Norton County, Kansas Genealogy
Guide to Norton County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Capt. Orloff Norton, of the 15th Kansas Cavalry, who was killed in the Civil War. The County is located in the north central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Norton County Courthouse
101 S. Kansas Ave.
Norton, Kansas 67654-0070
Phone: 785.877-5710
Norton County Website
Clerk District Court has marriage and divorce records, and probate court court records
Register of Deeds has land records from 1874 and some cemetery records.
City Clerks have birth and death records. [3]
Norton County, Kansas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1885 | 1873 | 1885 | 1874 | 1874 | 1872 | 1855 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may also be of help in your search:
- Lenora Cemetery Association Index may provide the following information of three cemeteries: Lenora East, Lenora South, and Pairie
- Kansas, Cemetery Abstracts at FamilySearch How to Use this Collection — index
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1880 | 6,998 | — |
| 1890 | 10,617 | 51.7% |
| 1900 | 11,325 | 6.7% |
| 1910 | 11,614 | 2.6% |
| 1920 | 11,423 | −1.6% |
| 1930 | 11,701 | 2.4% |
| 1940 | 9,831 | −16.0% |
| 1950 | 8,808 | −10.4% |
| 1960 | 8,035 | −8.8% |
| 1970 | 7,279 | −9.4% |
| 1980 | 6,689 | −8.1% |
| 1990 | 5,947 | −11.1% |
| 2000 | 5,953 | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 5,671 | −4.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Kansas became a territory in 1854 and the first territory census taken was in 1855. It was also enumerated as Kansas Territory in the 1860 Federal Census, although there were 15 counties that were marked with "no population" in them. The state continued to take state censuses after it was admitted to the Union in 1861.[8] See links listed below.
State and Territorial Census Records[edit | edit source]
- 1855-1925 Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
- 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection - Index and images
- 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry - ($), Index and images
- 1865 Kansas State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection— index and images
- 1875 Kansas State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
- 1885 Kansas State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — images
- 1895 Kansas State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
- 1905 Kansas State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index
- 1915 Kansas State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
- 1919-1961 Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry - Partial index (4 counties) and images
- 1925 Kansas State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index
Federal Census Records[edit | edit source]
The 1870 Census was the first Federal Census taken for Kansas after it became a state in 1861.[9] For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Kansas Church Records.
- 1861-1918 Kansas, Swedish Church Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection —index
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1886-1941 Kansas, Norton County, Civil Case Files, 1886-1941(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home in Norton
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Kansas Land and Property for additional information about early Kansas land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Records
- 1917 Land Plat book for Norton County - image of plat book
- 1917 Land Plat book for Norton County - image of plat book
- Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
- 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
- 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
For more information see Kansas Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Norton County, Kansas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Kansas Local Histories.
Online County Histories
- The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas. 1894. By Francis Marion Lockard. Norton, Kan. : Champion. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Standard Atlas of Norton County, Kansas, 1917 published by George A. Ogle & Co., 1917. The Index of the atlas shows the names of landowners. It has a patrons' directory, and plats of towns as of the year of publication. Available on Kansas Memory.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Norton County was not organized until after the Civil War.
Online Collections[edit | edit source]
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records.
Collections Covering Multiple Wars
- Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
- Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.
Civil War
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
- 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
Spanish-American War (1898)
- 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War I
- History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
- 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War II
- 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only
Korean War
Vietnam War
For further information see Kansas Military Records.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1864 - 1972 Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1865 - 1874 Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
- 1865 - 1984 Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
- 1917 - 1918 Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
For more information, see Kansas Newspapers.
Kansas Newspapers Online
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), free to Kansas residents through Kansas Historical Society
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Kansas newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
- Kansas Online Historical Newspapers - contains a list of known Kansas newspapers online and the websites they are found on
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Records
- 1854 Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1854 - 1856 Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Kansas, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, inventories, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Kansas, Norton and click Probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1803-1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
- 1877-1935 Kansas, Norton County, Probate Case Files, 1877-1935(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Kansas tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Kansas Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Kansas Vital Records. For information about restrictions and costs for certificates, see the CDC Where to Write for Vital Records site.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1818 - 1936 Kansas, Births and Christenings, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — index
- 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
- 1811 - 1911 Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — Index
- 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1840 - 1935 Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — Index
- 1861 - 1918 Kansas, Swedish Church Vital Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — index
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Norton County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kansas Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Norton County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kansas Archives and Libraries.
Lenora Public Library
110 N Main
PO Box 247
Lenora, KS 67645
Phone: 785-567-4432
Email: lenoralib@ruraltel.net
Website
Facebook
Norton Public Library
1 Washington Square
Norton, KS 67654
Phone: 785-877-2481
Website
Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Norton County Historical Museum
105 E Lincoln
PO Box 303
Norton, KS 67654
Phone: 785-877-5107
Email: nortcomus@ruraltel.net
Website
Facebook
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Norton County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kansas Societies.
Norton County Genealogical Society
Located within the Norton Public Library
One Washington Square
Norton, Kansas 67654
Phone: 785-202-0288
Email:nortongensoc@gmail.com
Website
Norton County Historical Society
105 E Lincoln
PO Box 303
Norton, KS 67654
Phone: 785-877-5107
Email: nortcomus@ruraltel.net
Website
Facebook
Sunflower Pioneer Power Association
400 West Brockton Street
Almena, Kansas 67622
Phone: 785-202-0410
Email:ksboogyman@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Norton County Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Norton county KS, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
- Norton County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Solomon Valley Chronicles - a website for genealogy and local history of Graham, Norton and Sheridan Counties.
- FamilySearch Catalog The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
- Kansas Heritage: Norton County
(Forsyth Library)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Norton, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_County,_Kansas" 9/08/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Norton County, Kansas page 254, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Norton County, Kansas. Page 254 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 236.
- ↑ “Kansas Research Outline”, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Department, 2000), 40.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Norton County, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_County,_Kansas, accessed 22 November 2018.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 118-119.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 119.