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Arkansas County
Ouachita County, Arkansas
Camden's Civil War earthworks and Ouachita River defense industries - from Camden's Camden Expedition earthworks (the spring 1864 Camden Expedition - in which Union forces occupied Camden and Confederate forces counterattacked at Poison Spring and Marks' Mills in some of the most brutal fighting of the trans-Mississippi theater, including atrocities against Black Union soldiers - left a landscape of preserved Civil War earthworks that is now a National Historic Landmark) to Camden's significant Cold War defense manufacturing (the Camden facility that produced missiles and ammunition contributed to Arkansas's defense industry heritage).
County SeatCamden
Population22,650
Founded1842
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Office: Ouachita County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 145 Jefferson St SW, Camden, AR 71701
Phone: (870) 837-2260
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Camden community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: South-central Arkansas; Camden is county seat on the Ouachita River; Ouachita River flooding; tornado corridor; significant defense industry heritage (Camden was called the “Arsenal of Democracy” – home of multiple defense contractors including Lockheed Martin Camden Operations, Aerojet Rocketdyne Camden Operations, and BAE Systems); explosive manufacturing and rocket motor production creates unique industrial emergency planning needs; one of the most significant defense manufacturing counties in the South
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Ouachita County Road Department – (870) 837-2260
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response; Camden area
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-79, US-278, and US-167 are main corridors; Camden is a significant regional center given its defense industry; Ouachita River navigation (port operations); railroad through Camden important for defense/industrial shipping; very rural outside Camden
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Ouachita County – (870) 837-2260
Services: Building permits; Camden, Chidester, Louann, Stephens, Smackover separate
Notes: Defense contractor facility construction and expansion generate specialized permits; Camden’s defense economy drives some commercial development; smackover area oil legacy
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Ouachita County Veterans Service Office – (870) 837-2260
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock); Shreveport VA (Shreveport accessible)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment; defense contractor workforce has significant veteran component
Notes: Defense industry creates a veteran-dense workforce; Central Arkansas VA and Shreveport VA both accessible; active VSO chapter in Camden
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Ouachita County Public Library – (870) 836-5028
Notes: Library reflects Camden’s distinctive defense industry character; Civil War heritage materials (Camden Expedition – significant Civil War campaign)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Ouachita (primarily Garland and Montgomery Counties – eastern edge accessible); Camden Expedition sites (Civil War – Battle of Poison Spring, Battle of Marks’ Mills – significant battles in the Red River Campaign 1864); Smackover Creek; hunting and fishing; McCollum-Chidester House Museum (antebellum plantation home); Ouachita River water recreation
Notes: Camden has remarkable Civil War heritage – the Camden Expedition of 1864 saw multiple engagements in Ouachita County; the Battle of Poison Spring is particularly historically significant for the massacre of Black Union soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry – a rarely discussed atrocity of the Civil War; defense industry heritage is another distinctive layer of Camden’s identity; the Arsenal of Democracy legacy deserves recognition
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Ouachita County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; defense contractor facility security constraints affect some mapping; Ouachita River navigation mapping; oil field legacy mapping (AOGC)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Ouachita County Animal Control – (870) 837-2260; Camden Humane Society
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control
Notes: Defense industry community supports some humane activity; Camden area humane society
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Ouachita County – (870) 837-2260; Camden city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; defense contractor environmental compliance (propellant/explosive manufacturing – significant hazardous materials); oil and gas legacy sites (Smackover-El Dorado oil field area); Ouachita River watershed; Army Corps (Ouachita River navigation)
Notes: Camden’s defense industry (Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne/L3 Technologies, BAE Systems manufacture rocket motors, missiles, and munitions) creates some of the most complex industrial environmental compliance situations in Arkansas; propellant and explosive manufacturing requires extensive hazardous materials management; EPA and ADEQ actively oversee these facilities; the Smackover oil field area has legacy environmental sites from 1920s-era oil production; Ouachita River water quality monitoring is important for downstream communities; the defense industry’s continued presence is both an economic anchor and an environmental management priority
About Ouachita County
Ouachita County is south-central Arkansas’s Civil War earthworks and Ouachita River county – Camden’s preserved 1864 fortifications and the brutal Camden Expedition battles make it one of the most significant Civil War sites in the trans-Mississippi theater.
Camden (the county seat, population ~11,000) preserves extraordinary Civil War earthworks – the Confederate defenses and Union occupation sites of the 1864 Camden Expedition are among the best-preserved Civil War earthworks in the South, now a National Historic Landmark.
The Ouachita River flowing through Camden provided the water power and transportation that shaped the community’s early development.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ouachita County Historical Society, 926 Washington Street, Camden, AR
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
In Ouachita County, probate matters are handled by the County Clerk’s Office, while other Circuit Court matters go through the separate Circuit Clerk.
Ouachita County Clerk – Probate Division 145 Jefferson Street, Camden, AR 71701 (870) 837-2220 (Probate/County Clerk); (870) 837-2230 (Circuit Clerk, other case types) Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arkansas has one of the more generous small-estate thresholds in the country, so check this first.
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where total property value (after debts, excluding the homestead and statutory spousal/minor-child allowances) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after the death. Filed using Form 23 (Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee) under Ark. Code § 28-41-101 – no personal representative is appointed, and no full administration is needed.
Independent Administration – available when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs agree to it. The personal representative acts with minimal court oversight at each step.
Supervised Administration – the traditional, more heavily court-involved track; used for contested estates or when independent administration isn’t available or agreed to.
Administration with Will Annexed – used when a valid will doesn’t name an executor, or the named executor can’t or won’t serve.
If using the small estate affidavit
Wait at least 45 days after the death.
Confirm the estate’s total value (after debts, excluding homestead and statutory allowances) is $100,000 or less and there are no unresolved claims against the estate.
Complete Form 23, the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, listing the property and heirs.
File it with the Probate Clerk, or present it with a certified death certificate directly to banks or other institutions holding the property.
If filing for independent or supervised administration
Gather the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, a list of assets/debts, and names of heirs.
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (Form 3, if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Administrator/Administratrix (Form 2, if there isn’t) with the Probate Division. Filing fee is $165.
If there’s a will, the court formally admits it to probate; the court then issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 2 months of appointment.
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper, plus direct notice to known creditors; creditors then have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
If independent administration applies, the personal representative can act on most matters without seeking court approval at each step.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative files a final settlement with the court; once approved, the estate closes.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no separate court filing fee (a nominal recording fee may apply depending on what’s being transferred).
Formal probate filing fee: $165 (may vary somewhat by county).
Personal representative and attorney compensation: no fixed statutory rate – courts typically look to roughly 2–5% of the estate’s value as a reasonable baseline, subject to court approval as “just and reasonable.”
No state estate tax or inheritance tax in Arkansas.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
301 Adams Ave. SW, Camden, AR 71701
(870) 837-2301
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 836-2230
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Ouachita County Health Unit – (870) 836-2427
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Ouachita County Medical Center (Camden) – (870) 836-1000
Notes: Medical Center serves south-central Arkansas region; defense industry occupational health considerations (explosive manufacturing, propellant exposure); Smackover area oil legacy health considerations
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Camden
Population: 22,650
Area: 733 sq mi
Established: 1842
Tier: 3
Public Records
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