Douglas County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Douglas 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 Stephan A. Douglas, famous orator and United States senator. The County has Lawrence as its seat and the County was created August 25, 1855. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Douglas County Courthouse 111 E. 11th Street Lawrence, Kansas 66044 Phone: 785.841.7700 Douglas County Website Clerk District Court has probate and court records from 1863 naturalization records 1867-1953. Registrar of Deeds has land records. Spencer Research Library has marriage 1863-1912.

Populated Places
The following are locations in Douglas County, Kansas:

Cemeteries
BillionGraves:
 * Eudora Cemetery, Eudora
 * Maple Grove Cemetery, Lawrence
 * Pioneer Cemetery, Lawrence

State and Territorial Census Records

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

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.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1857 Shawnee Indian Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1900 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1857 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1873 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1887 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1902 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1909 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book
 * 1921 Land Plat book for Douglas County - image of plat book

For more information see Kansas 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

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * Lecompton, Kansas : the Capital Worth Remembering. By Lecompton Historical Society. Lecompton, Kan. : The Society. Online at:.
 * Portrait and Biographical Record of Leavenworth, Douglas and Franklin Counties, Kansas. 1899. Chicago, IL : Chapman Publishing Company. Online at: Hathitrust,Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * Rural Schools and Schoolhouses of Douglas County, Kansas. By Goldie Piper Daniels. Online at: ;.
 * Territorial Days : a Story of Historic Lecompton, Kansas. 1980. Online at: ;.

Maps and Gazetteers
Atlas of Douglas County, Kansas, 1873 published by F.W. Beers and Co., New York. Available on Kansas Memory.

Plat Book and Complete Survey of Douglas County, Kansas, 1909 including township and town maps with land owners. Published by Albert W. Armstrong. Available on Kansas Memory.

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


 * Kansas River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California

Civil War

 * Men from Douglas county enlisted in the 1st Infantry Regiment, Company A and  20th Regiment, Company H.

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battle was fought in Douglas County.


 * August 21, 1863 = Lawrence, also known Lawrence Massacre


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Kansas.

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
 * 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 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

Probate Records
'''Online Records


 * 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth

 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org — 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 — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 - at FamilySearch — Index
 * 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 - at FamilySearch.org — Index
 * 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Family History Centers

 * Lawrence Kansas Family History Center

Libraries
Spencer Research Library—Kansas Collections (includes Douglas County Records) University of Kansas 1450 Poplar Lane Lawrence, KS 66045-7616 Phone: (785) 864-4334 Website

Museums
Watkins Community Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts Street Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: (785) 841-4109 Email: [mailto:info@watkinsmuseum.org info@watkinsmuseum.org] Website

Societies
Douglas County Historical Society 1047 Massachusetts Lawrence 66044

Douglas County Kansas Genealogical Society PO Box 3664 Lawrence 66046-0664 Or, 1329 Kasold Dr. G-1 Lawrence, KS 66049

Kansas Historical Society 6425 SW Sixth Avenue Topeka, KS 66615-1099 Phone: (785) 272-8681 Fax: (785) 272-8682 Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project: Douglas County, Kansas. 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
 * Douglas County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)