Webster County, Missouri Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Daniel Webster. The County is located in the south center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Webster County Courthouse 100 Crittenden Street Marshfield, MO 65706 Phone: 417-468-2223 Webster County Website County Clerk has birth records 1883-1893 and death records 1883-1887. Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records. Probate Judge has probate records. County Recorder (contact info below) has marriage and land records.

Webster County Recorder PO Box 546 101 S Crittenden, Rm 16 Marshfield, MO 65706 Phone: 417-859-5882 Fax: 417-468-3843 Email: [mailto:recorder@webstercountymo.gov recorder@webstercountymo.gov]

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places in Webster County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTownLocator. The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * Family Biographies from The History of Webster County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy

Census Records

 * 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Land and Property Records
The Webster County Recorder compiles and maintains all county land records. The County Recorder will process land document requests via email or phone and will only mail those copies. There is a nominal fee to process record requests.

Webster County Recorder Contact Information: County Courthouse

Local Histories

 * History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps and Dent counties, Missouri. 1889. Goodspeed. Available online at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * History of Webster County, 1855-1955. By Floy Watters George. 1956? [Springfield, Mo. : Roberts]. Available online at FamilySearch
 * A History of Webster County. 1955. Seymour, Missouri : Webster County Citizen. Available online at FamilySearch

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Webster County townships (Histopolis)
 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Webster County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * Map of 1904 Webster County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
 * Plat Book of Webster County, Missouri at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1911-1938  at FamilySearch — index and images

Regiments Service men in Webster 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 Webster County, Missouri: Service men in Webster 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 Webster County, Missouri: - 16th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company D - 4th Regiment, Missouri Infantry - Confederate, Company I - 6th Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company D - 72nd Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company L - 72nd Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company M - 8th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company G - 8th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company L

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1941-1946 at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSM) Newspaper Collection is the best resource for finding local newspaper articles, including obituaries. They have digitized all local newspapers across all years and all printings from Webster County. When you call a local paper (The Marshfield Mail is the oldest running paper in Webster County), they will refer you to this collection. The archives in the local papers are stored away and difficult to access.

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

 * Pre-1910 Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index.
 * 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1827-1935 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1920-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Marriage
The Webster County Recorder maintains all County Marriage records. The County Recorder will respond to email and phone calls, but records will only be mailed to requesters.

The County is the repository for recorded Marriage Records until 1910. It is important to note that some marriages may have occurred in Christian and Wright Counties given the proximity of border cities to those counties.

Webster County Recorder Contact Information: County Courthouse

Online Records


 * 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — 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 ($)
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1855-1885 Webster County Marriage Index 1855-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Death
Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910. The database includes all counties and will allow you to search by county. Webster County appears to have had slow adoption to the 1910 state law requirement as the records are minimal in the earlier years of the period.
 * 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
 * 1968-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Family History Centers

 * Marshfield Missouri Family History Center

Societies

 * Webster County Historical Society 219 South Clay Marshfield, MO 65706 Phone: 417-468-7407

Websites

 * Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
 * MOGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * . Free. - 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
 * RootsWeb resources. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * StateofUS. Free. family history resources and government records
 * Missouri Genealogy. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)