Kansas Archives and Libraries

United States Kansas  Archives and Libraries

The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful for genealogical research in Kansas.

Kansas State Historical Society 6425 SW Sixth Avenue Topeka, KS 66615-1099 Telephone: 1-913-272-8681 Ext. 117 Fax: 1-913-272-8682

The Kansas State Historical Society has several important facilities for genealogists. The Reference Library houses printed materials and the Department of Archives maintains original records of Kansas government jurisdictions, newspapers, and other historical documents. The Manuscript Department has unpublished papers, maps, and photographs.

National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri
400 West Pershing Road Kansas City, MO 64108 Telephone: 816-268-8000 E-mail: [mailto:kansascity.archives@nara.gov kansascity.archives@nara.gov] Website: National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri

The National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri has the records of regional federal offices for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, including the following:


 * Federal naturalization records including A-files
 * Bureau of Indian Affairs and other American Indian records
 * Copies of federal census, military, and immigration records

Kansas Genealogical Society and Online Library P.O. Box 103 Dodge City, KS 67801 Telephone: 1-620-225-1951

The society was founded to preserve genealogical, biographical, historical and educational data relating to the ancestry of society members and the founders of our country.It offers various online collections such as:


 * pedigree charts of their members
 * clippings of anniversaries, birthdays and reunions
 * an obituary index
 * an online catalog

Kansas State Library State Capitol Building Room 169-W 300 SW 10th Topeka, KS 66612-1593 Telephone: 1-913-296-3296 Fax: 1-913-296-6650

The State Library has long served as a depository of legal and historical documents for Kansas residents.

University of Kansas Spencer Research Library—Kansas Collections Lawrence, KS 66045-2800 Telephone: 1-913-864-4274 Fax: 1-913-864-5803

The Kansas Collection include primary source materials that document the history of Kansas and the region. There are manuscripts, photographs, maps, architectural drawings and blueprints, books, newspapers, periodicals, film and videotapes that document the "Kansas Experience." It is also a depository for publications of the state of Kansas and for Douglas County records.The bulk of the Collection's holdings cover the Kansas Territorial period (1854-1861)

National Orphan Train Complex 300 Washington Street P.O. Box 322 Concordia, KS 66901 Telephone: 1-785-243-4471

The Orphan Train Complex is dedicated to preserving the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement from 1854-1929 To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Kansas counties, use the 14 inventories of county archives published by the Historical Records Survey around 1940. Copies of these inventories are at the Family History Library.

Kansas Online Records

 * Genealogical and Biographical Record of North-Eastern Kansas; published in 1900: Contains 479 biographies and 38 photos, click on a name or a letter to locate an individual.