Kay County, Oklahoma Genealogy

United States Oklahoma  Kay County Kay County, Oklahoma 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
Kay County Courthouse 201 S. Main Newkirk, Oklahoma 74647 Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1893; County Clerk has land records from 1983

Parent County
1893--Kay County was created in 1893. It was an original county (Cherokee Outlet). Originally known as “K” County, it was part of the Cherokee Outlet and was formed after the famous Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893.

County seat: Newkirk

Record Loss
Land Records Deed Index Grantee Record Book (1901-1910).

Places/Localities
Kay County sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Kay County Historical Sites listed on USGS– This list contains mostly historical post offices. Click on feature name in the list then use the GNIS Google Map feature to see map or satellite view of the location.

Populated Places

 * Blackwell
 * Braman
 * Kaw City
 * Kildare
 * Nardin
 * Newkirk (county seat)
 * Ponca City (largest city) (partially in Osage county)
 * Tonkawa
 * White Eagle

Neighboring Counties

 * Cowley County, Kansas
 * Garfield
 * Grant
 * Noble
 * Osage
 * Sumner County, Kansas

Cemeteries
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

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.

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Blackwell

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 ($)

Federal 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

City 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. These are arranged alphabetically by surname and divided into three sections.” Surnames A-K » Surnames L-Q » Surnames R-Z »

1941-1942 Kay County Atlas on the Pioneer Genealogical Society Website

Court
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.

District Court Offices:

Kay County Courthouse 201 S. Main, 2nd floor Newkirk, Oklahoma Phone: (580) 362-3350

Federal Post Office Building 4th Grand, 2nd floor Ponca City, Oklahoma Phone (580) 762-2148

City Administration Building 2nd Blackwell Avenue Blackwell, Oklahoma Phone (580) 363-2080

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

Land
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 P.O. Box 450 Newkirk, OK 74647 Main Phone Line: 1-580-362-2537 Toll Free Line: 1-888-567-4611 Available Records: Plats, deeds, patents, mortgages, surveys and other documents

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

Maps
1910 Kay County Maps at Historic Map Works

1971 Kay County Maps at Historic Map Works

Oklahoma Maps at Historic Map Works

Military
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: Military discharge records beginning in 1917

Oklahoma Historical Society Military Records Resources

Newspapers
Oklahoma Newspapers Online Oklahoma Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Oklahoma newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Oklahoma newspapers; searching tips
 * 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

Probate
Online Records
 * 1801 – 2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1887 – 2008 Oklahoma Probate Records 1887-2008 at FamilySearch — images

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.

Kay County District Court Clerk 201 S. Main, 2nd floor Newkirk, Oklahoma Phone: (580) 362-3350 Business hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.

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

School Records

 * 1895 - 1936 at | FamilySearch — index and images
 * 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: School records are available beginning in 1897. In 1897 Kay County had 88 school districts, compared to the present nine.

Taxation
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: IRS and Oklahoma tax liens

Kay County Assessor 201 S Main Newkirk, OK 74647 Phone: (580) 362-2565 Fax: (580) 362-3668

Online Property Search – This site may require a paid subscription for records access.

Birth Records

 * Oklahoma State Department of Health 1000 NE 10th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73117 Phone: (405) 271.4040 E-mail: AskVR@health.ok.gov Lobby Hours: 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday - Friday with the exception of state recognized holidays

Death Records

 * Oklahoma State Department of Health 1000 NE 10th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73117 Phone: (405) 271.4040 E-mail: AskVR@health.ok.gov Lobby Hours: 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday - Friday with the exception of state recognized holidays

Divorce Records

 * Kay County District Court Clerk 201 S. Main, 2nd floor Newkirk, Oklahoma Phone: (580) 362-3350 Business hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.
 * On Demand Court Records – Search *for Kay County court records online. Provides basic case information but no digital images are available.

Marriage Records
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.


 * Kay County District Court Clerk 201 S. Main, 2nd floor Newkirk, Oklahoma Phone: (580) 362-3350 Business hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.
 * 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


 * 1890–1995 -  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1893-1999 - Pioneer Genealogical Society Kay County Marriage Applications Index – Records date from September 29, 1893 to December 31, 1999.

Museums
Museums Listed on the Kay County Tourism Website

Societies and Libraries
Libraries

Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Pioneer Genealogical Society Genealogy Room of the Ponca City Public Library 515 East Grand Ponca City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Historical Society Oklahoma History Center 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-521-2491

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Ponca City Oklahoma Family History Center 15th &amp; Red Eagle Pawhuska OK 74056 United States Location Map

Web Sites

 * 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
 * LDS Oklahoma Research Outline PDF
 * Oklahoma Tourism Genealogical Resources Website