Sedgwick County, Kansas Genealogy
Guide to Sedgwick County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for John Sedgwick. The County is located in the south central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Sedgwick County Courthouse
525 N Main Street
Wichita, KS 67203
Phone: 316.383.7666
Sedgwick County Website
District Probate Court has marriage and probate records from 1870.
District Civil Court has court records.
County Clerk has land records from 1887.
Community Health Department (1900 E. 9th, Wichita, KS 67214) has birth and death records. [3]
Sedgwick 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 |
| 1884 | 1870 | 1884 | 1870 | 1887 | 1870 | 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]
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Kansas DAR Bible Records at DAR Library Catalog
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 1,095 | — |
| 1880 | 18,753 | 1612.6% |
| 1890 | 43,626 | 132.6% |
| 1900 | 44,037 | 0.9% |
| 1910 | 73,095 | 66.0% |
| 1920 | 92,234 | 26.2% |
| 1930 | 136,330 | 47.8% |
| 1940 | 143,311 | 5.1% |
| 1950 | 222,290 | 55.1% |
| 1960 | 343,231 | 54.4% |
| 1970 | 350,694 | 2.2% |
| 1980 | 366,531 | 4.5% |
| 1990 | 403,662 | 10.1% |
| 2000 | 452,869 | 12.2% |
| 2010 | 498,365 | 10.0% |
| 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]
- 1870-1918 Sedgwick County, Kansas, Civil Appearance Dockets, 1870-1918(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1870-1945 District Court Journal of Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1870-1945(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1871-1917 Probate Court Journals, 1871-1917, Sedgwick County, Kansas(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1885-1919 Records of Real Estate, 1885-1919, Sedgwick County, Kansas(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1909-1990 Kansas, Sedgwick County, Witchita, U.S. District Court for the Second Division, Declaration of Intention for Citizenship and Petitions for Naturalization, 1909-1990(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Sedgwick County Directory(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- The Kansas Area Key to Sedgwick County(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Advantage Funeral and Cremation Services in Wichita
- Affinity All Faiths Mortuary in Wichita
- Baker Funeral Home Valley Center in Valley Center
- Baker Funeral Home Wichita in Wichita
- Central Avenue Funeral Services in Wichita
- Cochran Mortuary and Crematory in Wichita
- Cozine Memorial Group in Wichita
- DeVorss Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary in Wichita
- Downing and Lahey Mortuaries and Crematories in Wichita
- Heavenly Gates Mortuary in Wichita
- Heritage Funeral Home in Andover
- Hillside Funeral Home West in Wichita
- Jackson Mortuary in Wichita
- Lakeview Funeral Home and Cemetery in Wichita
- Old Mission Mortuary and Cemetery in Wichita
- Reflection Pointe Funeral and Cremation Services in Wichita
- Resthaven Mortuary and Gardens of Memory in Wichita
- Smith Family Mortuaries and Crematory in Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, and Wichita
- Speer Family Mortuary Services in Wichita
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
- 1882 Land Plat book for Sedgwick County - image of plat book
- 1905 Land Plat book for Sedgwick County - image of plat book
- 1882 Land Plat book for Sedgwick 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 - ($), index and images
For more information see Kansas Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Sedgwick County, Kansas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Kansas Local Histories.
Online County Histories
- Historical Atlas of Sedgwick County, Kansas. 1982. By John P. Edwards. Wichita, Kansas : Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas. 1910, 1994. Editor-in-chief Orsemus Hills Bentley. Mount Vernon, Indiana : Windmill Publications. (Originally published: Chicago : C. F. Cooper, 1910). Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive, vol. 1, Internet Archive, vol. 2, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan. 1888. Chicago, Illinois : Chapman Brothers. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- The Wichita Photo Archives - over 1,000 photographs of Wichita and Sedgwick County.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Early Township maps of Sedgwick County http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/wcf/townships/index.asp
- Township Map of 1887 Sedgwick County, Kansas with enlarged views of each township (My Genealogy Hound)
Atlas
[1882] Historical Atlas of Sedgwick County, Kansas, published by John P. Edwards, 1882. The 1982 reprint has a 17 page index of names. Kansas memory item 224001
[1905] Standard Atlas of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Including a Plat Book of the Villages, Cities and Townships of the County, published by George A. Ogle and Company. Kansas memory item 209421
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
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 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Kansas 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 - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Kansas newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
- Tihen Notes - Dr. Edward N. Tihen read and took notes from nearly every issue of Wichita's newspapers dating from 1872 to 1982. Presented as PDF documents are nearly 6000 transcribed pages of the "Tihen Notes," as they have become known. Dr. Tihen's notes reflect the people, places and events that have shaped Wichita's history.
Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
- Kansas Online Historical Newspapers - contains a list of known Kansas newspapers online and the websites they are found on
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society Library has three Indexes of the obituaries in scrapbooks in their library.
- Index of obituaries from The Wichita Eagle and Beacon for the period 1955 to 2014.
- Obituaries from the Catholic Advance for 1999.
- Miscellaneous obituaries which they have indexed.
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Records
- 1854 - Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1854 - 1856 - Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Kansas, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, inventories, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Kansas, Sedgwick and click Probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1803-1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
- 1870-1911 Probate Court Docket for Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1870-1911(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1870-1917 Probate Case Files, 1870-1917(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1870-1920 Administrators' and Guardians Bonds for Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1870-1920(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1873-1917 Administrators/Guardians/Executors Accounts, Sedgwick County, Kansas,1873-1917(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1885-1920 Letters of Administration, Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1885-1920(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1886-1919 Letters Testamentary, Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1886-1919(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1889-1923 Abstract of Claims, 1889-1923(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1896-1918 Record of Wills, Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1896-1918(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1901-1920 Applications for Letters of Administration, Sedgwick County, Kansas,1901-1920(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1907-1921 Petition for Probate of Wills, 1907-1921(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1910-1944 Executors Bonds for Sedgwick County, Kansas, 1910-1944(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1916-1918 Record of Inventory and Appraisement of Personal Property, etc., 1916-1918(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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 $
- 1887 - 1910 Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas, Death Index, 1887-1910. Alphabetical index giving name and certificate number.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1871 - February 1888 Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas, Divorce Index, 1871-1888. Alphabetical index giving name of plaintiff, defendant, date of filing, and case and docket numbers.
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Sedgwick 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 Sedgwick County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kansas Archives and Libraries.
Edward & Elizabeth Burns Historical Research Pavilion
Wichita Public Library - Advanced Learning Library
711 West 2nd
Wichita, Kansas 67203
Telephone: 316-261-8500
Check website for hours of operation.
- Contains over 32,000 genealogy books and magazines covering Kansas, the Great Plains, the Midwest, the South, the Colonial States, and Native Americans. Other major collections include: Dawes Rolls Applications, Draper Manuscripts, Germans to America, Italians to America, and the Barbour Collection. Over 20,000 rolls of microfilm cover the city's major newspapers, the Wichita Eagle and the Wichita Beacon; local records; and state and federal census.
- Access to: American Ancestors and Ancestry Library Edition databases.
- Family History Library Affiliate
Museums[edit | edit source]
- The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
204 S. Main
Wichita, Kansas 67202
Phone 316-265-9314
Email:sosborne46@cox.net
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Sedgwick County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kansas Societies.
- Clearwater Kansas Historical Society
149 North 4th Street
Clearwater, Kansas, 67026
Phone 620-584-2444 - Colwich Historical Society
PO Box 489
Colwich, KS 67030-0489 - Derby Historical Society
PO Box 1054
Derby, KS 67037-1054 - Midwest Historical Society and Genealogical Society
PO Box 1121
1203 North Main St
Wichita, KS 67203-1121
Phone 316-264-3611
Website - Wichita Genealogical Society
PO Box 3705
Wichita, KS 67201-3705
E-mail:info@wichitagensoc.org
Website
- See the genealogical collection at the Wichita Public Library.
- Haysville Genealogy Group
Haysville Community Library
210 Hays
Haysville, Kansas 67060
Phone 316-524-5242
Email:haysvillegenealogygroup@gmail.com
Facebook
Website - Valley Center Historical & Cultural
PO Box 173
112 N Meridian
Valley Center, KS 67147-4800
Phone 316-744-2275 or 316-755-1488
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Sedgwick County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sedgwick, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedgwick_County,_Kansas" 9/12/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Sedgwick County, Kansas page 255, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Sedgwick County, Kansas. Page 255 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), 237.
- ↑ “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, "Sedgwick County, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedgwick_County,_Kansas#Communities, accessed 16 Oct 2017.
- ↑ 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.
