Wilson County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Wilson 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 Hiero T. Wilson. The County has Fredonia as its seat and the County was created 1855. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wilson County Courthouse 615 Madison Street Fredonia, Kansas 66736-1383 Phone: 316.378.2186 Wilson County Website Probate Judge has marriage, probate and court records. Clerk District Court has divorce records from 1887. Register of Deeds has land records from 1885. County Clerk has birth records 1885-1911, marriage records from 1860, divorce and probate records from 1863, court records from 1934, and land records from 1861.

Populated Places
The following are locations in Wilson 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.

Church Records
Lutheran


 * Records of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wilson County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1881 Land Plat book for Wilson County - image of plat book
 * 1910 Land Plat book for Wilson 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
 * History of Neosho and Wilson Counties, Kansas. 1902. By L.W. Duncan.  Fort Scott, Kan. : Monitor Printing Co.  Online at:, Hathitrust, Google Books.

Civil War

 * During the Civil War men from Wilson, Woodson and Greenwood counties organized a mounted militia regiment in 1861, the 14th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry.

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

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 — index and 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
Wilson County Historical Museum 420 North 7th Street Fredonia, KS 66736 Telephone Number: 620-378-3965 Website 

Societies
Wilson County Historical Society 420 N 7th St Fredonia, KS 66736 Telephone Number:620-378-3965 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
 * Wilson County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)