Lancaster County, Nebraska Genealogy

Lancaster County, Nebraska genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

County Courthouse
County Judge has marriage and probate records. County Clerk has land records.

Parent County
1855 Lancaster County was created 6 March 1855 from Cass and Pierce(old) Counties. County seat: Lincoln

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
 * Nebraska Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
==== Populated Places ====

Cities

 * Hickman
 * Lincoln
 * Waverly

Villages

 * Bennet
 * Davey
 * Denton
 * Firth
 * Hallam
 * Malcolm
 * Panama
 * Raymond
 * Roca
 * Sprague

Census-designated place

 * Walton

Unincorporated communities

 * Agnew
 * Arbor
 * Berks
 * Bethany
 * Cheney
 * College View
 * Emerald
 * Holland
 * Kramer
 * Martell
 * Prairie Home
 * Princeton
 * Rokeby
 * Saltillo

Census divisions
Lancaster County is divided into the following census divisions, called precincts, except for the City of Lincoln.


 * Buda
 * Centerville
 * Denton
 * Elk
 * Grant
 * Highland
 * Lancaster
 * City of Lincoln
 * Lincoln
 * Little Salt
 * Middle Creek
 * Mill
 * Nemaha
 * North Bluff
 * Oak
 * Olive Branch
 * Panama
 * Rock Creek
 * Saltillo
 * South Pass
 * Stevens Creek
 * Stockton
 * Waverly
 * West Oak
 * Yankee Hill

Neighboring Counties

 * Butler
 * Cass
 * Gage
 * Johnson
 * Otoe
 * Saline
 * Saunders
 * Seward

Cemeteries

 * A transcription of Wyuka Cemetery (Lincoln, NE) Interments 1877 to February 1881 is available online at http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/services/refrence/la_pubs/Those_Who_Slumber.pdf

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 — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

Lutheran

 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Lancaster County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Land
For more information see Nebraska 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
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

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



Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — 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.

WWI

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

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online
 * 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 Newspaper Catalogs
 * 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

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage Records
Online Marriage Records Indexes and Images
 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Societies and Libraries
County, Township and City Societies


 * Lincoln-lancaster County Genealogy Society P.O. Box 30055 Lincoln 68503

Libraries


 * Gere Branch Library 2400 South 56th Street (68506) (S. 56th St. & Normal Blvd.) Lincoln (402) 441-8560


 * Eiseley Branch Library 1530 Superior Street (68521) (N. 15th & Superior Streets) Lincoln (402) 441-4250

Family History Centers



 * Lincoln Nebraska Family History Center

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb
 * Lancaster County Genealogy (Nebraska Genealogy)
 * Lancaster County Genealogy (Nebraska Genealogy)