Dunklin County, Missouri Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Recorder of Deeds has marriage and land records; Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records; Probate Judge has probate records.

Parent County
1845 Dunklin County was created 14 February 1845 from Stoddard County. County seat: Kennett

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Missouri county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Missouri County Boundary Maps" (1804-1889) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1860s Fire destroyed the courthouse. 1872  Courthouse burned in April 1872. All records were destroyed.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog




 * The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.

Neighboring Counties
Butler •  Clay County, Arkansas  •  Craighead County, Arkansas  •  Greene County, Arkansas  •  Mississippi County, Arkansas  •  New Madrid  •  Pemiscot  •  Stoddard

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census

 * 1732-1933 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * Dunklin County Historical Society. Kennett, Missouri : Thrower Printing Co., [190-?].
 * Vol. 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Vol. 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Smyth-Davis, Mary F. History of Dunklin County, Missouri, 1845-1895; embracing an historical account of the towns and post-villages of Clarkton, Cotton Plant, Cardwe ll, Caruth, Campbell, Gibson, Halcomb, Hornersville, Kennett, Lulu, Mald en, Nesbit, Senath, Valley Ridge, Vincent, White Oak, and Wrightville. Including a department devoted to the description of the early appearanc e, settlement, development, resources, and present appearance of the cou nty, with an album of its people and homes profusely illustrated. St. Louis : Nixon-Jones Print., 1896.
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * History of southeast Missouri. Embracing an historical account of the counties of Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Perry, Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Dunklin, Scott, Mississippi, Stoddard, Butler, Wayne and Iron. Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co., 1888.
 * Online at MissouriDigitalHeritage (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Dunklin County townships (Histopolis)


 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Dunklin County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.

Military

 * 1900 - 1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * at FamilySearch — images

Regiments

Service men in Dunklin 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 Dunklin County, Missouri:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company D
 * - 5th Regiment, Missouri Infantry - Confederate, Company K
 * - 7th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company A
 * - 7th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company C
 * - 7th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company G
 * - 7th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate, Company Haislip's

World War II

 * 1941-1946 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1750 - 1988 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1766 - 1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Births

 * 1827 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1851 - 1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $

Marriages

 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1988 - Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1872 - 1885 Dunklin County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1872-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Deaths

 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

 * Dunklin County Genealogical Society 226 North Main Street Kennett, MO 63857 Phone: 573-888-3561


 * Campbell Area Genealogical And Historical Society P.O. Box 401 Campbell, MO 63933-0401


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