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Leavenworth County, Kansas genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

	Kansas Online Records

Coordinates: 39.99°0′N 91.19°0′W / 39.99°N 91.19°W / 39.99; -91.19

Leavenworth County, Kansas
Map
Location in the state of Kansas
Location of Kansas in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	August 30, 1855
County Seat	Leavenworth
Courthouse
100pxpx Photo courtesy [[]]
Address	Leavenworth County Courthouse 601 S. Third St. Ste 3051 Leavenworth, Kansas 66048-2781 Phone: 913.684.0700

County Courthouse

Leavenworth County Courthouse
601 S Third St Ste 3051
Leavenworth, KS 66048-2781
Phone: 913.684.0700

Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1855.
Reg of Deeds has land records.
Clerk District Court has court and naturalization records from 1855. ^[1]

History

Parent County

1855--Leavenworth County was created 30 August 1855 as an original county. County seat: Leavenworth ^[2]

Boundary Changes

Record Loss

The Courthouse Burned

Leavenworth County Lost a [sic] of 1871 by Fire Early This Morning.

LEAVENWORTH, Kas., March 22. - Fire which started at 1 o'clock this morning practically destroyed the courthouse of Leavenworth County. All the county records were burned. The building was built at a cost of $100,000 in 1871.

The fire started in the west side of the building in the first floor. It quickly spread all over that floor and to the top floors. The flames were fanned by a high wind which carried the sparks over the town.

The building was nearly a block long and three stories high. It was built of stone. The building was between Third and Fourth streets on Walnut.

From 7 to 9 o'clock last night two men were at work oiling the floor in the office of the clerk of the district court. The fire was discovered by William Wissler, the watchman, and the alarm turned in by him. It is supposed that a match dropped by one of the workmen may have started a small blaze. The fire soon spread from the clerk's office to the tower containing the clock. By the time the firemen and citizens arrived the building was full of smoke and flames and no one daired enter to carry out any of the records.

The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO, 22 Mar 1911

source: gendisasters.com

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

• Atchison
• Douglas
• Jefferson
• Johnson
• Platte County, Missouri
• Wyandotte

Resources

Cemeteries

BillionGraves:

• Congregational Cemetery, Linwood
• Lansing Cemetery, Leavenworth
• Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth
• Mount Muncie Cemetery, Lansing

Church

LDS Ward and Branch Records

• Leavenworth

Court

Land

Local Histories

Maps

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Leavenworth County, Kansas for European and African American settlers included:

• Missouri River
• Oregon Trail 1830s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon^[3]
• California Trail 1846 from western Missouri to northern California^[4]
• Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah^[5]

Military

Leavenworth County furnished more troops in the Civil War than any other county in the State.  By May 20, 1861, eighteen companies had been organized and were ready for service.  These companies were known as follows: Home Guards, Leavenworth Fencibles, German Rifles, Leavenworth Guards, Emmett Guards, Steuben Guards, Delaware Guards, Delaware Rifles, Lincoln Rangers, Mounted Rifles, Leavenworth Grays, Shields Guards, Phoenix Guards, Union Guards, Leavenworth Light Infantry, Lafayette Guards, Lane Rifles,  Leavenworth Rifles, Stranger Township Union Home Guards, Kickapoo Guards, Captain Black's Guards, Lyon Guards, Fourth Ward Guards, "Old Guards", Third Ward Guards, Leavenworth Mercantile Guards and Leavenworth Light Cavalry.   During the Civil War men from this county enlisted in the 1st Regiment, Kansas Infantry; 7th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry;11th Regiment, Kansas Infantry;  15th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry, Companies C, F, L, and K; and the 17th Regiment, Kansas Infantry.  

Newspapers

Probate

Taxation

Vital Records

• Leavenworth County, Kansas Obituary Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. From Various Funeral Homes in the Leavenworth, Lansing, Fairmount, Basehor, and Tonanoxie areas.

Societies and Libraries

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
• Leavenworth Kansas Family History Center

Web Sites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Family History Library Catalog
• Leavenworth County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Leavenworth County, Kansas page 252, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
3. ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in Oregon National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/oreg/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
4. ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in California National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
5. ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).