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Tracing your family history in Kansas can be a fascinating trip through time. Exciting characters such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, and Bate Masterson color its past. Locating the relevant genealogical records you’ll need to find your ancestors however can be a frustrating experience. To help you avoid those frustrations when tracing your Kansas ancestry, we’ll show you which records you’ll need, and help you to understand:
These records can be found both online and off, so we’ll introduce you to online websites, indexes and databases, as well as brick-and-mortar repositories and other institutions that will help with your research in Kansas. So that you will have a more comprehensive understanding of these records, we have provided a brief history of the “Sunflower State” to illustrate what type of records may have been generated during specific time periods. That information will assist you in pinpointing times and locations on which to focus the search for your Kansas ancestors and their records.
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Kansas; the first Europeans, who were Spanish, explored the area in 1541. Disappointed at finding no treasure, the Spanish returned to Mexico and though the area was frequented by French traders, no country really claimed the area until the United States took control via the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Between 1812 and 1821, Kansas was considered part of the Missouri Territory, and being on the Santa Fe Trail, was a stop-off point for traders transporting silver and furs from Santa Fe, New Mexico and manufactured goods from Missouri.
The first permanent settlement of white Americans was established at Fort Leavenworth in 1827. The Spanish had claimed the southwest of Kansas, but ceded that area to the United States at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act was enforced in 1854, Kansas became a separate U.S. Territory. Many settlers from Arkansas and Missouri flocked to the eastern part of Kansas during this time, and as they were from the south, attempted to sway public opinion in favour of slavery.
A second group of settlers however were from Free states such as Massachusetts, and as abolitionists, attempted to end slavery, especially from neighbouring Missouri. Between 1854 and 1861, a number of violent skirmishes took place between the two groups, a preview to the Civil War that was to come. Kansas joined the Union as a slave-free State in 1861, and by that time the violence between pro-slavery factions and abolitionists had pretty much subsided.
At the commencement of the Civil War however, guerrilla raids into Kansas were launched from its borders, and on August 21, 1863, a group of marauders led by William Quantrill, a Confederate bushwhacker, entered Kansas City, killing nearly 200 people and destroying a large part of the city. Though his actions were condemned by the official Confederate military, the damage was already done.
Following the Civil War, many veterans established homesteads in Kansas, and approximately 10,000 African Americans flocked to the area. At the same time, the famous trail established as a cattle drive, the Chisholm Trail, was opened, and the famous frontier towns such as Abilene and Dodge City saw the legends of Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp born.
There are two major wars that directly affected the area known as Kansas, the Civil War and the Plains Indian Wars. There was also a skirmish or two that took place on Kansas land during the Mexican-American War. Below you fill find a list of the major battles that took place on Kansas soil along with links to websites where you can learn more about them.
These battle accounts can be very effective in uncovering the military records of your ancestor. They can tell you what regiments fought in which battles, and often include the names and ranks of many officers and enlisted men.
Love’s Defeat, 1847 – Mexican American War
Battle of Solomon Fork, 1857 – Plains Indian WarsLawrence Massacre, 1863 – American Civil War
Battle of Mine Creek, 1864 – American Civil War
Battle of the Saline River, 1867 – Plains Indian WarsBoundary Changes: Boundary changes are a common obstacle when researching Kansas ancestors. You could be searching for an ancestor’s record in one county when in fact it is stored in a different one due to historical county boundary changes. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries can help you to overcome that problem. It provides a chronological listing of every boundary change that has occurred in the history of Kansas.
Name Changes: Surname changes, variations, and misspellings can complicate genealogical research. It is important to check all spelling variations. Soundex, a program that indexes names by sound, is a useful first step, but you can't rely on it completely as some name variations result in different Soundex codes. The surnames could be different, but the first name may be different too. You can also find records filed under initials, middle names, and nicknames as well, so you will need to get creative with surname variations and spellings in order to cover all the possibilities. For help with surname variations read our instructional article on How to Use Soundex.
Genealogical resources include not only records, but the organizations that house them, or can direct you to them. These institutions include: Archives, Libraries, Genealogical Societies, Family History Centers, Universities, Churches, and Museums.
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Tel: 785-272-8681
400 West Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108.
Phone: 816-268-8000
E-mail: kansascity.archives@nara.gov
University Archives
Farrell Library
Manhattan, KS 66506
Tel: (913) 532-7456
E-mail: arcford@ksuvm.ksu.edu
Genealogical and historical societies have access to extensive catalogues of genealogical data. They are also able to offer expert guidance for genealogical researchers. Many members are professional genealogists who are most willing to share their expertise in finding ancestors.
