St. Louis City, Missouri Genealogy

Guide to St. Louis City Missouri genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

History
St. Louis City predates the state of Missouri which was admitted to the union in 1821. St. Louis was the capital of the St. Louis district of the Louisiana Territory from 1805-1812 and the capital of St. Louis County of the Missouri Territory from 1812 to 1821.

On August 22, 1876 St. Louis City voted to separate from St. Louis County and became an independent city in early 1877. Since St. Louis had been the county seat up until that point, it maintains records prior to separation for both the county and city. Records for the County starting in 1877 are maintained by St. Louis County.


 * All records for St. Louis City (1805-present) are maintained by the City of St. Louis.
 * All records for St. Louis County (1805-1876) are also maintained by the city.

For a more detailed explanation see St. Louis City and County Split.

Many of these records are available at both the St. Louis Public Library (City) and the St. Louis County Library.


 * Americanization of the Croats in Saint Louis, Missouri, during the past thirty years 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
For a list of record loss in Missouri counties see: Missouri Counties with Burned Courthouses

Places/Localities

 * The Ramsay Place Names File (State Historical Society of Missouri) has information on historical place names in the city of St. Louis. Places from St. Louis City and County are listed together under St. Louis County.

Neighboring Counties

 * St. Louis – north, south, and west
 * Madison (Illinois) – northeast
 * St. Clair (Illinois) – southeast

Archives and Libraries

 * St. Louis Public Library (St. Louis City) owns a large collection of books, periodicals, maps, and other miscellaneous materials that deal with the history of St. Louis City, and Library staff have indexed many previously unindexed books and materials on that topic. They also own a large local history card file, and a large vertical file consisting of articles clipped from local newspapers and other local publications. St. Louis Public Library Local History Indexes and Bibliographies


 * St. Louis County Library has a large collection of genealogical records for St. Louis City and St. Louis County in its Special Collections Department located at its main headquarters. The collection includes holdings from the St. Louis Genealogical Society as well as parish records from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. In addition to its holdings, the staff of the Special Collections Department has created indexes for many records including St. Louis newspapers as well as birth, naturalization, probate, and church records.


 * Missouri History Museum Library has a collection of books, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, maps, and photographs including: Biographies, yearbooks, business and trade catalogs and military records. Their website has a searchable genealogy index that covers many of these collections.

Cemeteries

 * Search the Archdiocese of St. Louis Cemetery records for burials in seventeen Catholic cemeteries from the St. Louis area.
 * View an interactive map of Bellefontaine Cemetery, established in 1849. Search for your ancestors to see the locations of burial and the graves of others buried near them.


 * Resurrection Cemetery BillionGraves

- See St. Louis County for additional St. Louis area cemetery resources.


 * Web: St. Louis, Missouri, Burial Index, Archdiocese of St. Louis, 1700-2010 at Ancestry.com ($)

Census
State Census


 * 1865 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — index and images

Catholic

 * The St. Louis County Library has a page that lists its available Catholic resources including a list of Catholic priests * that served in St. Louis from 1841-1900.
 * St. Louis County Library's Catholic records collection is large. A list of their holdings from the Archdiocese of St. Louis is not available online. They have published a 348 page guide Guide To St. Louis Catholic Archdiocesan Parish Records detailing their holdings.

Lutheran

 * The St. Louis County Library has a page that lists its available Lutheran resources including some Immanuel Lutheran Church and St. Paul's Lutheran Church records.

Evangelical and United Church of Christ

 * The St. Louis County Library has a page that lists its available Evangelical resources including a list of Evangelical priests * that served from 1834-2005.

* With the priests name from a civil marriage record, this list can be used to locate a church marriage record which often contains more family information.

City Directories

 * Green's 1845 St. Louis Directory is available on Google Books.
 * Kennedy's 1857 St. Louis City Directory is available on Google Books.
 * Kennedy’s 1860 St. Louis City Directory (transcribed) is available online -- Courtesy of Bob Doerr.
 * Fold3.com ($) has St. Louis City Directories 1863-1923 (only 3 yrs. missing) available online. Fold3 is free at some libraries including St. Louis County Library.
 * St. Louis County Library has St. Louis City Directories 1857-1942 available in their Special Collections Department. They also have other years available spanning 1821-1980.
 * Metropolitan St. Louis Negro Directory: a classified publication of biographies: business, professional, religious, social, franternal, welfare, industrial and loabor organizattion. -1st ed. - St. Louis:Booker T. Washington Trading Stamp Association, c 1943. F474.S2 M4
 * St. Louis, Missouri Directories, 1889-1890 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * St Louis City Directories at Missouri Digital Heritage - images.

Court Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate

 * St. Louis County Library has an index to St. Louis City Will Books (1816-1967).


 * Missouri State Archives - Online access to St. Louis Probate records (original documents)

Online Probate Indexes and Records


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

Naturalization

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * St. Louis County Library has created an Index to Naturalizations - Site provides information on the various naturalization records from the U.S. Circuit Court and U.S. District Court.

Ethnic Groups
African American Online Resources in St. Louis:


 * Emancipations, 1817-1865 - information taken from St. Louis Circuit Court Record Books at the Civil Courts Building at Tucker and Market Streets, and the examination of papers at the Missouri Historical Society
 * Freedom Licenses Database, 1835-1865 - St. Louis City and County, records at Missouri Historical Society
 * Freedom Suit Case Files, 1814-1860 - database and images by St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project
 * Freedom Suits, 1804-1865 index - St. Louis Court records
 * Urban life for African Americans during 1804-1865 - as taken from St. Louis court records

History

 * Missouri Historical Society of Saint Louis at Ancestry.com ($)

Maps

 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Interactive Map of St Louis neighborhoods

Military History and Records

 * 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images
 * Fold3.com ($) has Civil War and other military records available online. Some libraries including the St. Louis County Library provide free access to this database.

Civil War
Civil War records for both the city and county of St. Louis are maintained by the city.


 * Online Records


 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * at FamilySearch — images

Newspapers

 * The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874 to date) is available at the St. Louis County Library. The St. Louis City Public Library has created an obituary index for various years.
 * The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-1922) is available online for St. Louis County Library cardholders.
 * The Westliche Post (1857-1938), a German language newspaper, is available at the St. Louis County Library in its Special Collections Department. They have created an obituary index for the years 1879-1890.
 * St. Louis Argus (1915-1926)

Vital Records (Civil)
See St. Louis City, Missouri Vital Records for information on St. Louis City vital 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

 * Web: Missouri, St. Louis Public Library Obituary Index, 1880-2011 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Web: St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Obituary Index, 1880-2009 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1960 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1750-1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1804-76 St. Louis, Missouri Marriages, 1804-76 at Ancestry.com $

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

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


 * St. Louis Genealogical Society #4 Sunnen Drive, Suite 140 St. Louis, MO 63143 Ph: (314) 647-8547


 * German American Heritage Society, 10 Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63108; (314) 367-4303
 * German Cultural Institute, 326 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108; (314) 367-2452
 * German Cultural Society, 3652 S. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63118; (314) 771-8368

Family History Centers

 * Riverview Missouri Family History Center

Websites

 * St. Louis CityCounty, MO History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Missouri Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Missouri Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Missouri USGenWeb project, St Louis. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Online St. Louis Death Records and Indexes
 * St. Louis Genealogy Resources
 * St Louis Genealogy (Missouri Genealogy)
 * St Louis Genealogy (Missouri Genealogy)