Norton County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Norton 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 Capt. Orloff Norton, of the 15th Kansas Cavalry, who was killed in the Civil War. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Norton County Courthouse 101 S. Kansas Ave. Norton, Kansas 67654-0070 Phone: 785.877-5710 Norton County Website Clerk District Court has marriage and divorce records, and probate court court records Register of Deeds has land records from 1874 and some cemetery records. City Clerks have birth and death records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cemeteries
The following web site may also be of help in your search:


 * Lenora Cemetery Association Index may provide the following information of three cemeteries: Lenora East,  Lenora South, and Pairie


 * at FamilySearch How to Use this Collection — index

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection - Index and images
 * 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry - ($), Index and images
 * 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection— index and images
 * 1875 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1885 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index
 * 1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1919-1961 Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry - Partial index (4 counties) and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index

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.

Church Records

 * 1861-1918 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection —index

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1886-1941 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home in Norton

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1917 Land Plat book for Norton County - image of plat book


 * 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
 * 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

For more information see Kansas Land and Property

Local Histories
Online County Histories


 * The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas. 1894.  By Francis Marion Lockard.  Norton, Kan. : Champion.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Standard Atlas of Norton County, Kansas, 1917 published by George A. Ogle &amp; Co., 1917. The Index of the atlas shows the names of landowners. It has a patrons' directory, and plats of towns as of the year of publication. Available on Kansas Memory.

Military Records

 * Norton County was not organized until after the Civil War.

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records. Collections Covering Multiple Wars


 * Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
 * Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.

Civil War


 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
 * 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

Spanish-American War (1898)


 * 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War I


 * History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
 * 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War II


 * 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only

Korean War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Kansas - Index only

Vietnam War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Kansas - Index only

For further information see Kansas Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1864 - 1972 Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1865 - 1874 Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
 * 1865 - 1984 Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1917 - 1918 Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), 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 Newspaper Catalogs


 * 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

Other Records
Voter Records


 * 1854 Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1854 - 1856 Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1877-1935 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — 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

 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection  — index


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

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — Index
 * 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — Index
 * 1861 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Libraries
Lenora Public Library 110 N Main PO Box 247 Lenora, KS 67645 Phone: 785-567-4432 Email: [mailto:lenoralib@ruraltel.net lenoralib@ruraltel.net] Website Facebook Norton Public Library 1 Washington Square Norton, KS 67654 Phone: 785-877-2481 Website Facebook

Museums
Norton County Historical Museum 105 E Lincoln PO Box 303 Norton, KS 67654 Phone: 785-877-5107 Email: [mailto:nortcomus@ruraltel.net nortcomus@ruraltel.net] Website Facebook

Societies
Norton County Genealogical Society Located within the Norton Public Library One Washington Square Norton, Kansas 67654 Phone: 785-202-0288 Email:[mailto:nortongensoc@gmail.com nortongensoc@gmail.com] Website Norton County Historical Society 105 E Lincoln PO Box 303 Norton, KS 67654 Phone: 785-877-5107 Email: [mailto:nortcomus@ruraltel.net nortcomus@ruraltel.net] Website Facebook Sunflower Pioneer Power Association 400 West Brockton Street Almena, Kansas 67622 Phone: 785-202-0410 Email:[mailto:ksboogyman@gmail.com ksboogyman@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Norton County Genealogy Research.  Contains information for researching genealogy in Norton county KS,  Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * Norton County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Solomon Valley Chronicles - a website for genealogy and local history of Graham, Norton and Sheridan Counties.
 * 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

Research Guides

 * Kansas Heritage: Norton County (Forsyth Library)