Jackson County, Missouri Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for President Andrew Jackson. The County is located in the west area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse 415 E 12th Street Kansas, MO 64106 Phone: 816-881-3000 Jackson County Website

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places in Jackson County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * Men Who are Making Kansas City, a Biographical Directory. (1902) by G. Creel and J. Slavens. Available online at Google Books
 * Seven of 72 Survive : Voyages on Missouri River by Henry Sieben's Commodores Sand Bars. By Henry Sieben. The Kansas City Genealogist - v. 43-44 (2002-2004). Available online at FamilySearch.
 * A Brief History of the Six Mile Territory. By Mary Sue Chiles. The Kansas City Genealogist - v. 43-44 (2002-2004) - v. 43, no. 2 (Fall 2002). Available online at FamilySearch.

Cemeteries

 * Blue Springs Cemetery (Find a Grave) 2800 Southwest Walnut Street Blue Springs, MO 64015-3321
 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census Records

 * 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Catholic Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish, Kansas City


 * 1834-1876 Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish, Kansas City, Baptism Index 1834-1876. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1846-1876 Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish, Kansas City, Marriage Index 1846-1876. Batch at FamilySearch.

St. Mary's, Independence


 * 1848-1876 St. Mary's, Independence, Baptism Index 1848-1876. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1850-1883 St. Mary's, Independence, Marriage Index 1850-1883. Batch at FamilySearch.

St. Patrick's, Kansas City


 * 1869-1885 St. Patrick's, Kansas City, Marriage Index 1869-1885. Batch at FamilySearch.

Lutheran


 * Records of Grace Lutheran Church, Kansas City, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives ($).

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


 * Independence Dist
 * Centropolis
 * Independence
 * Kansas City

Court Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Directories

 * Fold3.com ($) has Kansas City Directories 1865-1923 (only 4 yrs. missing) available online.
 * Kansas City, Missouri City Directories, 1889-91 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Abstract of Mount Auburn, an addition to Kansas City. 1886. By Norman & Robertson. Jefferson City, Missouri: State Journal Company, Printers and Binders. Online at FamilySearch
 * A Civic History of Kansas City, Missouri. 1930. By Roy Ellis. Springfield, Missouri: Press of Elkins-Swyers Co. Online at: Ancestry
 * The History of Jackson County, Missouri. 1881. Kansas City, Missouri: Union Historical Company. Online at Google Books; and at Missouri Digital History
 * History of Kansas City, Missouri. 1888. By Theodore Spencer Case. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason & Co Publishers. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * History of Kansas City, together with a sketch of the commercial resources. 1881. By William H. Miller. Kansas City, Missouri: Birdsall & Miller. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * History of Missouri's Counties, County Seats, and Courthouse Squares. 1983. by Marian M. Ohman. Missouri: Missouri State Library. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * Kansas City, Missouri : its History and its People, 1808-1908. 1908. By Carrie Westlake Whitney. Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Vol. 1. Online at: Ancestry
 * Kansas City, Missouri : its History and its People, 1808-1908. 1908. By Carrie Westlake Whitney. Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
 * Vol. 1 Online at: Google Books
 * Vol. 2 Online at: Google Books
 * Vol. 3 Online at: Google Books


 * State of Missouri: an autobiography. 1904. By Walter Williams. Columbia, Mo: Press of E. W. Stephens. Online at: Missouri Digital History

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Jackson County townships (Histopolis)
 * Missouri As It Is In 1867. 1867. by Nathan II. Parker. Philadelpia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Jackson County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * Map of 1904 Jackson County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
 * An Illustrated historical atlas map of Jackson County, Mo at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Jackson County, Missouri for European and African American settlers included:


 * Missouri River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California

Military Records

 * 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Fold3.com ($) has Civil War and other military records available online.

Civil War
Online Records


 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1911-1938  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Regiments

Service men in Jackson 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 Jackson County, Missouri:

Civil War Battles The following Civil War Battles were fought in Jackson County:


 * August 11, 1862 Independence I
 * August 15-16, 1862 Lone Jack
 * October 21, 1864 Little Blue River also known as Westport
 * October 22-23, 1864 Byram’s Ford also known as Big Blue River
 * October 22, 1864 Independence II
 * October 23, 1864 Westport
 * Map showing Civil War battles in Missouri.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1941-1946  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Other Records
Voter Records


 * 1928-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1750-1988 at FamilySearch — images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * Pre-1910 Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index.
 * 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1827-1935  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1920-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Marriage

 * 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1776-1988 Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1826 Marriage licenses dating back to 1826
 * 1827-1860 Jackson County Marriage Index 1827-1860. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1827-1860 Jackson County, Missouri Marriages, 1827-60, Vol. 1 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1827-1872 Jackson County Marriage Index 1827-1872. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1865-1881 Jackson County Marriage Records, Citizens of African Descent, FHL book 977.841 V2ca
 * 1872-1881 Jackson County Marriage Index 1872-1881. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1881-1885 Jackson County Marriage Index 1881-1885. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 2002-2010 Jackson County, Missouri, Marriage Index, 2002-2010 at Ancestry ($)
 * The marriage records of Jackson County, Missouri at Ancestry ($)

Death

 * 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
 * 1968-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Voter Records

 * 1928-1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Family History Centers

 * Blue Springs Missouri Family History Center
 * Kansas City Missouri Family History Center
 * Riverview Missouri Family History Center
 * Platte City Missouri Family History Center

Libraries

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

Societies

 * Jackson County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2145 1111 West Pacific Street Independence, MO 64050 Phone: 816-252-8128 Website
 * Jackson County Historical Society P.O. Box 4241 Independence, MO 64051 Phone: History Center - 816-461-1897; Archives - 816-252-4754 Website Facebook
 * Heart Of America Genealogical Society & Library 311 East 12th St. Kansas City, MO 64106
 * Midwest Afro-American Genealogy Interest Coalition (M.A.G.I.C.) Mailing Address: P.O. Box 300972 Kansas City, MO 64130 Physical Address: Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center 3700 Blue Parkway Kansas City, MO 64137 Website

Websites

 * Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
 * Jackson County Missouri Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Jackson County MO, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * MOGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * . Free. - 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
 * RootsWeb resources. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * StateofUS. Free. family history resources and government records
 * Missouri Genealogy. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)