Burt County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
Burt County was named for Francis Burt. It is located in the east central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Burt County Courthouse 111 N. 13th Street, Suite 9 Tekamah, NE 68061-1043 Phone: 402-374-2950 Burt County Website County Clerk has marriage and land records. County Judge has probate and court records. Clerk District Court has divorce 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:

Cemeteries
Check Cemeteries in Google Maps for Cemetery Location

Census Records
In addition to the federal census of 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 Burt County can also be found in several territorial and state census.

1854 NE Territorial Census, District 6 (Burt &amp; Washington Counties)

1856 NE Territorial Census for Burt County

Burt County Taxes of April 1872

1885 NE State Census for Burt County

Burt County odds and ends

Business Directory and Farmer's Listof the Nebraska State Gazetteer: Burt County

1890 Farmers List

Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

State Census Records


 * 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * 1875-1899 - at FamilySearch — index

Land and Property Records

 * 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.com - ($), index and images

For more information see Nebraska Land and Property

Local Histories
History of the State of Nebraska first published in 1882 by The Western Historical Company, A. T. Andreas, Proprietor, Chicago, IL. Includes a detailed chapter on Burt County. Republished on the web by NEGenWeb Project Resource Center On-Line Library. Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska: Burt County Produced by Karen Elliott.) also included are Biographical sketches of Tekamah, Arizona, Riverside, Decatur, Alder Grove, Oakland, Lyons Bancroft. Biographical Sketches


 * "Noteworthy Men of Tekamah and Vicinity", by Ott Brothers, 1905. Republished on the web by NEGenWeb Project Resource Center On-Line Library. List of Names


 * A history of Burt County, Nebraska: from 1803 to 1929. Wahoo, Neb.: Ludi Print. Co., [1929?] Available online through Heritage Quest (check with your local library through which you may have access already to Heritage Quests databases); FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Story of an old town: with reminiscences of early Nebraska and biographies of pioneers by DeMilt, A. P. Omaha, Neb.: Douglas Print. Co. 1902 [about Decatur, Burt County, NE, chapter 6 is about early Burt County in general with biographical sketches] Available online through Heritage Quest (check with your local library through which you may have access already to Heritage Quests databases).


 * Who's Who in Burt County, Nebraska, 1940. by Douglas C. Sutherland. Transcribed by Karen Elliott for NEGenWeb Project.


 * A Craig scrapbook: a story of a village in Burt County, Nebraska by Lang, Russell Clark; Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, c2008 Available online by BYU Digital Archives. FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * 1884 Atlas of State: Record of County Officials of Burt County, Nebraska 1855 - 1884. Historic Map Works. Can purchase these maps as well ($) as enlarge them and view them.


 * "Nebraska... Our Towns" contains short histories of the individual towns in Burt county. "Historical Nebraska" is part of "Virtual Nebraska" by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Maps and Gazetteers
Burt County website has a group of useful maps including very detailed road, county, and city maps.

Nebraska Department of Roads website lists a number of very detailed historic maps.
 * Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Military Pensioners, 1 January 1883 transcribed by Alice Miller for USGenWeb Nebraska Archives
 * 1891 - Nebraska Resident Military Roster on June 1, 1891 at Ancestry.com - ($), Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, the Mexico War, and the War of the Rebellion, residing in Nebraska June 1, 1891
 * 1893 - Roster of Nebraska Veterans - list of veterans in 1893
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

 * Burt County WWI Draft Records and Military Personal transcribed by Bill Weaver for USGenWeb Nebraska Archives
 * 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only


 * Biographical Information on several Burt County Veterans of WW I


 * Obituaries of some of the service men WWI


 * Some of our service men from Burt County who received honors WWI


 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1855-1989 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
 * Nebraska Newspapers - contains images of newspapers throughout Nebraska
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Nebraska newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Nebraska State Historical Society - catalog of known Nebraska newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
 * 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

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 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.

Tax Records
Burt County Taxes of April 1872

Marriage

 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only
 * 1861 - 1937 - Marriage Records 1861-1937 transcribed by Bill Weaver for USGenWeb Nebraska Archives

Death

 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1904-1955 Reclaim the Records: Nebraska Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Family History Centers

 * Swedish Heritage Center 301 North Chard Avenue Oakland, NE 68045 Phone: 402-685-6161 or 402-685-5057

Libraries

 * Lyons Public Library 335 Main Street Lyons, NE 68038-0198 Phone: 402-687-2895
 * Oakland Public Library 110 East 3rd Street Oakland, NE 68045-1356 Phone: 402-685-5113
 * Tekamah Public Library 204 South 13th Street Tekamah, NE 68061-1304 Phone: 402-374-2453

Museums

 * Burt County Museum E.C. Houston House 319 North 13th Street P.O. Box 125 Tekamah, NE 68061-0125 Phone: 402-374-1505 Email: [mailto:burtcomuseum@huntel.net burtcomuseum@huntel.net]

Societies

 * Burt County Historical Society P.O. Box 125 Tekamah, NE 68061-0125
 * Northeastern Nebraska Genealogical Society (NENGS) P.O. Box 249 Lyons, NE 68038-0249

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb
 * Nebraska Genealogy: Burt County Page
 * Linkpendium: Burt 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