Decatur County, Kansas Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Commodore Stephen Decatur, of the United States Navy. The County has Oberlin as its seat and the County was created March 20, 1873. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse 120 E. Hall P.O. Box 89 Oberlin, Kansas 66749-0089 Phone: 785.475.8102 Decatur County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage and death records 1885-1913, divorce and court records from 1881, probate records from 1891 and naturalization records from 1880. Register of Deeds has land records from 1878 and military discharge records from 1862.

Populated Places
The following are locations in Decatur County, Kansas:

Cemeteries
Decatur County Cemeteries gives the location of each cemetery and a transcription of graves in that cemetery. Some cemeteries have not been transcribed as yet.

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch — Index and images
 * 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1875 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 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. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1905 Land Plat book for Decatur County - image of plat book
 * 1921 Land Plat book for Decatur County - image of plat book

For more information see Kansas 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

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
 * 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 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

Probate Records
'''Online Records


 * 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth

 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage

 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1855 - 1911 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1855 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1855-1911 at Ancestry.com — images $

Death

 * 1880, 1885-1911 Links to Deaths in Decatur County links to Obituaries, 1880 Mortality Schedule, Registered Deaths November 28, 1885-July 1, 1911, and The Obituary Daily Times web site
 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies
Decatur County Genealogical Society 258 South Penn Oberlin KS 67749

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * 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
 * Decatur County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)