Valley County, Nebraska Genealogy
Guide to Valley County, Nebraska 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
Valley County was created 1 March 1871 but not fully organized until 18 March 1873. Its name derives from the local terrain; much of the county consists of valley land lying between the North and Middle Loup Rivers. [2]
County Courthouse
Valley County Courthouse
125 S 15th Street
Ord, NE 68862
Phone: 308.728.3700
Valley County Website
County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1883.
County Judge has probate records.
Clerk District Court has divorce and court records.[1]
Valley County, Nebraska 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 |
| 1871 | 1871 | 1871 | 1880 | |||
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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 Valley County, Nebraska:[4]
City
- Ord
Villages
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Unincorporated communities
Olean Sumter
Townships
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
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Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1880 | 2,324 | — |
| 1890 | 7,092 | 205.2% |
| 1900 | 7,339 | 3.5% |
| 1910 | 9,480 | 29.2% |
| 1920 | 9,823 | 3.6% |
| 1930 | 9,533 | −3.0% |
| 1940 | 8,163 | −14.4% |
| 1950 | 7,252 | −11.2% |
| 1960 | 6,590 | −9.1% |
| 1970 | 5,783 | −12.2% |
| 1980 | 5,633 | −2.6% |
| 1990 | 5,169 | −8.2% |
| 2000 | 4,647 | −10.1% |
| 2010 | 4,260 | −8.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.
For tips on accessing Valley County, Nebraska Genealogy census records online, see: Nebraska Census.
State Census Records
- 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
- 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
- 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
Church Records
Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Nebraska denominations, view the Nebraska Church Records wiki page.
Court Records
Directories
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Nebraska Land and Property for additional information about early Nebraska land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Records
- Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
- 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
- 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
For more information see Nebraska Land and Property
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Valley County, Nebraska 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 Nebraska Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
- Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
Migration
Military Records
Revolutionary War
- 1775 - 1783 - United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783 at FamilySearch - images only
- For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
Civil War
- 1861 - 1865 - Nebraska Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861 - 1948 - Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records, 1861-1948 at FamilySearch — index
- 1891 - Nebraska Resident Military Roster on June 1, 1891 at Ancestry.com - ($), Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, the Mexico War, and the War of the Rebellion, residing in Nebraska June 1, 1891
- 1893 - Roster of Nebraska Veterans - list of veterans in 1893
- For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
World War I
- 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
- For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
For information on Nebraska newspapers, see Nebraska Newspapers.
Nebraska Newspapers Online
- Nebraska Newspapers - contains images of newspapers throughout Nebraska
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Nebraska newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
- Nebraska State Historical Society - catalog of known Nebraska newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
- 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
- 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Nebraska, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, 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 Nebraska - Valley - Probate records.
Online Probate Records
- 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
School Records
Tax Records
Nebraska tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
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 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
Birth
Marriage
- 1855 - 1995 — Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995 at FamilySearch — index only
- 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only
Death
- 1861 - 1948 - Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records, 1861-1948 at FamilySearch — 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
- Valley County Genealogical Society
619 S. 10th
Ord, NE 68862 - Valley County Historical Society
117 S 16th Street
PO Box 101
Ord, NE 68862
- Valley County Genealogical Society
Websites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Rootsweb
- Linkpendium
- Genealogy Trails
- Genealogy Inc.
- 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
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Nebraska.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ http://genealogytrails.com/neb/valley/ accessed 09/29/2016
- ↑ Alice Eichholz, Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, Revised ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992), 452-465. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 1992
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Valley County, Nebraska," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_County,_Nebraska, accessed 2 August 2016.
