Mercer County, Missouri Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for John Francis Mercer. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mercer County Courthouse 802 E Main Street Princeton, MO 64673 Phone: 660-748-3425 Mercer County Website County Clerk has birth records 1883-1894 and death records 1883-1891. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court, land records. Circuit Court, Division 2, has probate records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places in Mercer County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * The Crime of Ira Sexton : containing Life history and last statements by Himself. [S.l. : s.n., 1898?]. Available online at FamilySearch

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy
 * ?-2008 Cemetery records of Mercer County, Missouri by cemetery and by surname

Census Records

 * 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Index of Mercer County, Missouri census records 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censues of Mercer County. Includes 1922 Atlas/Plat book Mercer Co. Mo. with index of landowners.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Catholic Princeton


 * 1871-1876 Princeton Catholic Church Baptism Index 1871-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Court Records

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * A Brief History of Mercer County, Missouri. n.d. n.p.: n.p. Online at: FamilySearch
 * History of Mercer County, Missouri. 1911. n.d.: n.d. Online at: FamilySearch
 * History of Missouri's Counties, County Seats, and Courthouse Squares. 1983. by Marian M. Ohman. Missouri: Missouri State Library. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * Mercer Centennial, 1872-1972. 1972. Princeton, Missouri: Mercer County Genealogical & Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch
 * Rogers' souvenir history of Mercer County, Missouri. 1911. By W. B. Rogers. Trenton, Missouri: W. B. Rogers Printing Company. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * State of Missouri: an autobiography. 1904. By Walter Williams. Columbia, Mo: Press of E. W. Stephens. Online at: Missouri Digital History

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Mercer County townships (Histopolis)
 * Missouri As It Is In 1867. 1867. by Nathan II. Parker. Philadelpia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Mercer County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * An Illustrated Historical atlas of Mercer County, Mo. at Missouri Digital Heritage
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection

Civil War
Online Records


 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1911-1938  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Regiments

Service men in Mercer County, Missouri served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Mercer County, Missouri:

World War I

 * A History of the boys of Mercer County, Mo. : a fond tribute to our heroic sons who took part in the World War 1917-1918-1919 Mercer, Mo. : W.H. Lowry, [192-? Includes an alphabetical listing of soldiers, sailors and marines from Grundy County

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1941-1946  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * Missouri Digital Newspaper Project at Missouri State Historical Society

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1750-1988 at FamilySearch — images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index & 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * Pre-1910 Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index.
 * 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1827-1935  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1883-1894 Mercer County Birth Index 1883-1894. Batches and  at FamilySearch.
 * 1910-2022 Missouri, Birth Index, 1920-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)

Marriage

 * 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1776-1988 Missouri, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1844-1885 - Mercer County Marriage Book A Index 1844-1885. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1898-1932 Mercer Co. Missouri index of marriage books A, G, H, I and J listed by grooms and by brides

Death

 * 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883-1894 Mercer County Death Index 1883-1894. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
 * 1968-2022 Missouri, Death Index, 1968-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($); Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Societies
Mercer County Genealogical and Historical Society P.O. Box 97 Princeton, MO 64673 Phone: 660-748-3725 Website

Websites

 * Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
 * Mercer County MO Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Mercer County MO, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * MOGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * . Free. - 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
 * RootsWeb resources. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * StateofUS. Free. family history resources and government records
 * Missouri Genealogy. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)