Greene County, Missouri Genealogy

United States Missouri  Greene County

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

County Courthouse
County Archives and Recorder has probate, court, tax and land records from 1833, military discharge records, divorce records 1837-1950, birth and death records 1883-1890 and 1876 local census records.

Parent County
1833 Greene County was created 2 January 1833 from Crawford County. County seat: Springfield

Biographies

 * The autobiography of Mary R. Luster, Springfield, Missouri at Ancestry.com ($)

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.

Record Loss
1861 Fire destroyed the Courthouse on October 28, 1861.

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.

Neighboring Counties
Christian •  Dade  •  Dallas  •  Lawrence  •  Polk  •  Webster

Resources
Greene County, Missouri published Greene County Archives Bulletins from at least 1988 to 1995. These bulletins included guides and indexes to several types of records for the county, including divorce records, Circuit Court records, naturalization records, coroner's record books, stray records, Alms House records, etc. A listing of the contents of these bulletins is available online. Most of the specific titles are included in the descriptions of the records under the appropriate record type below.

Many of the early records of Greene County have been microfilmed and are available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and its family history centers.

Cemeteries

 * The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has burial records for Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries including Springfield National Cemetery and Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Mo.

Individual cemeteries:


 * East Lawn Cemetery, Springfield BillionGraves

Catholic
Immaculate Conception, Springfield


 * 1872 - 1876 Immaculate Conception, Springfield, Baptism Index 1872-1876. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Springfield

Court
When Greene County was formed in 1833, a Circuit Court was established and has continued to the present day. Historically there were at least four other courts in Greene County. :

See Greene County, Missouri Court Records for a more complete description of these courts and their records.
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories
History of Greene County, Missouri written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns and villages... (1883) is available online free from Google Books.


 * Richardson, M. M. A brief history of the First Baptist Church of Springfield, Missouri, 1852-1927 : and an account of the diamond jubilee October 30 to November 20, 1927. Springfield, Mo. : Elkins-Swyers Co., [1927?].
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Fairbanks, Jonathan; Tuck, Clyde Edwin. Past and present of Greene County, Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens. Indianapolis, Indiana : A.W. Bowen &amp; Co., 1915.
 * Vol. 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Vol. 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Hubble, Martin J. Personal reminiscences and fragments of the early history of Springfield and Greene County, Missouri. Springfield, Missouri : Inland Printing Co., 1914.
 * Online at Family Search (Free)
 * Greene County Archives and Records Center (Springfield, Missouri). Pictorial and genealogical record of Greene County, Missouri : together with biographies of prominenet men of other portions of the state, both living and dead. Chicago : Goodspeed Brothers Pub., 1893.
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Greene County townships (Histopolis)
 * 1904 Plat Map of Greene County (Historic MapWorks)
 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Greene County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * Map of 1904 Greene County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)

Military

 * 1900 - 1941 at FamilySearch — images
 * Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Hulston Library

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


 * Confederate pension rolls on microfilm for Missouri at the Local History and Genealogy Department of The Library Center (Springfield-Greene County Library District)

Regiments

Service men in Greene 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 Greene County, Missouri:

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War Battles was fought in City of Greene County:


 * August 10, 1861 = Wilson’s Creek also known as Oak Hills


 * October 25, 1861 = Springfield I also known as Zagonyi’s Charge


 * January 8, 1863 = Springfield II

Map showing Civil War battles in Missouri

World War II

 * 1941 - 1946 at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800 - 1991 at | FamilySearch — index

Newspapers

 * Local History and Genealogy Department at the Springfield-Greene County Library has Springfield newspapers on microfilm back well into the 1800s.

Poorhouse
Greene County had a poor farm that was a support for ill or indigent people of the county. It was initially called the County Poor Farm, then the County Home, and in 1955 became Sunshine Acres. It was closed in 1978.

Registers of those who were cared for by this facility have been indexed for the years 1875 to 1955. The index is available online in two parts:


 * An Index to the Register of the Alms House, 1875-1923
 * An Index to the Register of the Alms House, 1916-1955

Probate
A Guide to the Records of the Probate Court of Greene County is available online as published in the County Archives Bulletins. These records, including wills, inventories, settlements, and other probate documents, are part of the records of the Circuit Court and its divisions. Many have been microfilmed and are available at the in Salt Lake City and through their family history centers.

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

Taxation
Tax lists have been abstracted for 1833-1835, 1843, 1851, 1856, and 1890. These can be found at the Local History &amp; Genealogy department at The Library Center (Springfield-Greene County Library).

Vital Records
The vital records kept by the courts and other offices in Greene County include documents relating to marriages, divorces, and deaths. See Greene County, Missouri Vital Records for a more complete description of these records and their indexes.

Birth Records

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

Death Records

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

Marriage Records

 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — 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 $
 * Marriage records, Greene County, Missouri at Ancestry.com $
 * Marriage records, Greene County, Missouri at Greene County Recorder's Office

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

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


 * Local History and Genealogy Department at the Springfield-Greene County Library - a Family History Library affiliate (order microfilm online).


 * Ozarks Genealogical Society


 * Greene County Archives has original records for public viewing. All probate loose files up to the 1960s are indexed. Naturalization records arranged alphabetically. All of the original records which have been indexed and abstracted are available here.

Family History Centers



 * Springfield Missouri Family History Center 1357 S Ingram Mill Road, Springfield, Missouri United States Location on Map


 * Springfield Missouri South Family History Center4450 S. Farm Rd. 141 (Cox Road), Springfield, MO 65810 United States Location Map


 * Willard Missouri Family History Center 320 W Jackson St, Willard MO 65781 United StatesLocation Map

Web Sites

 * Pictorial and genealogical record of Greene County, Missouri : together with biographies of prominent men of other portions of at Ancestry.com ($)