Buchanan County, Missouri Genealogy

Guide to Buchanan 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 James Buchanan. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Buchanan County Courthouse 5th and Jules St. Joseph, MO 64501 Phone: 816-271-1412 Buchanan County Website Register of Deeds has marriage records. Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce records. Probate Judge has probate records. Magistrate Court has court records. County Assessor has land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places in Buchanan County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. 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

 * Buchanan and Clinton Counties, Missouri Biographical Record at Ancestry ($)
 * Portrait and biographical record of Buchanan and Clinton Counties, Missouri at Ancestry ($)

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Catholic Cathedral, St. Joseph


 * 1856-1876 Cathedral, St. Joseph, Baptism Index 1856-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1846-1876 Cathedral, St. Joseph, Marriage Index 1846-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

Immaculate Conception, St. Joseph


 * 1860-1876 Immaculate Conception, St. Joseph, Baptism Index 1860-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1860-1885 Immaculate Conception, St. Joseph, Marriage Index 1860-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

St. Joseph's, Easton


 * 1868-1876 St. Joseph's, Easton, Baptism Index 1868-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1868-1885 St. Joseph's, Easton, Marriage Index 1868-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

St. Patrick's, St. Joseph


 * 1869-1876 St. Patrick's, St. Joseph, Baptism Index 1869-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1869-1885 St. Patrick's, St. Joseph, Marriage Index 1869-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

German Kesler Settlement, German Congregation


 * 1847-1876 Kesler Settlement, German Congregation, Baptism Index 1847-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

Lutheran St. Joseph's Lutheran Church


 * Records of St. Joseph's Lutheran Church in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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


 * St. Joseph

Court Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Directories

 * St. Joseph, Missouri Directories, 1887-90 at Ancestry ($)
 * St. Joseph, Missouri City Directory, 1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * Buchanan County, Missouri Directories, 1902, 1904-06 at Ancestry ($)

Land and Property Records
Deed records are available from 1839 to the present. They are archived at the Recorder of Deeds Office in the Courthouse.

Local Histories

 * Buchanan County, Missouri History. Available online at Ancestry ($)
 * History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. St. Joseph, Missouri : History Pub. Co., [1915?]. Available online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Portrait and biographical record of Buchanan and Clinton counties, Missouri. 1893. Available online at Google Books. The first part of the book contains biographies of the U.S. presidents. The second part, starting on p.111, contains biographies of Buchanan and Clinton county residents.
 * The Daily News' history of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo., from the time of the Platte Purchase to the end of the year 1898, : preceded by a short history of Missouri, supplemented by biographical sketches. Rutt, Christian Ludwig. [St. Joseph, Missouri] : St. Joseph Pub. Co., [1898]. Available online at FamilySearch (Free)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Buchanan County townships (Histopolis)
 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Buchanan County.
 * Map of 1904 Buchanan County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
 * An illustrated historical atlas map of Buchanan County, Mo at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Buchanan County, Missouri for European and African American settlers included:


 * Missouri River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan County, Missouri"

World War II

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1816-1955 Buchanan County Naturalization Records - Missouri State Archives.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1750-1988 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1839-1857 Abstracts of wills and administrations from books "A" and "B", 1839-1857. Hodges, Nadine. Kansas City, Missouri : Hodges &amp; Woodruff, 1969. Available online at FamilySearch (Free)

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.

Tax Records

 * Buchanan County, Missouri Taxpayers, 1887-90 at Ancestry ($)
 * Buchanan County, Missouri Taxpayers, 1891-95, 1901 at Ancestry ($)

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
 * 1837-1871 Buchanan County Birth Volumes A thru C Index 1837-1871. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images $
 * Pre-1910 Buchanan birth records at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * 1920-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Marriage

 * 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 $
 * 1839-1855 Buchanan County, Missouri Marriages: 1839-55 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1839-1874 Buchanan County Marriage Books A thru C Index 1839-1874. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1874-1883 Buchanan County Marriage Books D and E Index 1874-1883. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1883-1885 Buchanan County Marriage Books F and G Index 1883-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

Death

 * 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images $
 * 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1883-1893 Buchanan County Death Index 1883-1893. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
 * Pre-1910 Buchanan death records at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
 * 1968-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Family History Centers

 * St Joseph Missouri Family History Center

Libraries

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

Societies

 * Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society 412 Felix Street Saint Joseph, MO 64501 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 382 Saint Joseph, MO 64502 Phone: 816-233-0524
 * Saint Joseph Historical Society P.O. Box 246 Third and Poulin Streets St. Joseph, MO 64502 Phone: 816-232-5861

Websites

 * Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
 * Buchanan County MO Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Buchanan County MO, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * 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 ($)