Schedules available include agriculture, mortality, and social statistics for 1850, 1860, 1870, and
1880; and manufacturing schedules for 1820, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. Roll MG04383
contains mines, agriculture, horticulture, commerce, fisheries, products of forest, and
manufacturing from the 1840 Census. Refer to the Nonpopulation Census Schedules finding aid
to locate a specific schedule.
Freedmen Bureau Records Relating to Abandoned and Confiscated Lands [MG .02203-.02204]
Freedmen Bureau records relating to the Abandoned and Confiscated Lands in Arkansas
between 1865 and 1868 consist of monthly and quarterly reports of property abandoned by
former owners associated with the Confederate government or army. They contain the name of
the former property owner; its location and size; the type and number of structures on it; the
induvial the property was leased to; and if the property was returned to its original order
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
15
through a special order (SO). There are two types of reports: The Assistant Commissioner’s
monthly reports, September 1865-December 1868, are arranged chronologically and are
consolidated from reports of subordinate officers and agents. Those reports are arranged by
state for 1865 and initial of station office after 1865.
Contained within these records is also a register of abandoned and confiscated lands for
Arkansas arranged alphabetically by county and last name of the former owner.
The United State Postal Service Records, Post Office Department Reports of Site Locations
[MG02097-02122]
The State Archives has a copy of the United State Postal Service Records for Arkansas from the
National Archives and Records Administration, dating 1789-1971. The second series is
documentation related to post office site locations for 1852-1945. Documentation for post
office site locations can be helpful for researching the history of properties and structures
because many rural communities, no longer in existence, were identified by the nearest post
office. It is also helpful if structures were used as a post office as a secondary purpose, (the
structure may have primarily been a store). The documentation includes its local name, the
name of the post office, a description of the location (range, township, and section), and its
distance to other post offices. It also includes small plat maps that show the location of the post
office and any trails, railroads, roads, landmarks, or structures that better describe the post
office’s location. The post office site location documentation is organized by county then
alphabetical and chronological by location. The Archives also has a copy of From Memdag to
Norsk: A Historical Directory of Arkansas Post Offices, 1832-1990, by Russell Baker, that
provides a geographic description of former post offices in Arkansas, their date of operation,
and notes regarding where mail was rerouted to after a post office was closed.
Research Room Library
The Arkansas State Archives has an extensive collection of books and printed material on
family, military, state, and local history in its research room. Topic include published family
histories, African- American history, cemetery listings, indexes for county records, obituary
listings, church histories, and much more for Arkansas and surrounding states. Material in the
research room also includes an extensive collection of books on folklore, music, artisanal and
industrial skills and traditions, and religious practices. Various printed journals containing local
and American history can also be found in the research room. The location of these resources
are found in the online catalog on the State Archives’ website.
The Family Maps series of books can be found in the library. These county specific books
include patent maps from the Bureau of Land Management with a road map and map for
roadways, waterways, modern and historical communities and cemeteries. The books also
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
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include indexes of last names and places and cemeteries for the county. The library has books
for thirty-nine counties in Arkansas and one in Mississippi. Refer to the online catalog to locate
the book for a particular county.
Resource Guides
The Arkansas State Archives has several other resource guides to help with researching historic
properties. These guides include information about collections relating to researching the Civil
War, World War I, Cemeteries, Immigration Records, and African-American history. Guides can
be downloaded from the Archives digital collections. New guides are added frequently, so
check the site often for recent additions.
Manuscript Collections
The Arkansas State Archives has 13,000 cubic feet of manuscript collections. Many of these
pertain to personal, family, or organizational records that may include histories; ledgers or
diaries; documents regarding property ownership; images, or any other materials that may be
useful to researching properties. Manuscript collections are searchable on the Archives
website.
Examples of relevant manuscript collections include:
"Architecture" by Lawson Deloney [SMC.0001.0008]
Architecture, a paper written by architect Lawson Deloney in 1939, highlights architectural
features of houses across Arkansas
Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Records [MS.000171]
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Records contains project manuals and architectural
drawings. The manuals provide an overview of the preservation project including bids, and
architectural drawings. This is an open collection with material being added on a regular basis.
Arkansas Post Office Mural Records [MS.000335]
Arkansas Post Office Mural Records contains research materials concerning thirteen Arkansas
post offices with murals. These photocopied materials include the correspondence, contracts,
and images proposed by the artists to the Fine Arts Section of the Public Buildings branch of the
United States Treasury Department.
Early History of Little Rock and Arkansas Collection [SMC.20.3]
Early History of Little Rock and Arkansas Collection contains plats surveyed by Henry M. Rector,
a circa 1874 map of Little Rock, a pamphlet, and news clipping.
Property research resource guide, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
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Maude Bethel Lewis Papers [SMC 10.9]
Maude Bethel Lewis Paper contains information of value about the built environment in early
Arkansas homes and Native American communities entitled, “Ancestral Homes of Arkansas.”
Little Rock Historic District Commission Records, 1963-1966 [SMC.31.2]
The Little Rock Historic District Commission Records, 1963-1966, contains correspondence,
meeting minutes, reports, and newspaper articles about formation of the Quapaw Quarter
Historic District in downtown Little Rock to preserve the area’s historic built environment
during an era of urban renewal.
