Keith County, Nebraska Genealogy

United States Nebraska  Keith County

Keith County, Nebraska genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

County Courthouse
Keith County Courthouse 511 North Spruce Street, PO Box 149 Ogallala NE 69153 Phone 308.284.4726 County Clerk has birth, death, and land records. County Judge has marriage records. Clerk District Court has divorce, probate, and court records.

Parent County
1873--Keith County was created 27 February 1873 from unorganized territory. County seat: Ogallala

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
 * Nebraska Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

 * Ogallala
 * Brule
 * Paxton
 * Keystone
 * Lemoyne
 * Rosco

Neighboring Counties

 * Arthur
 * Deuel
 * Garden
 * Lincoln
 * McPherson
 * Perkins
 * Sedgwick County, Colorado

State Census Records

 * 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

Court

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Land
For more information see Nebraska 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

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European and African American settlers included:


 * Platte 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

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage Records
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images
 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Societies and Libraries

 * Keith County Historical Society Mansion on the Hill 1004 North Spruce Street P.O. Box 5 Ogallala, NE 69153 Telephone: (308)-284-4215 Website: http://www.ogallalamansiononthehill.com/new_page_2.htm
 * Couldn't locate a genealogical society in Keith County

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.