Webster County, Missouri Genealogy

Guide to Webster County, Missouri ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth records 1883-1893 and death records 1883-1887; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records; Probate Judge has probate records; County Recorder (contact info below) has marriage and land records.

Webster County Recorder PO Box 546 101 S Crittenden, Rm 16 Marshfield, MO 65706 Phone: (417) 859-5882 Fax: (417) 468-3843 Email: [mailto:recorder@webstercountymo.gov recorder@webstercountymo.gov]

Parent County
1855 Webster County was created 3 March 1855 from Greene and Wright Counties. County seat: Marshfield

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Missouri county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Missouri County Boundary Maps" (1804-1889) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Brief History
Webster County History

Record Loss
1863 Courthouse was burned. 1880 Courthouse was damaged by a tornado on April 18, 1880, with a minor record loss.

Places / Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog




 * The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.

Populated Places
These are incorporated cities in Webster County, Missouri: Diggins Fordland Marshfield NIagua Rogersville Seymour

Neighboring Counties
Christian •  Dallas  •  Douglas  •  Greene  •  Laclede  •  Wright

Biographies

 * Family Biographies from The History of Webster County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy

Census

 * 1732-1933 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Land
The Webster County Recorder compiles and maintains all county land records. The County Recorder will process land document requests via email or phone and will only mail those copies. There is a nominal fee to process record requests.

Webster County Recorder Contact Information: County Courthouse

Local Histories

 * History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps and Dent counties, Missouri. Goodspeed. 1889. Missouri Digital Heritage


 * Biographies from The History of Webster County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.


 * George, Floy Watters. History of Webster County, 1855-1955. [Springfield, Mo. : Roberts, 1956?].
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)


 * A History of Webster County : taken from History of Missouri - 1889 commemorating the celebration of Webster County's centennial. Seymour, Missouri : Webster County Citizen, 1955.
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Webster County townships (Histopolis)


 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Webster County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * Map of 1904 Webster County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)

Military

 * 1900 - 1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * at FamilySearch — images

Regiments Service men in Webster County, Missouri served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Webster County, Missouri: - 16th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company D - 4th Regiment, Missouri Infantry - Confederate, Company I - 6th Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company D - 72nd Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company L - 72nd Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company M - 8th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company G - 8th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company L

World War II

 * 1941 - 1946 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSM) Newspaper Collection is the best resource for finding local newspaper articles, including obituaries. They have digitized all local newspapers across all years and all printings from Webster County. When you call a local paper (The Marshfield Mail is the oldest running paper in Webster County), they will refer you to this collection. The archives in the local papers are stored away and difficult to access.

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1750 - 1988 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1766 - 1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Births

 * 1827 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1851 - 1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $

Marriages
The Webster County Recorder maintains all County Marriage records. The County Recorder will respond to email and phone calls, but records will only be mailed to requestors.

The County is the repository for recorded Marriage Records until 1910. It is important to note that some marriages may have occured in Christian and Wright Counties given the proximity of border cities to those counties.

Webster County Recorder Contact Information: County Courthouse

Online Records


 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1988 - Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $*1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1855 - 1885 Webster County Marriage Index 1855-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

Deaths

 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index

Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910. The database includes all counties and will allow you to search by county. Webster County appears to have had slow adoption to the 1910 state law requirement as the records are minimal in the earlier years of the period.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

 * List of Missouri Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Historical Society

 * Webster County Historical Society 219 South Clay Marshfield, MO 65706 Phone: 417-468-7407

Family History Centers

 * Marshfield Missouri Family History Center 1105 State Hwy CC, Marshfield, MO 65706 United States Location Map