Sorted by Kansas census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., City and County Census Records, 1919-1961Free | 26,670,739 |
Kansas, U.S., State Census Collection, 1855-1925 | 8,238,557 |
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898 | 165,796 |
Kansas, U.S., Compiled Census Index, 1855-1890 | 103,882 |
Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 | 16,051 |
View all Kansas census & voter lists (6) |
Sorted by Kansas birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
---|---|
U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,566,787 |
U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 | 3,655,095 |
Kansas, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1811-1911 | 619,834 |
Kansas, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1987 | 367,234 |
Kansas, U.S., County Marriages, 1855-1911 | 154,156 |
View all Kansas birth, marriage & death (18) |
Sorted by Kansas military | Sort by Count |
---|---|
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
Kansas, U.S., Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940Free | 563,515 |
Kansas, U.S., Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 | 50,977 |
Kansas, U.S., Camp Funston Military Records, 1914-1919 | 49,580 |
Kansas, U.S., Enrollment of World War I Veterans, 1930 | 34,377 |
View all Kansas military (14) |
Sorted by Kansas immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 | 58,458 |
Kansas, Permits and Registration of Alien Enemy Residents, 1918Free | 26,881 |
Kansas, U.S., Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 | 9,037 |
View other immigration & emigration collections related to Kansas (39) |
Sorted by Kansas newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current | 489,388,121 |
Russell County, Kansas, U.S., Vitals and Newspaper Records, 1800-1937 | 32,075 |
View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to Kansas (42) |
Sorted by Kansas pictures | Sort by Count |
---|---|
There are no pictures collections unique to Kansas | |
View other pictures collections related to Kansas (15) |
Sorted by Kansas directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Prior Service Records, 1859-1935 | 95,958 |
Web: Kansas Historical Society, Knights and Ladies of Security, Index to Death Claims, 1902-1930Free | 45,496 |
An Enduring Legacy | 26,448 |
A history of the Baptists in the western states east of the Mississippi | 421 |
View other directories & member lists collections related to Kansas (99) |
Sorted by Kansas court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1987 | 367,234 |
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898 | 165,796 |
Kansas, U.S., Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 | 21,741 |
Kansas Settlers, 1854-1879 | 3,263 |
Missouri, U.S., Slave Owner Compensation Claims, 1866-1867Free | 143 |
View other court, land, wills & financial collections related to Kansas (77) |
Sorted by Kansas dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
---|---|
Kansas, U.S., Post Offices, 1880 | 1,432 |
Kansas Biographical Dictionary, 1879 | 947 |
Osage Indian Bands and Clans | 206 |
View other dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference collections related to Kansas (87) |
Sorted by Kansas maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
---|---|
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898 | 165,796 |
View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to Kansas (8) |
Sorted by Kansas stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
---|---|
An Enduring Legacy | 26,448 |
Kansas Settlers, 1854-1879 | 3,263 |
History of Kansas and Kansans | 3,032 |
Kansas Biographical Dictionary, 1879 | 947 |
The annals of Kansas | 691 |
View all Kansas stories, memories & histories (30) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 29 Jan 1861
Capital: Topeka
Largest City: Wichita
Counties: 105
State motto: Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
State nickname: Sunflower State
Neighboring states: Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma
J. M. Webster & family, Wyandotte, Kansas, 1867
Interesting facts
- In the 1850s, both abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers poured into Kansas with the intent to sway the state to their side of the slavery issue. The violence that marred Kansas' early days labeled the territory "Bleeding Kansas."
- Many trails westward made their way through Kansas, including the Cherokee Trail, Chisholm Trail, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail. The route of the Butterfield Stage, the Pony Express, and the Leavenworth Pike's Peak Express (stage line) also passed through Kansas.
- Established in 1827, Fort Leavenworth is the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi River and is the first permanent white settlement in present-day Kansas.
Featured Kansas collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
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.