Webster County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
Webster County is located in the on the southern border of the state. The county was named after the statesman Daniel Webster.

County Courthouse
Webster County Courthouse 621 N. Cedar Street Red Cloud, NE 68970 Phone: 402.746.2716 Webster County Website County Clerk has marriage, land, divorce, probate and court records from 1871 and naturalization records from 1874.

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:

Census Records
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  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Online Church Records
 * 1875-1899 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index

Funeral Homes

 * Merten-Butler Mortuary in Blue Hill
 * Williams Funeral Homes in Red Cloud

Land and Property Records
Online Land 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

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; images only


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

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1861 - 1948 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 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

 * 1917 - 1918 World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War II

 * 1940 - 1945 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1855-1989 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; 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 Indexes and 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.

Marriage

 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Death

 * 1861 - 1948 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1904-1955 Reclaim the Records: Nebraska Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1904-1968 Nebraska, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1904-1968 at Ancestry — index, ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Beatrice Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Hastings Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Kearney Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Lincoln Nebraska FamilySearch Center


 * Grand Island Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Auld Doudna Public Library 155 W Grant Guide Rock, NE 68942 Phone: 402-257-4015 Website Auld Public Library 537 N Webster PO Box 287 Red Cloud, NE 68970-0287 Phone: 402-746-3352 Email: [mailto:rclibr@hotmail.com rclibr@hotmail.com] Facebook Website
 * Director: Terri Eberly

Blue Hill Public Library 317 W Gage St PO Box 278 Blue Hill, NE 68930-0278 Phone: 402-756-2701 Email: [mailto:bhlibrary17@gmail.com bhlibrary17@gmail.com] Facebook Website
 * Director: Carla Post

Societies
Webster County Historical Society 721 W 4th Ave PO Box 464 Red Cloud, NE 68970 Phone: 402-746-2444 Email: [mailto:wchmdirector@gpcom.net wchmdirector@gpcom.net] Facebook Website

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives Webster County Nebraska
 * Linkpendium
 * Genealogy Inc.
 * - 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