Howard County, Missouri Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Benjamin Howard. The County is located in the center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Howard County Courthouse #1 Courthouse Square Fayette, MO 65248 Phone: 660-248-2284 Howard County Website Clerk of the Circuit Court has birth records 1870-1955, marriage and court records from 1870, land and burial records from 1820, military and divorce records from 1900. Probate Court has probate records from 1835. County Health Nurse has death records from 1870.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, 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:

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census Records

 * 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Catholic Immaculate Conception, Richmond


 * 1870-1876 Immaculate Conception, Richmond, Baptism Index 1870-1876. 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

 * The Boon's Lick Country: a guide for the William Clark Society second annual field trip, June 15 and 16, 1940. 1940. By Charles Van Ravenswaay. St. Louis, Mo.: n.d. Online at FamilySearch
 * History of Chariton and Howard Counties, Missouri. 1923. By Thomas Berry Smith. Topeka, Kansas: Historical Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch
 * History of Howard and Chariton Counties, Missouri. 1883. St. Louis, Missouri: National Historical Company. Online at: Missouri Digital History
 * History of Howard and Cooper Counties, Missouri. 1883. By National Historical Company. St. Louis : National Historical Co. 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
 * 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 Howard 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 Howard County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
 * Standard Atlas of Howard County, Missouri 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 Howard 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 Howard County, Missouri:

Civil War Battle The following Civil War Battle was fought in Howard County.
 * October 15, 1864 - Glasgow.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

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
 * Missouri Intelligencer, 1819-1835 (Franklin, Howard County, Missouri) Searchable online at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Digital Collections, Index to Selected Missouri Newspapers.
 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Moberly newspapers from the early 1900's that covered local news on residents from Howard County communities.

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 ($)
 * 1883-1893 Howard County Birth Index 1883-1893. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1865-1878 Howard County Birth Index, Volume 4A, 1865-1878. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1920-2015 Missouri, Birth Index, 1920-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)

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 ($)
 * 1816-1861 Howard County Marriage Index 1816-1860. Batches and  at FamilySearch.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1865-1885 Howard County Marriage Book 4A Index 1865-1885. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1881-1885 Howard County Marriage Book 1 Index 1881-1885. Batch at FamilySearch.

Death

 * 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
 * 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883-1888 Howard County Death Index 1883-1888. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
 * 1968-2022 Missouri, Death Index, 1968-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($); Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Libraries

 * List of Missouri Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Societies

 * Howard County Genealogical Society 201 South Main Street Fayette, MO 65248 Phone: 660-248-3348 Email: [mailto:chiefman1962@gmail.com chiefman1962@gmail.com] Facebook

Websites

 * Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
 * 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 ($)