Clay County, Kansas Genealogy

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

Description
The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852). The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse 712 5th Street P.O. Box 98 Clay Center, Kansas 67432-0098 Phone: 785.632.2552 Clay County Website County Clerk has birth, marriage and death records 1885-1911. Clerk District Court has divorce, probate and court records. Register of Deeds has land 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

 * Kansas DAR Bible Records at DAR Library Catalog

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

State and Territorial Census Records

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

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 — index - How to Use this Collection

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1868-1923 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Funeral Homes

 * Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home in Clay Center and Clifton

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1881 Land Plat book for Clay County - image of plat book
 * 1900 Land Plat book for Clay County - image of plat book
 * 1918 Land Plat book for Clay 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
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

For more information see Kansas Land and Property

Local Histories

 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties, Kansas. 1890.  By Chapman Brothers. Chicago, Illinois : Chapman Bros. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Civil War
Men from Clay County enlisted in the 11th Cavalry Regiment, Company L and the 6th and 13th Infantry Regiments.

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
 * 1917-1918 Frederick W. Hood, Clay County veterans of the World War, 1917-1918 Belleville, Kansas : Telescope Pub., 1920? FamilySearch Catalog

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 & images ($)
 * 1867-1922 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1931 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

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


 * 1885 - 1911 at FamilySearch — Index and images, only covers Bulter, Cherokee, Clay, Elk, and Marion Counties. - How to Use this Collection


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

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch — Index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — Index- How to Use this Collection
 * 1854 - 1861 KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index
 * 1861 - 1918 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Death

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Concordia Kansas FamilySearch Center
 * Junction City Kansas FamilySearch Center
 * Manhattan Kansas FamilySearch Center
 * Topeka Kansas FamilySearch Center


 * Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library - an affiliate library

Museums
Clay County Museum 518 Lincoln Ave Clay Center KS, 67432 Phone: 785-632-3786 Email:[mailto:ccmuseum@twinvalley.net ccmuseum@twinvalley.net] Website

Wakefield Museum 604 6th Street PO Box 193 Wakefield, KS 67487 Phone: 785-461-5516 Email: [mailto:wakefieldmuseum@eaglecom.net wakefieldmuseum@eaglecom.net] Website

Societies
Clay County Historical Society 518 Lincoln Ave Clay Center KS, 67432 Phone: 785-632-3786 Email:[mailto:ccmuseum@twinvalley.net ccmuseum@twinvalley.net] Website


 * See page on Genealogy Research under heading "What Do We Offer"

Websites

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