Ford County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Ford 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 Col. James H. Ford, of the Seconds Colorado Cavalry. The County has Dodge City as its seat and the County was created February 26, 1867. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Ford County Courthouse 100 Gunsmoke Street Dodge City, Kansas 67801-4482 Phone: 316.277.3184 Ford County Website County Clerk has birth, death and burial records. Probate Judge has marriage, probate and court records. Clerk District Court has divorce records. County Clerk has land records.

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

See also: National Register of Historic Places Listings in Ford 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.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1905-06 Land Plat book for Ford County - image of plat book
 * 1916 Land Plat book for Ford 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
 * Dodge City and Ford County, Kansas, 1870-1920. c1966. By Ford County Historical Society. Dodge City, Kansas : Ford County Historical Society. Online at: ;.
 * Dodge City and Ford County, Kansas. 1911. Larned, Kansas : Tucker-Vernon Publishing Company.  Online at: Hathitrust, Ancestry ($).
 * Early Ford County. c1964. By Ida Ellen Rath. North Newton, Kansas : Mennonite Press. Online at: Ford County Historical Society;.

Civil War

 * For information about Civil War records see Marion County.
 * Death-Burial Records Soldiers Home

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 — 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 $
 * Death-Burial Records Soldiers Home

Family History Centers

 * Garden City Kansas Family History Center

Societies
Ford County Historical Society PO Box 131 Dodge City 67801-0131 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
 * Ford County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)