Rice County, Kansas Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Brigadier General Samuel A. Rice. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Rice County Courthouse 101 W. Commercial Street Lyons, Kansas 67554-2727 Phone: 316.257.2232 Rice County Website Clerk District Court has marriage records from 1872, divorce, probate and court records. Register of Deeds has land records from 1871. County Clerk has birth records 1895-1910 and burial records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * Michael Griffith and Agnes Livingston Bible Record at Then & Change Genealogy

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch How to Use this Collection — index

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection - Index and images
 * 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry - ($), Index and images
 * 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection— index and images
 * 1875 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1885 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index
 * 1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images
 * 1919-1961 Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry - Partial index (4 counties) and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index

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

 * 1811-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1918 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection —index

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Funeral Homes

 * Birzer Funeral Homes in Lyons and Sterling

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1902 Land Plat book for Rice County - image of plat book
 * 1919 Land Plat book for Rice County - image of plat book


 * 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
 * 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index and images

For more information see Kansas Land and Property

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * For information about Civil War records see Marion County.

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records. Collections Covering Multiple Wars


 * Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
 * Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.

Civil War


 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
 * 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

Spanish-American War (1898)


 * 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War I


 * History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
 * 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War II


 * 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only

Korean War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Kansas - Index only

Vietnam War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Kansas - Index only

For further information see Kansas Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1864 - 1972 Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1865 - 1874 Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
 * 1865 - 1984 Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1917 - 1918 Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), 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 Newspaper Catalogs


 * 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

Other Records
Voter Records


 * 1854 Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1854 - 1856 Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803–1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1811-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection  — index


 * 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry — index $

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — Index
 * 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — Index
 * 1861 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry — index $

FamilySearch Centers

 * Great Bend Kansas FamilySearch Center
 * Hutchinson Kansas FamilySearch Center


 * Great Bend Public Library - an affiliate library
 * McPherson Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Geneseo Public Library 725 Main St Geneseo, KS 67444 Phone: 620-824-6140 Email: [mailto:gplib@hometelco.net gplib@hometelco.net] Website Little River Community Library 125 Main St Little River, KS 67457 Phone: 620-897-6610 Email: [mailto:lrcomlib@lrmutual.com lrcomlib@lrmutual.com] Website Facebook Lyons Public Library 201 W Main Lyons, KS 67554 Phone: 620-257-2961 Email: [mailto:lyonslibr@hotmail.com lyonslibr@hotmail.com] Website Facebook Sterling Free Public Library 138 N Broadway Sterling, KS 67579 Phone: 620-278-3191 Email: [mailto:sfpl1917@gmail.com sfpl1917@gmail.com] Website Facebook Young Historical Library 201 Main Street Little River, KS Phone: 620-897-6236

Museums
Coronado Quivira Museum 105 West Lyon Street Lyons, KS 67554 Phone: 620-257-3941 Email:[mailto:museum@cqmuseum.org museum@cqmuseum.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Rice County Historical Society 105 West Lyon Lyons, KS 67554 Phone: 620-257-3941 Email:[mailto:museum@cqmuseum.org museum@cqmuseum.org] Website Facebook Sterling Historic Preservation Inc 229 S Broadway PO Box 6 Sterling, KS 67579

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Rice County KS Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Rice county KS, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * Rice County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * 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