Republic County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Republic 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 the Republican River. The County has Belleville as its seat and the County was created February 27, 1860. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

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:

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
 * 1884 Land Plat book for Republic County - image of plat book
 * 1904 Land Plat book for Republic County - image of plat book
 * 1923 Land Plat book for Republic 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

 * A History of Republic County, Kansas. 1901.  By Isaac O. Savage.  Beloit, Kansas : Jones & Chubbic.  Online at:, Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($);.

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
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

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)