Greenwood County, Kansas Genealogy
Guide to Greenwood County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Tax Records
- 2.27 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information
Description
The County was named for Alfred B. Greenwood, who served as commissioner of Indian Affairs during territorial days.[2] The County has Eureka as its seat and the County was created August 25, 1855. The County is located in the southeast central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Greenwood County Courthouse
311 N. Main Street
PO Box 268
Eureka, Kansas 67045-1321
Phone: 316.583.7421
Greenwood County Website
County Clerk has birth records 1885-1947, marriage records 1885-1911 and death records 1885-1965.
Clerk District Court has divorce, probate and court records.
Register of Deeds has land and military records. [4]
Greenwood County, Kansas Record Dates
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.
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| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1885 | 1885 | 1885 | 1880 | 1857 | 1865 | 1855 |
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Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
The following are locations in Greenwood County, Kansas:[8]
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| Unincorporated communites | ||
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| Townships | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
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See also: National Register of Historic Places in Greenwood County, Kansas
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
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Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 769 | — |
| 1870 | 3,484 | 353.1% |
| 1880 | 10,548 | 202.8% |
| 1890 | 16,309 | 54.6% |
| 1900 | 16,196 | −0.7% |
| 1910 | 16,060 | −0.8% |
| 1920 | 14,715 | −8.4% |
| 1930 | 19,235 | 30.7% |
| 1940 | 16,495 | −14.2% |
| 1950 | 13,574 | −17.7% |
| 1960 | 11,253 | −17.1% |
| 1970 | 9,141 | −18.8% |
| 1980 | 8,764 | −4.1% |
| 1990 | 7,847 | −10.5% |
| 2000 | 7,673 | −2.2% |
| 2010 | 6,689 | −12.8% |
| 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.[9] See links listed below.
State and Territorial Census Records
- 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at FamilySearch — Index and images
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
- 1865 - Kansas State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1875 - Kansas State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1885 - Kansas State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — images
- 1895 - Kansas State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1919-1961 - Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry — Partial index (4 counties) and images
Federal Census Records
The 1870 Census was the first Federal Census taken for Kansas after it became a state in 1861.[10] For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.
Church Records
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.
Court Records
Directories
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
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
- 1903 Land Plat book for Greenwood County - image of plat book
- 1922 Land Plat book for Greenwood County - image of plat book
- 1903 Land Plat book for Greenwood 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
- 1861-1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
For more information see Kansas Land and Property
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Greenwood County, Kansas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Kansas Local Histories.
Online County Histories
- The History of Greenwood County, Kansas. (Vol 1, 2, 3) c1986, 1990. By Greenwood County Historical Society. Wichita, Kansas : Kelly Wright, Josten's Publications. Vol 1 Online at: FamilySearch Books Online, Vol 2: FamilySearch Books Online, Vol 3: FamilySearch Books Online; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
Migration
Military Records
Online Collections
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records.
Collections Covering Multiple Wars
- Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
- Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.
Civil War
- During the Civil War men from Greenwood County enlisted in the 1st Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the 12th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, and the 14th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Men from Wilson, Woodson and Greenwood counties organized a mounted militia regiment in 1861.
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), 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 - ($), Index and images
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only
Korean War
Vietnam War
For further information see Kansas Military Records.
Naturalization and Citizenship
- 1864 - 1972 - Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), 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
For more information, see Kansas Newspapers.
Kansas Newspapers Online
- Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), free to Kansas residents through Kansas Historical Society
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Kansas newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
- Kansas Online Historical Newspapers - contains a list of known Kansas newspapers online and the websites they are found on
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Obituaries
Other Records
Voter Records
- 1854 - Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1854 - 1856 - Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index
Periodicals
Probate Records
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, Greenwood and click Probate records.
Online Records
- 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
School Records
Tax Records
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
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
- 1818 - 1936 Kansas, Births and Christenings, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $
Marriage
- 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911 at FamilySearch — Index
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1840 - 1935 - Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935 at FamilySearch.org — Index
- 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index
Death
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Family History Centers
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
Libraries
Museums
Societies
Greenwood County Historical Society
120 W 4th ST
P.O. Box 86
Eureka KS 67045
Telephone Number: 620-583-6682
E-mail: gwhistory@sbcglobal.net
Website
Websites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- 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
- Greenwood County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Research Guides
References
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Greenwood, Kansas Genealogy and History”, "http://genealogytrails.com/kan/greenwood/ 8/15/2017."
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Greenwood, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_County,_Kansas" 8/15/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Greenwood County, Kansas page 251, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Greenwood County, Kansas. Page 251 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), 235.
- ↑ “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, "Greenwood County, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_County,_Kansas#Communities, accessed 15 September 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.
