Republic County, Kansas Genealogy

United States Kansas Republic County

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

Description
When the county was officially organized in 1868, the governor named the town of Pleasant Hill as a temporary county seat. An 1869 election declared Belleville to be the permanent seat. Two subsequent elections failed to have it relocated. In 1872, the first courthouse, a 24 by 50 foot wood frame structure was built in Belleville. It was replaced in 1885 by a larger brick and limestone building. This masonry courthouse was destroyed by a fire on 1 April 1938. The current courthouse, which occupies an entire block, was dedicated on 18 December 1939. It is an example of the Art Deco style architecture popular among Kansas county courthouses of the early 20th century. Since 2002, the Republic County courthouse in Belleville has been listed on the National Register of Historic places.

County Courthouse
Republic County Courthouse 1815 M Street Rt 1 Belleville, Kansas 66935 Phone: 785.527.5691 Republic County Website  Register of Deeds has land records. Probate Court has probate records.

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

Census Records
State Census
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1875 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — images

Maps and Gazetteers
Republic County is divided into 20 townships, each approximately 6 miles by 6 miles, except White Rock and Union townships, whose boundary is the Republican River.

Civil War

 * "The only soldiers from Republic county in the war of the rebellion were Ezra Spencey Cory, who enlisted at Ft. Riley as a private in Company C, 2nd Cavalry, August 27th, 1863, served a little more than a year, and died at Springfield, Missouri, March 9th 1864, and Wm. Harshberger, ...who on the 8th of April was commissioned by the President as second lieutenant in the 5th U.S. Volunteers." from A History of Republic County, Kansas `by I.O. Savage.

Newspapers
The Belleville Public Library, with financial support from local patrons and The Belleville Telescope, has digitzed almost its entire collection of Republic County newspapers (and a few other periodicals) published from 1876 to 2005. This entire collection, comprising nearly 150,000 pages, can be searched, browsed, and saved free online at the Digital Archives of the Belleville Public Library.

The Kansas Historical Society has additional Republic County newspapers that may be borrowed on microfilm.

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

 * 1811 - 1911 at | FamilySearch — index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1855 - 1911 at | FamilySearch — images
 * 1855 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1855-1911 at Ancestry.com — images $

Death

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

Museums
Republic County Historical Museum 615 28th St Belleville, Kansas 66935 Telephone: 785-527-5971 E-mail:[mailto:repcomuse@nckcn.com repcomuse@nckcn.com] Website

Societies
Republic County Historical Society PO Box 218 Belleville 66935

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