Missouri Archives and Libraries

United States Missouri  Archives and Libraries

These archives, libraries, societies, and museums preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Missouri.

National
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) 1 Archives Drive St. Louis, MO 63138 Telephone: 314-801-0800 Fax:  314-801-9195 E-mail: [mailto:MPR.center@nara.gov MPR.center@nara.gov] Internet: National Personnel Records Center


 * The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It is the central repository for both the military and civil services personnel-related records. It maintains military personnel records for servicemen and servicewomen dischared from 1912 to 1952* (*i.e. 62 years after discharge). Records prior to WWI are in Washington, D.C. Use Standard Form SF-180 to order files.

National Archives at Kansas City 400 West Pershing Road Kansas City, MO 64108 Telephone: 816-268-8000 E-mail: [mailto:kansascity.archives@nara.gov kansascity.archives@nara.gov ] Internet: National Archives at Kansas City


 * Collects federal agency and court records for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. They have all federal censuses 1790-1940 and most indexes, photos, maps, naturalization records, immigration, military records, and federal land records. Specialties include frontier and territorial history, and American Indians of the Northern Great Plains.

Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road Independence, MO 64055-1923 Telephone: 816-836-5200 Fax: 816-521-7253 Internet: Midwest Genealogy Center


 * One of America's most complete genealogical centers including censuses and indexes, 80,000 family histories, 100,000 local histories, 565,000 microfilms, 7,000 maps, and newspapers. Surrounding states are well represented. The Mid-Continent Public Library shares its genealogical materials through interlibrary loan.

State
Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center 225 South Skinker Blvd (P.O. Box 11940) St. Louis, MO 63112-0040 Telephone: 314-746-4500 Fax: 314-746-4548 E-mail: [mailto:library@mohistory.org library@mohistory.org]


 * They have an excellent collection about early Missouri settlers and immigrants through Illinois, 90,000 books, periodicals, St. Louis newspapers, fire insurance maps, city directories, St. Louis people, western fur trade, and Missouri history. The library has an online genealogy index. Copies of records can also be ordered online. See:
 * Beverly D. Bishop and Janice L. Fox, A List of Manuscript Collections in the Archives of the Missouri Historical Society (St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society, 1982). ..

Missouri State Archives 600 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65102 Telephone: 314-751-3280 Fax: 573-526-7333


 * A "user-friendly" facility with original county records on microfilm from all counties, photos, census, land, military, and penitentiary records. Databases:  births/deaths pre-1910, deaths 1910-1963, soldiers 1812-1918, coroners inquests, land patents, and naturalizations. They have an online genealogy index. Copies of records can also be ordered online. See:


 * Missouri State Archives, A Guide to the County and Municipal Records on Microfilm (Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri State Archives, [1997]). ..


 * Through the Missouri Digital Heritage Initiativebegun in 2007, the Missouri State Archives and the Missouri State Library, in partnership with the State Historical Society of Missouri, are assisting institutions across the state in digitizing their records and placing them online for easy access.

State Historical Society of Missouri 1020 Lowry Columbia, MO 65201-7298 Telephone: 573-882-7083 Fax: 573-884-4950 (located at Ellis Library, University of Missouri campus)


 * Includes research centers at Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Louis, and Springfield. Good genealogy collection with historic Missouri manuscripts and reference books, collection of 460,000 books, 500,000 manuscripts, 150,000 archival records, 2,900 maps, databases, art, census, newspapers, oral history, and photos.


 * Western Historical Manuscript Collection 23 Ellis Library Universi[ty of Missouri Columbia, Missouri 65201-5149 Telephone: 573-882-6028 Fax: 573-884-0345


 * Note: Records kept at the state capitol were lost by fires in 1837 and 1911. Several counties in Missouri have also lost records due to fire, war, and other destruction.

Missouri State Genealogical Association P.O. Box 833 Columbia, MO 65205-0833 Telephone: 816-747-9330


 * Missouri First Families Program, publications, researchers, and speakers lists. Thier collection is at the Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center above.

