FULTON COUNTY, AR HISTORY AND LOOKUP
County History Books
*None Listed
Fulton County, Arkansas: A Genealogical Overview
Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of north-central Arkansas along the Missouri border, Fulton county is a region defined by rugged terrain, clear springs, and a history of hardy pioneer settlement. Its story is not one of large plantations but of small farms, timber, and livestock, creating a distinct genealogical landscape for researchers.
I. County Formation and Evolution
For genealogists, Fulton county’s creation from a much larger parent county is the most critical fact for locating records of its earliest settlers prior to 1842.
- 1842: County Formed: Fulton county was established on December 21, 1842, by an act of the Arkansas General Assembly.
- Parent County: It was created from a northern portion of Izard county.
- Name Origin: The county was named in honor of William S. Fulton, the last governor of the Arkansas Territory and one of the state’s first U.S. Senators.
- County Seat History: The first temporary county seat was the home of Peter Ground. In 1845, a permanent location was chosen, named Salem, and it has remained the county seat ever since.
II. Settlement and Early History
- Early Inhabitants: While no permanent villages were in the area at the time of American settlement, the Osage, Cherokee, and other tribes used the land for hunting.
- Settlement and Economy: The first American settlers were primarily of Scots-Irish descent, migrating from the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky in the 1830s. They established an economy based on subsistence farming, raising livestock, and harvesting timber. The county’s rugged terrain was not suitable for large-scale plantation agriculture. During the Civil War, the county’s location and divided loyalties made it a frequent site of skirmishes and guerilla warfare.
- Mammoth Spring: The county is home to Mammoth Spring, one of the world’s largest natural springs. The founding of a federal fish hatchery in 1903 and the growth of tourism around the spring and its river have been significant economic factors.
III. Genealogical Records and Resources
This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records specific to Fulton county.
- Courthouse:
- Fulton County Clerk: Located at 123 South Main Street, Salem, AR 72576. This office holds marriage records (from 1869, as earlier records were lost), probate records, and court records.
- Fulton County Circuit Clerk: Also located at 123 South Main Street, Salem, AR 72576. This office serves as the county recorder and holds all land records (deeds and mortgages). For records prior to 1842, researchers must consult the records of Izard county.
- Vital Records:
- Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Arkansas began in February 1914. These records are held by the Arkansas Department of Health.
- Marriage Records: Marriage records from 1869 to the present are held by the Fulton County Clerk. Records before 1869 were destroyed in a courthouse fire.
- Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
- Fulton County Library: Located at 208 West 4th Street, Salem, AR 72576. The library is a good starting point for local history. The Fulton County Historical Society, also in Salem, is an essential resource for researchers, publishing journals and maintaining collections of family histories and local records.
- Bordering Jurisdictions:
- Baxter county, AR
- Izard county, AR
- Sharp county, AR
- Howell county, MO
- Oregon county, MO
- Ozark county, MO