Clay County, Missouri Genealogy

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

Clay County Courthouse
Recorder of Deeds has marriage and land records; Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1822; Probate Court has probate records.

History


The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).

Parent County
1822 Clay County was created 2 January 1822 from Ray County. County seat: Liberty

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

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog




 * The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all Missouri Counties.

Neighboring Counties
Clinton •  Jackson  •  Platte  •  Ray  •  Wyandotte County, Kansas  •

African American

 * 1865 - 1885 Clay County Colored Marriage Index 1865-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

Biographies

 * Clay, Ray, Carroll, Chariton and Linn Counties, Missouri Index to Biographies at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Portrait and biographical record of Clay, Ray, Carroll, Chariton, and Linn Counties, Missouri: containing biographical sketches at Ancestry.com ($)

Cemeteries

 * Clay County, Missouri Cemetery Records, Volume I-II at Ancestry.com ($)


 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census

 * 1732-1933 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Catholic
St. James, Liberty


 * 1847 - 1873 St. James, Liberty, Baptism Index 1847-1873. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1847 - 1879 St. James, Liberty, Marriage Index 1847-1879. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

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


 * Missouri City

Court

 * Abstracts of wills and administrations of Clay County, Missouri at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 7th Judicial Circuit Court, Clay County, Missouri
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

City Directories

 * Kansas City, Missouri City Directories, 1889-91 at Ancestry.com ($)

Local Histories

 * Kansas City, Missouri : its history and its people, 1808-1908 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * A civic history of Kansas City, Missouri at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Puckett, G. A. Clay County soldiers and sailors. Liberty, Mo. : Liberty Pub. Co., c1919.
 * Online at Family Search (Free)
 * Daughters of the American Revolution. Alexander Doniphan Chapter (Liberty, Missouri). Clay County, Missouri centennial souvenier, 1822-1922. Liberty, Missouri : Liberty Tribune, 1922.
 * Online at Family Search (Free)
 * Woodson, William H. History of Clay County, Missouri. Topeka, Missouri : Historical Pub., 1920.
 * Online at Family Search (Free)
 * Ballew, W. W. (Bill). Simon Cockrell : early Missouri pioneer. [S.l. : s.n., 19--?].
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.


 * Map of Clay County townships (Histopolis)


 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all 114 Missouri counties including Clay County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.


 * Map of 1886 Clay County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Clay County, Missouri for European settlers included:


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

Military

 * 1900 - 1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * at FamilySearch — images

Regiments

Service men in Clay 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 Clay County, Missouri:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battle was fought in Clay County


 * September 17, 1861 = Liberty aslo known as Blue Mills Landing, Blue Mills
 * Map showing Civil War battles in Missouri

World War II

 * 1941-1946 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers

 * Liberty Tribune, 1860-1869 and Liberty Weekly Tribune, 1846-1860 Searchable online at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Digital Collections, Index to Selected Missouri Newspapers.

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

Births

 * 1827 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1851 - 1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1855 - 1869 Clay County Birth Index 1855-1869. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1865 - 1885 Clay County Birth Index 1865-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1883 - 1884 Clay County Birth Index 1883-1884. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriages

 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1988 - Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1822 - 1878 Clay County Marriage Books A thru D Index 1822-1878. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1852 - 1900 Clay County, Missouri Marriages, 1852-1900: Vol. 1-3 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1877 - 1885 Clay County Marriage Books E thru F Index 1877-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Deaths

 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1883 - 1884 Clay County Death Index 1883-1884. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

 * Genealogical Society Of Liberty P.O. Box 99 Liberty, MO 64069


 * Clay County Archives and Historical Library 210 E Franklin Liberty, MO 64068 Phone: 816-781-3611; Fax: 816-781-3611 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 99 Liberty, MO 64069 Email: [mailto:info@claycountyarchives.org info@claycountyarchives.org]


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

Smithville Historical Society

Smithville is located in both Clay and Platte counties. Website

Family History Centers



 * Liberty Missouri Family History Center 1130 N Clayview Dr, Liberty, MO 64068-3405 United States Location Map