Pope County, Arkansas, records are remarkable. This is a county where records have never burned. During the Civil War, records were hidden in a cave north of Dover, AR, which was the county seat at the time.

Many of the county records have been microfilmed. These records are available at the Pope County Library, 116 East Third Street, Russellville, AR 72801, and some are available at the Arkansas History Commission at Little Rock, Arkansas. The Pope County Library is great. Believe it or not, the library has a genealogy librarian, Katie Murdock, who is a wonderful resource, and Laura Shull, another great resource person, who helps out part-time. The library has an extensive genealogy collection of books, genealogical and historical publications, including the Pope County Historical Association Quarterly, microfilm, and vertical files.

In addition, the Ross Pendergraft Technology Center at Arkansas Tech University has some county records on microfilm and some county publications. Check the library hours because ATU students do have priority there. Type in Pope County, Arkansas, in the card catalog to view their holdings.