Franklin County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Franklin 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 American statesman Benjamin Franklin. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse 315 Main Street Ottawa, Kansas 66067 Phone: 785.242.1471 Franklin County Website Clerk District Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records. Register of Deeds has land and military records.

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:

See also: National Regiser of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Kansas

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

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

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
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1861-1918 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1878 Land Plat book for Franklin County - image of plat book
 * 1903 Land Plat book for Franklin County - image of plat book
 * 1920 Land Plat book for Franklin 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

 * Portrait and Biographical Record of Leavenworth, Douglas and Franklin Counties, Kansas. 1899. Chicago, IL : Chapman Publishing Company. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive,Google Books;.
 * Reflections of Franklin County and Chautauqua Days. 1961. By Franklin County Historical Society. Ottawa, Kansas : Franklin County Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

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


 * Men from this County enlisted in 1st Infantry Regiment, Company A and 15th Cavalry Regiment, Company A.


 * 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


 * 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

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 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 — index - How to Use this Collection


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

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 - at FamilySearch — Index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 - at FamilySearch.org — Index- How to Use this Collection
 * 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index
 * 1861 - 1918 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Family History Centers

 * Ottawa Kansas Family History Center

Museums

 *  Old Depot Museum  135 West Tecumseh Street Ottawa, KS 66067 Phone 785-242-1250 Website
 * Richmond Community Museum PO Box 284 119 E. Central Ave Richmond, KS 66080 Phone 785-835-6598 Email:[mailto:richmondmuseum@outlook.com richmondmuseum@outlook.com] Facebook

Societies
In the Genealogical Data section, a number of sources are indexed, such as probates, naturalizations, county marriages, county divorces, cemeteries, births, etc.
 * Franklin County Historical Society PO Box 145 1124 W 7th St Terrace Ottawa, KS 66067 Phone 785-242-1232 Facebook Website
 * Franklin County Genealogical Society PO Box 353 Ottawa, KS 66067 Email:[mailto:franklincogensoc@gmail.com franklincogensoc@gmail.com] Facebook Website
 * Wellsville Kansas Historical Society 517 Main Street Wellsville, Kansas, 66092 Phone 785-883-2368 Email:[mailto:web@wellsvillehistoricalsociety.org web@wellsvillehistoricalsociety.org] Facebook Website

Websites

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