Kansas

Kansas Census Research

Federal censuses for the state of Kansas began in 1860, continuing every ten years thereafter. The 1860 Kansas territorial census was taken as part of the federal census, and two copies exist. The original copy was sent to Washington, D.C., with a transcription retained by the state. Both copies have been indexed and are available for research at the Kansas State Historical Society, making it possible to check for inconsistencies between the two returns.

The "census enumerations" which were completed between 1855 and 1859 were actually voter's lists which served as census substitutes. Since some voters boycotted elections, the lists are incomplete.

Kansas completed state censuses in 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925. A county census was also completed at the time of application for county organization. Many of these censuses survive, and some are housed at the Kansas State Historical Society.
 

Kansas Vital records

• Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Office of Vital Statistics: Holds records of births and deaths from 1 July 1911; marriage records from 1 May 1913; and divorce records from 1 July 1951. See the Kansas Historical Society’s vital records page for information about earlier vital records, and the Office of Vital Statistics Genealogy Requests page for records availability and restrictions.

Kansas Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Kansas history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

• Kansas State Historical Society: The Historical Society’s extensive holdings contain many resources for genealogists, including vital records, newspapers, censuses, military records, land records, and more. Some resources have been digitized and are available through Kansas Memory, the Society’s digital archive.
• Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies
• Kansas GenWeb: Includes the Digital Library of the KSGenWeb.
• Kenneth Spencer Research Library – University of Kansas: The regional history division of the University of Kansas Libraries. See the "Genealogy Resources" section for more information on their holdings.
• National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Kansas, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Kansas, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.

Local and Regional Research

• Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society: Focuses on Sedgewick County and Wichita, where the Society maintains a library.
• Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library – Genealogy and Local History: In addition to the many resources in the library, an online obituary index and newspaper index are available from the Community Resources tab of the Catalog.
• Topeka Genealogical Library: Maintains an extensive library, and will conduct research.