Regional
Kansas City Public Library Special Collections Central Library 14 W. 10th Street, 5th Floor Kansas City, MO 64105 Phone: 816-701-3427 Fax: 816-701-3401 E-mail: [mailto:lhistory@kclibrary.org lhistory@kclibrary.org]


 * Great genealogy collection for the Missouri Valley with biographies, periodicals, genealogies, diaries, photos, scrapbooks, and newspapers of KC area.

St. Louis County Library Headquarters Tier 5 (top floor) 1640 South Lindbergh Blvd St Louis, MO 63131-3598 Telephone: 314-994-3300, ext. 2070 E-mail: [mailto:scollections@slcl.org scollections@slcl.org]


 * Their collection includes holdings from the National Genealogical Society, St. Louis Genealogical Society, African American Research Collection, Jewish Genealogical Society, parish records from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and the Archdiocese of Belleville, Illinois.

St. Louis Public Library (City) Central Library 1301 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103 Telephone: 314-241-2288 E-mail: [mailto:webref@slpl.org webref@slpl.org] Internet: Genealogy


 * The St. Louis Public Library has an on-line Obituary Index for the years 1880–1927; 1942–1945; 1992–2006. See:


 * George Gambrill, Genealogical Material and Local Histories in the St. Louis Public Library, Rev. ed. (St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis Public Library, 1965) ..

Saint Louis Mercantile Library University of Missouri - St. Louis Thomas Jefferson Library Building One University Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri 63121-4400 Telephone: 314-516-7240 or 314-516-7247 Fax: 314-516-7241 Internet: St. Louis Mercantile Library


 * Early newspapers, railroads, inland waterways, county records, biographies, and genealogies. A premier library for Missouri research.

Springfield-Greene County Library The Library Center 4653 S. Campbell Ave. Springfield, MO 65810-1723 Telephone: 417-616-0534 Fax: 417-883-9348 E-mail: Ask a Librarian form. Internet: Guide to Local History and Genealogy Department Collections


 * Substantial genealogy for southern Missouri. Censuses, religious and church histories, city directories, U.S. Civil War, online death certificates 1910-1958, births, marriages, land, probate, cemeteries, clippings, newspapers, American Indians, maps, and periodicals.

Ozarks Genealogical Society Library 534 West Catalpa (PO Box 3945) Springfield, Missouri 65808 Telephone: 417-831-2773 Internet: Research


 * Substantial genealogy for southern Missouri. Missouri and other states' materials, large collection of genealogical periodicals, maps, family histories, and over one dozen special collections compiled by area researchers. Special Collections records focus on family histories with an emphasis in the southwest Missouri geographical area.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Library 6424 West Farm Road 182 Republic, MO 65738 Telephone: 417-732-2662 Internet: The Hulston Library


 * This library can help genealogists find ancestors who served in the American Civil War, and learn more about that war in Missouri.

Outside Missouri
Harrison County Historical Museum Old Harrison County Courthouse 117 East Bowie (P.O. Box 1987) Marshall, Texas 75671 Phone: 903-938-2680 E-mail: [mailto:info@harrisoncountymuseum.org info@harrisoncountymuseum.org] Internet: Harrison County Historical Museum


 * A key repository for locating selected early Missouri  and Texas  settlers. This was a center for Missouri Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. It has a great collection of family folders, books, letters, diaries, journals, and surname lists.

Miami, Oklahoma also has significant association with southern Missiouri heritage and genealogy.

Newberry Library 60 West Waltron Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 Telephone: 312-255-3512 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@newberry.org reference@newberry.org] Internet: Newberry genealogy page


 * Over 17,000 printed genealogies. Their collection is strong for colonial America, especially New England, including local histories from all over the United States, Canada, and Britain. Outstanding county history collection for the Midwest  and Mid-Atlantic states. The Civil War collection is one of the best in America.