Kay County, Oklahoma Genealogy

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

Description
It is the only Oklahoma county keep its original territorial name. It is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kay County Courthouse 201 S. Main P.O. Box 450 Newkirk, Oklahoma 74647 Phone: 580.362.2537

Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1893; County Clerk has land records from 1983

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

 * 1949-1969  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Kay County Cemeteries listed on USGS – Click on feature name in the list then use the GNIS Google Map feature too see map or satellite view of the location.
 * Pioneer Genealogical Society Kay County Cemetery Index – This is an alphabetical name Index for interments in the Cemeteries which are available on CD from the Pioneer Genealogical Society.

'''Chilocco Indian School Cemetery
 * Chilocco Indian School Cemetery Photo Grant for Chilocco Cemetery Article - This article states that about 70 children were buried here.

'''Kay County Cemeteries listed on Find-A-Grave

Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Oklahoma starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Oklahoma Census. 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census Search at the Oklahoma Historical Society Website

Dawes Rolls Search at the Oklahoma Historical Society Website

State Census Records


 * 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census 1890 - Oklahoma Historical Societ
 * 1890 and 1907 Oklahoma Territorial Census, 1890 and 1907 at Ancestry — index and image ($)

Church Records

 * 1897-1984  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Blackwell
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Kay County Clerk’s Office P.O. Box 450 Newkirk, OK 74647 Main Phone Line: 1-580-362-2537 Toll Free Line: 1-888-567-4611 Available Records: Miscellaneous records (such as petitions to incorporate cities/towns, election returns for 1902, etc.) court judgments, mechanic and materialmens liens, physicians and hospital liens, and UCC filings.

On Demand Court Records – Search for Kay County court records online. Provides basic case information but no digital images are available.

Directories
Oklahoma State Historical Society has Smith's First Directory of Oklahoma Territory for the Year Commencing August 1, 1890, which provides information about the population of early Oklahoma. This transcribed index contains over 17,000 names. To search: Smith's First Directory of Oklahoma Territory. 1941-1942 Kay County Atlas on the Pioneer Genealogical Society Website

American Indians
Cemetery
 * 1901-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Census
 * 1851-1959 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851-1959 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1895-1914 U.S., Native American Citizens and Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes, 1895-1914 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1898-1914 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Dawes Census Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Dawes Final Rolls - Oklahoma Historical Society

Land and Property
 * 1884-1934 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Land Allotment Jackets for Five Civilized Tribes, 1884-1934 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1889 Oklahoma County Plats 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * 1898-1914  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1899 1907  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * For more information see Indians of Oklahoma

Land and Property Records
Kay County land records began in 1893 with the original patents from the Oklahoma Land Run. Recordings have been kept daily since the Land Run, and are current to date.

Kay County Clerk’s Office Oklahoma Public Land Records Search - The data for Kay County is available from August 1995 to present. This will give you the grantor and grantee’s names, case number, the date of the instrument and the date of filing, the type of document, book and page number where the filing is recorded and often the legal description of the property. Digital images or prints from this system require a fee. A variety of subscription levels are available as well as solutions for one time access. Bureau of Land Management Land Records Search Oklahoma Historical Society Land Records Resources

Online Land Indexes and Records For more information see Oklahoma Land and Property
 * 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
 * 1889 Oklahoma County Plats, 1889 - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * El Reno Homesteader Filings - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Oklahoma - shows boundary changes for Oklahoma Counties
 * Maps n More - county and township maps.
 * Oklahoma Civil War Map of Battles
 * 1910 Kay County Maps at Historic Map Works
 * 1971 Kay County Maps at Historic Map Works
 * Oklahoma Maps at Historic Map Works

Military Records
Military discharge records begin in 1917 Oklahoma Historical Society Military Records Resources

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 1783  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1879-1920  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Oklahoma, Confederate Pension Index, 1915-1955 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
 * https://digitalprairie.ok.gov/digital/collection/p16807coll1/search/searchterm/veterans!kay%20county/field/topics!all/mode/exact!all/conn/and!all/order/nosort/ad/asc Kay County honor roll and service record : being names, service records and pictures of Kay County, Okla., men and women who took part in the World War, 1917-1918] at Oklahoma Digital Prairie; digital book

World War II

 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Oklahoma Military Deaths - Oklahoma Historical Society
 * For more nationwide World War II databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Newspapers
Oklahoma Newspapers Online
 * Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Project at Oklahoma Historical Society
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Oklahoma newspapers; searching tips
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Oklahoma State Historical Society - catalog of known Oklahoma 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


