Lincoln County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Lincoln 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 Abraham Lincoln. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse 216 E.Lincoln Ave. Lincoln, Kansas 67455-2097 Phone: 785.524.4757 Lincoln County Website County Clerk has some cemetery, land and court records and some local census records from 1913. Clerk District Court has marriage, divorce, probate, court and naturalization records 1870. Register of Deeds has land records from 1870 and military discharge records from 1880.

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

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1875 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1919-1961 Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry — Partial index (4 counties) and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Funeral Homes

 * Parson Funeral Home Hall Chapel in Lincoln
 * Rentschler Family Mortuaries in Sylvan Grove

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1901 Land Plat book for Lincoln County - image of plat book
 * 1918 Land Plat book for Lincoln 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


 * Indian Raids in Lincoln County, Kansas, 1864 and 1869. 1920. By C. Bernhardt. Lincoln, Kansas : Lincoln Sentinel Print. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive.
 * A Souvenir History of Lincoln County, Kansas. 1908.  By Elizabeth N. Barr.  Topeka, Kansas : Farmer Job Office.  Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Lincoln County was not organized until after the Civil War.

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.

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
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), 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

Obituaries
Lincoln County Obituary Index Web page provides the information to obtain a copy of the obituary.

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 Probate Indexes and 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 - How to Use this Collection; index


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

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1861 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1886 - 1989 Lincoln County Death Register, 1886-1989. Index will provide: Surname; Given Name; Month; Day; Year; Book and Page

Libraries
Lincoln Carnegie Library: Library holdings can be searched in Pathfinder Central. The library may have cataloged unique items related to genealogy and local history, in addition to published works for this area.

Societies
Lincoln County Historical Society ​PO Box 85 216 W. Lincoln Avenue Lincoln, Kansas 67455 Phone 785-524-9997 Email:[mailto:lchs@eaglecom.net lchs@eaglecom.net] Facebook Website

Websites

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