Brown County, Kansas Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Albert Gallatin Brown (1813-1880), United States senator from Mississippi at the time of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Other legislators, however, stated it was named for O. H. Browne, a member of that legislature. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Brown County Courthouse 601 Oregon Street

PO Box 417 Hiawatha, Kansas 66434 Brown County Website Clerk of the District Court, (785) 742-7481: Marriage records from 1857 to present. Naturalization records starting in 1930s. Probate and court records from 1800’s.

County Clerk, (785) 742-2581: Birth and death records for 1885-1889 and 1907, 1911, indexed. Brown County census for 1860 and 1880 (indexed). Brown County newspapers for 1875-1899 (indexed).

Register of Deeds, (785) 742-3741: Military discharges, cemetery deeds, and land records from 1857.

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:

See also: National Register of Historic Places in Brown County, Kansas Indian Reservation

The Kickapoo Indian Reservation is located within the boundaries of Brown County.

Census Records
Indexed county-level censuses for 1860 and 1880 available through County Clerk (see Courthouse info).

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

 * 1861-1918 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1887 Land Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
 * 1904 Land Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
 * 1919 and Plat book for Brown 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.com - ($), index and images

For more information see Kansas Land and Property

Local Histories
Online County Histories


 * Annals of Brown County, Kansas : From the Earliest Records to January 1, 1900. 1903. Compiled and published by Grant W. Harrington. Hiawatha, Kansas : G.W. Harrington.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.
 * History and Statistics of Brown County, Kansas. 1876.  By Edmund Needham Morrill. Hiawatha, Kan. : Kansas Herald Book, News, and Job Office. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust,  Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
 * History of Brown County. (Title also known as A. N. Ruley's History of Brown County.) 1930. By Andrew Newton Ruley. Hiawatha, Kansas : [The Daily World]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($);.
 * History of Brown County, Kansas : Giving Brief Sketches.... (Title also known as History and Statistics of Brown County, Kansas.) 1876. By Edmund Needham Morrill. Hiawatha, Kan. : Kansas Herald Book, News, and Job Office. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * A.N. Ruley's History of Brown County. (Title also known as History of Brown County.) 1976 Reprint. By Andrew Newton Ruley. [Marceline, Missouri] : Walsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * A Pictorial History of Brown County, Kansas 1880-1991. 1992. By Hiawatha Daily World. Marceline, Missouri : Heritage House Pub..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Brown County, Kansas Genealogy for European and African American settlers included:


 * Missouri River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

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

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.

Civil War
Soldiers from Brown County enlisted in:


 * 1st Regiment, Companies A and B
 * 2nd Infantry Regiment, Companies Dand G
 * 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Company I
 * 5th Cavalry Regiment, Companies G and L
 * 7th Regiment, Companies A, C, H, and I
 * 8th Regiment, Companies C and D
 * 9th Regiment, Company A
 * 11th Regiment, Company F
 * 13th Regiment, Companies A, B, E, G, H, I
 * 14th Cavalry Regiment, Companies A, H, L, K
 * 16th Cavalry Regiment, Companies A, C, and K
 * Nebraska 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Companies G and L
 * Missouri Regiments 5 and 25

All regiments are Kansas Infantry unless otherwise indicated.

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


 * 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 Records


 * 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 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.

Birth

 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection


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

Libraries
Barnes Reading Room Library 640 Main St

PO Box 204 Everest, KS 66424  Telephone Number: (785) 548-7733

Website

Morrill Free Public Library 431 Oregon St  Hiawatha, KS 66434  Telephone Number: (785) 742-3831

Website

Horton Public Library 809 1st Ave. East  Horton, KS 66439  Telephone Number: (785) 486-3326

Website

Museums
Brown County Ag Museum 301 E Iowa St  Hiawatha, KS 66434  Telephone Number: (785) 742-3702

Brown County Downtown Museum 611 E Utah St  Hiawatha, KS 66434  Telephone Number: (785) 742-3330

Website

Societies

 * Brown County Genealogical Society 116 South 7th Street Hiawatha, Kansas 66434-2307 Phone 785-742-7511 E-mail:[mailto:brcogenealogy@yahoo.com brcogenealogy@yahoo.com] Website
 * Brown County Historical Society 611 Utah St Hiawatha, KS 66434 Phone 785-742-3330 Email:[mailto:bchsdirect@gmail.com bchsdirect@gmail.com] Facebook Website

Websites

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