Kansas Genealogical Society – extensive library holding more than 15,000 books and manuscripts; thousands of vital records, cemetery records and census records
KGS, PO Box 103
Dodge City, KS 67801-0103
Tel: (620) 225 - 1951
Email: kgslibrary@gmail.com
Topeka Genealogical Society – original Probate and Naturalization records, marriage license applications, tax books, cemetery records, city directories, local histories and more
P.O. Box 4048
Topeka, KS 66604-0048
Tel: (785) 233-5762
Email General Inquiry: webmaster@tgstopeka.org
Kansas Heritage Center – selected Kansas and U.S. census records, military records from Fort Dodge
PO Box 1207
Dodge City KS 67801-1207
Tel: 620-227-1616
Fax: 620-227-1701
E-mail: library@ksheritage.org
Mailing lists are internet based facilities that use email to distribute a single message to all who subscribe to it. When information on a particular surname, new records, or any other important genealogy information related to the mailing list topic becomes available, the subscribers are alerted to it. Joining a mailing list is an excellent way to stay up to date on Kansas genealogy research topics. Rootsweb have an extensive listing of Kansas Mailing Lists on a variety of topics.
A message board is another internet based facility where people can post questions about a specific genealogy topic and have it answered by other genealogists. If you have questions about a surname, record type, or research topic, you can post your question and other researchers and genealogists will help you with the answer. Be sure to check back regularly, as the answers are not emailed to you. The message boards at the Kansas Genealogy Forum are completely free to use.
Many genealogy periodicals and historical newspapers contain reprinted copies of family genealogies, transcripts of family Bible records, information about local records and archives, census indexes, church records, queries, land records, obituaries, court records, cemetery records, and wills.
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Tel: 785-272-8681
PO Box 1207
Dodge City KS 67801-1207
Tel: 620-227-1616
Fax: 620-227-1701
E-mail: library@ksheritage.org
Maps are an integral part of genealogical research. They help us to locate landmarks, towns, cities, parishes, states, provinces, waterways and roads and streets. They also help us to determine when and where boundary changes might have taken place, and give us a visualization of the area we’re researching in.
For locating place names, a gazetteer is the best possible resource for any genealogist. Gazetteers are also sometimes called “place name dictionaries”, and can help you to locate the area in which you need to conduct research.
City directories are similar to telephone directories in that they list the residents of a particular area. The difference though is what is important to genealogists, and that is they pre-date telephone directories. You can find an ancestor’s information such as their street address, place of employment, occupation, or the name of their spouse. A one-stop-shop for finding city directories in Kansas is the Kansas Online Historical Directories which contains a listing of every available historical directory related to Kansas.
Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records – Also known as vital records, birth, death, and marriage certificates are the most basic, yet most important records attached to your ancestor. The reason for their importance is that they not only place your ancestor in a specific place at a definite time, but potentially connect the individual to other relatives. Below is a list of repositories and websites where you can find Kansas vital records
Kansas began recording official records of births and deaths in 1911. Marriage licenses were required starting in 1867, but not filed at state level until 1913.
Charles B. Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson Street
Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-1221
Tel: 785-296-1400.
KGS, PO Box 103
Dodge City, KS 67801-0103
Tel: (620) 225 - 1951
Email: kgslibrary@gmail.com
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Tel: 785-272-8681
Marriages prior to May 1913 were recorded in the district county courts where the marriage took place. Kansas marriage licenses did not include the names of the parents unless the bride or groom was underage. Records can be found at:
Divorce records from 1861 until July 1951 were recorded in the Kansas District Courts.
Copies of official divorce records after July 1951 can be ordered from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics.
Census records are among the most important genealogical documents for placing your ancestor in a particular place at a specific time. Like BDM records, they can also lead you to other ancestors, particularly those who were living under the authority of the head of household.
400 West Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108.
Phone: 816-268-8000
E-mail: kansascity.archives@nara.gov
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Tel: 785-272-8681
PO Box 1207
Dodge City KS 67801-1207
Tel: 620-227-1616
Fax: 620-227-1701
E-mail: library@ksheritage.org
KGS, PO Box 103
Dodge City, KS 67801-0103
Tel: (620) 225 - 1951
Email: kgslibrary@gmail.com
Church and synagogue records are a valuable resource, especially for baptisms, marriages, and burials that took place before 1900. You will need to at least have an idea of your ancestor’s religious denomination, and in most cases you will have to visit a brick and mortar establishment to view them.
Most church records are kept by the individual church, although in some denominations, records are placed in a regional archive or maintained at the diocesan level. Local Historical Societies are sometimes the repository for the state’s older church records.
Most of the records of individual denominations are kept in central repositories.
Early Mormon Church records for Kansas can be found on film located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City and can be searched via the Family History Library Catalog
Disciples of Christ Historical Society
1101 19th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: (615) 327-1444
Fax: (615) 327-1445
Baker University Library
606 Eighth Street
Baldwin City, KS 66006
Phone: (913) 594-8414
Fax: (913) 594-6721
100 College Street
Winfield, KS 67156
Phone: (316) 221-8225
Fax: (316) 221-2499
The Moravian Archives
41 West Locust Street
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018
United States of America
Phone: (610) 866-3255
Fax: (610) 866-9210
Presbyterian Historical Society
United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: (215) 627-1852
Fax: (215) 627-0509
Diocese of Dodge City
P.O. Box 137
Dodge City, KS 67801
Phone: (620) 227-1500
Chancery Office
12615 Parallel Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66109
Phone: (913) 721-1570
Fax: (913) 721-1577
More than 40 million Americans have participated in some time of war service since America was colonized. The chance of finding your ancestor amongst those records is exceptionally high. Military records can even reveal individuals who never actually served, such as those who registered for the two World Wars but were never called to duty.
