Chase County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Chase 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 Salmon P. Chase, who was Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The County has Cottonwood Falls as its seat and the County was created 1859. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Chase County Courthouse 220 Broadway PO Box 529 Cottonwood Falls, Kansas 66845 Phone: 316.273.6423 Chase County Website County Clerk has birth records 1886-1911 and death records 1886-1910. Register of Deeds has land records. Probate Judge has probate records.

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

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
 * 1901 Land Plat book for Chase 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

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * Chase County Centennial, 1872-1972. 1972. N.p.: n.p. Online at:.
 * Chase County Historical Sketches. Vol. 1 1940, Vol. 2 1948. N.p.: Chase County Historical Society. Online at: Vol. 1,, Vol. 2, , Vol. 1 and 2 Ancestry ($);.
 * History of Chase County, 1853-1899. 2002. By D. A. Ellsworth, Lorna R. Marvin. N.p.: n.p.  Online at: ;.
 * Rock Creek Crossings : Six Generations on the Kansas Prairie. c1991. By Anne Fitzgerald. Wichita, Kansas : Wichita Eagle and Beacon Pub. Co.  Online at: ;.
 * Wells and McCallum Families in the Chase County, Kansas, Newspapers, 1859-1973. (Includes general information about life in Chase County.) 2000. By John David Wells. N.p.: n.p. Online at: Vol. 1,, Vol. 2, , Vol. 3, ;.

Military Records

 * Men from Chase County enlisted in the following regiments and companies in the Civil War:
 * Regiment 1
 * Regiment 2, Companies Fand D
 * Regiment 5 Cavalry
 * Regiment 6, Missouri
 * Regiment 7, Company H
 * Regiment 9, Companies B, D, I, M
 * Regiment 10, Companies I and Q
 * Regiment 11, Companies M and C, Cavalry
 * Regiment 15, Company H
 * Regiment 17, Company C.  Regiments are infantry unless otherwise noted.

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

Obituaries
Chase County Death and Obituary Index for the period 1863-2005. Index gives name and newspaper date of obituary and provides information ordering a copy.

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

 * 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 - at FamilySearch — Index
 * 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 - at FamilySearch.org — Index
 * 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies
Chase County Historical Society 301 Broadway Cottonwood Falls 66845 Telephone Number: 602-273-8500 Website

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
 * Chase County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)