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January 6, 1851 | ||
Help Wanted | ||
Arkansas Trails has several counties and projects up for adoption. If you would be interested in adopting a county or project look at the Arkansas Trails County Page. If you find one that you would like to adopt e-mail the State Administrator State Administrator.[ Being a County or State Administrator is fun and rewarding. If you have an interest in the history of Arkansas and the genealogy of it's residents please consider it. If you think "there is no way I can do this" there are many people ready, willing and able to help you. It's not near as difficult as you might think. ] | History |
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Sebastian County is Arkansas's 56th county, formed on January 6, 1851, and named for William Sebastian, United States Senator from Arkansas, county commissioners created the town of Greenwood, located centrally in the county, to serve as the county seat. Three years later, however, Fort Smith became the new county seat. In 1861, the state legislature divided the county into two judicial districts, thus making both cities into county seats, a situation that survives into the present day. American soldiers were dispatched to the area in 1817 to keep the peace between Cherokee and Osage, who clashed over access to hunting grounds to the west. The fort these soldiers constructed at the confluence of the Poteau and Arkansas rivers, a place known as Belle Point, was named Fort Smith after the military district's commander, General Thomas A. Smith. A settlement quickly grew around the fort, taking its name from the military establishment. Even when the army abandoned the fort, this settlement carried on, with trader John Rogers serving as something of a leader for the community. Aaron Barling, a former soldier, bought land eight miles east of Fort Smith in 1830. A small community known as Spring Hill grew up around his farm, though when the town sought incorporation later in the century, it did so under the name of its founder. Matthew Arbuckle, who served as commander of the troops at the fort, obtained more than 20,000 acres of land in Sebastian County for his service; this land eventually grew into the town of Lavaca. In 1836, the army returned to build its second post at Fort Smith. On March 3, 1871, the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, which had jurisdiction not only over the western district but also Indian Territory west of the state, was moved from Van Buren to Fort Smith. Judge William Story was the first judge to preside in Fort Smith, but corruption was so prevalent that he eventually resigned. In 1875, Judge Isaac C. Parker was appointed to the bench at Fort Smith. He quickly established a reputation as a hard judge, sentencing numerous people to the gallows and thus acquiring the nickname of "hanging judge." During his tenure, the court employed such legendary lawmen as Bass Reeves and Heck Thomas, who patrolled Indian Territory to serve warrants upon criminals who had taken refuge there. | Links |
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Free Records Search at Familysearch Org | ||
Sebastian County Cemetery Listings on Arkansas Gravestone Project | ||
Sebastian County Cemetery Listings on Interment Net | ||
Sebastian County Cemetery Listing at Find A Grave | ||
Arkansas Dept of Health | ||
Arkansas Dept of Health Division of Vital Records, Slot 44 4815 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 661-2174 Fax: (501) 663-2832 |
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Arkansas State Archives | ||
Arkansas History Commission One Capitol Mall Little Rock, AR 72201 501.682.6900 [email protected] |
The History Commission, the official state archives, is a facility in which those interested in Arkansas history may engage in research. The staff does not undertake research requests from the public. The Research Room is open from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Saturday. It is closed on state holidays. If you are traveling long distances, please call to confirm hours/days of operation at 501.682.6900. | |
Arkansas Genealogical Society
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County Clerk - Fort Smith 35 So. 6th St., Room 102 Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone (479)782-5065 Fax (479)784-1567 Sebastian County Clerk - Greenwood 301 East Center, Room 104 Greenwood, AR 72956 Phone (479) 996-4195 Fax (479)996-4165 | Circuit Court 901 S B Street Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: 479-782-1046 Fax: 479-784-1580 Circuit Court 11 Town Square #103 Greenwood, AR 72956 Phone: 479-996-4175 Fax: 479-996-6885 | Old Jail Museum Curator - Donna Goldstein [email protected] South Sebastian County Historical Society P.O. Box 523 Greenwood, AR 72936 [email protected] http://ghsweb.k12.ar.us/sschs/home.htm |
Fort Smith Historical Society P.O. Box 3676 Fort Smith, AR 72913-3676 (479) 646-9140 (479) 484-5502 479-478-6323 [email protected] www.fortsmithhistory.org |
E-Mail Lists and Message Boards |
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Arkansas Mail List on Rootsweb | ||
Sebastian County Mailing List on Rootsweb | ||
Sebastian County Message Board on Rootsweb | ||
Sebastian County Message Board on Genforum | Adjacent Counties |
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Crawford County |
Franklin County |
Logan County |
Scott County |