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Tel: 785-272-8681
As convenient as it is to search cemetery records online, keep in mind that there are a few disadvantages over visiting a cemetery in person. They are:
Obituaries can reveal a wealth about our ancestor and other relatives. You can search our Kansas Newspaper Obituaries Listings from hundreds of Kansas newspapers online for free.
The documents found in a probate packet may include a complete inventory of a person’s estate, newspaper entries, witness testimony, a copy of a will, list of debtors and creditors, names of executors or trustees, names of heirs. They can not only tell you about the ancestor you’re currently researching, but lead to other ancestors.
Most of these records must be accessed at a county court or clerk’s office, but some can be found online as well. You can obtain copies of the original probate records by writing to the county clerk.
Kansas probate records have been recorded by the probate division clerks of the Kansas District Courts and include dockets, wills, oaths, inventories, letters, bonds, appraisements, accounts, court orders, claims, and final settlements.
The naturalization process generated many types of records, including petitions, declarations of intention, and oaths of allegiance. These records can provide family historians with information such as a person's birth date and place of birth, immigration year, marital status, spouse information, occupation, witnesses' names and addresses, and more.
Most overseas immigrants came to Kansas through east coast ports such as New, and then traveled by railway to Kansas. Earlier immigrants landed at New Orleans and then traveled by steamboats upriver to Kansas. The U.S. National Archives has passenger lists or indexes of American ports for 1820 to 1940, as well as immigration and naturalization records for the entire United States. These records can also be accessed at the National Archives Regional Branch in Kansas City
American Indian Records Repository
Meritex Enterprises
17501 West 98th Street
Lenexa, KS 66219
Phone: 913-888-0601
Looking for female ancestors requires an adjustment of how we view traditional records sources. A woman’s identity was often under that of her husband, and often individual records for them can be difficult to locate. The following resources are effective in locating female ancestors in Kansas where traditional records may not reveal them.
County marriage records began around 1855 while state-wide registration began in 1913. Divorces are recorded in district courts and many county records have been filmed such as:
Argonia and Western Summer Historical Society
Salter House Museum
PO Box 23
510 Main St.
Argonia, KS 67004
Kansas Collection
Kenneth Spencer Research Library
University of Kansas
Bonner Springs, KS 66012
Kansas State Historical Library
6425 SW 6th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
The following surnames are among the most common in Kansas and are also being currently researched by other genealogists. If you find your surname here, there is a chance that some research has already been performed on your ancestor.
ALBRECHT, ALLEN, AMSBURY, AMSBURY, BAIRD, BAYLESS, BEEDLES, BEAMAN, BELL, BENNETT, BENTLEY, BEST, BOICOURT, BOONE, BOTKIN , BRAKE, BRODEN, BRODDLE, BROWN, BUCKLES, BUNCE, BURGESS, BURNETT, BURSINGER, CARSON, CHINN, CLOGSTON, COLLINS, CONNER, CORBIN, COX, DALTON, DILLEY, EARP, EBBUTT, EISENHOWER, EKENGREN, ERVIN, FISHELL, FISHER, FLORA, FOWLER, FULLER, GALLAWAY, GEORGE, GOFF,GRUBER, HART, HARRINGTON, HAYS, HELMBurton, HEUBLEIN, HICKOK, HILL, HOBBS, HOBSON, HOGGE, HOGUE, HOLLIDAY, HOWELL, HRENCHIR, HUFFAKER, JACKSON, JAMES, JASTER, JONES, JUNOD, KANDT, KANE, KENDALL, KNUTH, LAWRENZ, LEAVENWORTH, LOWE, MCPHERSON, MASTERMAN, McCAIN, McCANN, McCREARY, McCONNELL, METZKER, MONROE, MORISSE, MULKERN, MULLINS, MURDOCK, PAPIN, PARKEN, PARKER, PERKINS, PITSENBERGER, POPPE, POWERS, PRICE, REAGANS, ROCKEY, ROEHRMAN, ROHLOFF, ROOT, ROSE, RUCKER, RUTZ, SEITZ, SEMISCH, SILKS, SIMPSON, SISSOM, SMITH, SPEALMAN, SPENNER, STAVLUND, STEVENS, STEWART, STRAUSS, STROMQUIST, SWARTZ, SWITZER, TAYLOR, THOMAS, THOMPSON, THORNTON, TOBIAS, TROTT, TRUDE, TUCKER, VARNER, VOHS, WALLING, WALTER, WARFORD, WEICK, WIER, WILLIAMS, WILLIS, WILSON, WISE, WRIGHT, YOUNG, YOUNGER, YUNGEBERG, ZAHNLEY