 * Blackwell Journal
 * Daily Oklahoman
 * Newkirk Herald
 * Ponca City News
 * Arkansas City Traveler (Arkansas City, Kansas) – Sometimes carries stories and articles from Kay County, especially in the early historical editions.
 * Oklahoma Historical Society Newspaper Article Search
 * Oklahoma Historical Society Newspaper Catalog Search

Obituaries

 * Pioneer Genealogical Society Kay County Obituary Index

Other Records
Voter Records
 * 1906-1956  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Although Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, some Oklahoma Territorial and Indian Territorial probate records were kept at a county level beginning in 1893. Records are available from 1893 until present day.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801–2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1887–2008  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Available Records: School records are available beginning in 1897. In 1897 Kay County had 88 school districts, compared to the present nine.
 * 1895-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * Kay County Clerk’s Office
 * Online Property Search – This site may require a paid subscription for records access.

Birth
Online Birth Records Indexes and Images
 * Early Oklahoma Birth Records

Marriage
Although Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, some Oklahoma Territorial and Indian Territorial records were kept beginning about 1890. The marriage bonds, affidavits, licenses and certificates were kept at a county level, by or when the county was formed. However, one must keep in mind that these territorial marriages were sometimes not registered at all or they were registered at the county courthouses in adjoining states such as Arkansas, Kansas or Texas.

The county began recording marriages at this time. Records are available from 1893 until present day and are in the form of scanned images of the original marriage registers. The county continues to hold all of the recorded marriage documents and none have been lost or destroyed by any manner. No official records are located offsite.


 * On Demand Court Records – Search for Kay County court records online. Provides basic case information but no digital images are available.
 * Oklahoma Historical Society Marriage Records Resources

Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images


 * 1790-1998 Oklahoma, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1841-1927 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1870-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Only
 * 1870-1930 Oklahoma, Select Marriages, 1870-1930 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1870-1930 Oklahoma, Marriages, 1870-1930 at My Heritage index ($)
 * 1889-1951 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Marriage Index, 1889-1951
 * 1890-1995  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1893-1999 Kay County Marriage Applications Index, Pioneer Genealogical Society – Records date from September 29, 1893 to December 31, 1999.
 * OKGenWeb Oklahoma Marriages

Death
Online Death Records Indexes and Images
 * Obituaries Listed in the Oklahoman - Oklahoma Historical Society — index only
 * 1864-1941  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete
 * 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry  incomplete ($}

Divorce
Online Divorce Records Indexes and Images
 * 1923-1942 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Divorce Index, 1923-1942
 * On Demand Court Records – Search *for Kay County court records online. Provides basic case information but no digital images are available.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Cleveland Oklahoma FamilySearch Center
 * Enid Oklahoma FamilySearch Center
 * Pawhuska Oklahoma FamilySearch Center
 * Ponca City Oklahoma FamilySearch Center

Libraries

 * Blackwell Public Library 123 W. Padon Blackwell, OK 74647 Phone: 580-363-1809 Website
 * J.A. Walker Memorial Library 900 Morgan Square Kaw City, OK 74641 Phone: 580-269-1317
 * Newkirk Public Library 116 N. Maple Ave. Newkirk, OK 74647 Phone: 580-362-3934 Website
 * Ponca City Library 515 E. Grand Ponca City, OK 74601 Phone: 580-767-0345 Website
 * Tonkawa Public Library 216 N. 7th Tonkawa, OK 74653 Phone: 580-628-3366 Website
 * Arkansas City Public Library 120 E. 5th Avenue Arkansas City, KS 67005 Phone: 620-442-1280 Email: [mailto:arkcitypl@acpl.org arkcitypl@acpl.org] Website

Museums

 * Kanza Museum
 * Kaw City Museum
 * McCarter Museum & Centennial Park
 * Newkirk Community Historical Museum
 * Newkirk Heritage Center
 * Pioneer Woman Statue & Museum
 * Standing Bear Park, Museum & Education Center
 * Tonkawa Tribal Museum
 * Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum

Societies
Pioneer Genealogical Society PO Box 1965 Genealogy Room of the Ponca City Public Library 515 East Grand Ponca City, OK 74602 Email: [mailto:queries@pgsok.org queries@pgsok.org] Website

Websites

 * Kay County on the USGenWeb Project - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Kay County, Oklahoma on Wikipedia
 * Oklahoma Research Outline PDF
 * Oklahoma Tourism Genealogical Resources Website
 * - 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