Franklin County, Missouri Genealogy

United States Missouri  Franklin County

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse Courthouse Square; PO Box 311; Union, MO 63084-0311 Phone: 314.583.6355 County Clerk has birth records 1883-1892 and death records 1883-1887; Recorder Deeds has marriage and land records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce records; Probate Judge has probate records

Parent County
1818--Franklin County was created 11 December 1818 from St. Louis County. County seat: Union

Franklin County was established in 1818, two years before Missouri was admitted to the Union as a state. When the Missouri Territory was organized in 1812, there were only five counties: St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and New Madrid. Franklin County was once part of St. Louis County. Between 1812 and 1820, the number of counties increased to 15 with the addition of Washington (1813), Howard (1816), and Jefferson, Franklin, Wayne, Lincoln, Madison, Montgomery, Pike and Cooper (all 1818). Any student of history and genealogy relating to Franklin County in the first half of the 19th century would be well advised to become apprised of the details of county formation and township formation as townships also evolved before assuming their present form. Someone living in St. Louis County in 1814 might actually have been in present-day Franklin County. Likewise, someone living in Franklin County in 1818 could have been living in present-day Gasconade County.

When the county was first organized, Newport was selected as the first county seat and remained so until 1825, when an act of Legislature effected its removal to Union. Before a courthouse could be built at Union, court was held in a structure belonging to Ambrose Ransom (see photo at right).

Two invaluable sources of early Franklin County history are Goodspeed and Kiel histories. "Goodspeed" is an 1888 history published by Goodspeed Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois, correctly called "History of Missouri, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford, &amp; Gasconade Counties. The "Kiel" history, correctly referred to as "The Centennial Biographical Directory of Franklin County, Missouri" compiled and published by Herman Gottlieb Kiel", 1925, is basically a book of lists, but the lists are a great tool for the researcher.

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Franklin County border changes at N2Genealogy.

Places/Localities

 * The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.

Neighboring Counties

 * Crawford
 * Gasconade
 * Jefferson
 * St. Charles
 * St. Louis
 * Warren
 * Washington

Land

 * Franklin County Recorder of Deeds

Maps

 * Interactive map of Franklin County townships (Histopolis)


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

Civil War
USCT Volunteerswho enlisted in Washtington, Franklin, Missouri

Births

 * Franklin County Birth Records, 1826-1899, "colored" 1865-1875 (Vien Ici)

Marriages

 * Franklin County Recorder of Deeds Marriage Search

Deaths

 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Washington Missouri Family History Center

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * http://www.franklinmo.org/
 * http://www.franklinmo.org/