Thurston County, Nebraska Genealogy

Thurston County, Nebraska genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

County Courthouse
County judge has marriage and probate records from 1889. Clerk District Court has divorce and court records from 1889. County Clerk has land records from 1885.

Parent County
1889 Thurston County was created 28 March 1889 from Burt County. County seat: Pender

Description
Thurston County is located in the northeastern part of the state. It was named after United States Senator John M. Thurston.

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
 * Nebraska Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
==== Populated Places ====

Cities

 * Emerson (partial)
 * Pender
 * Rosalie
 * Thurston
 * Walthill
 * Winnebago

Census-designated place

 * Macy

Townships

 * Anderson
 * Blackbird
 * Bryan
 * Dawes
 * Flournoy
 * Merry
 * Omaha
 * Pender
 * Perry
 * Thayer
 * Winnebago

Neighboring Counties

 * Burt
 * Cuming
 * Dakota
 * Dixon
 * Monona County, Iowa
 * Wayne
 * Woodbury County, Iowa

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 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

Court

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Land
Online Land Records

For more information see Nebraska Land and Property
 * 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

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - 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.

WWI

 * 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
 * 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 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

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage Records
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images
 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Societies and Libraries
County, Township and City Societies


 * Thomas County Genealogical Society c/o Mrs. Calvin Jones P O Box 136 Thedford, NE 69166-0136

Libraries


 * House Memorial Library 220 Thurston Av PO Box 519 Pender, NE 68047-0519 Phone: 402-385-2521 Fax: 402-385-2521 Email: hmlibrary@abbnebraska.com Director: Ann Bachman


 * Walthill Public Library PO Box 466 Walthill, NE 68067 Phone: 402-846-5051


 * Emerson Public Library 110 N Main St Emerson, NE 68733 Phone: 402-695-2449

Family History Centers



 * Macy Nebraska Family History Center

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Linkpendium
 * Genealogy Inc.
 * Genealogy Trails