Cass County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Lewis Cass. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cass County Courthouse 346 Main Street Plattsmouth, NE 68048 Phone: 855-658-5736 (toll free) Cass County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1855. County Court has probate and court records from 1854. Cemetery Board has burial records. Clerk District Court has divorce records from 1855. Register of Deeds has land 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:

Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

State Census Records


 * 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Church Records

 * Immanuel Lutheran Church, located at 36712 Church Road, Louisville, Nebraska, 68037-2918
 * Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 31104 Church Road, Murdock, Nebraska 68407-2216

Online Church Records

 * 1875-1899 - at FamilySearch — index

Land and Property Records

 * 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 Nebraska Land and Property

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Cass County for European and African American settlers included:


 * Missouri River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1891 - Nebraska Resident Military Roster on June 1, 1891 at Ancestry.com - ($), Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, the Mexico War, and the War of the Rebellion, residing in Nebraska June 1, 1891
 * 1893 - Roster of Nebraska Veterans - list of veterans in 1893
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

 * 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
 * Nebraska Newspapers - contains images of newspapers throughout Nebraska
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Nebraska newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Nebraska State Historical Society - catalog of known Nebraska 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

Other Records

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage

 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Death

 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index

Libraries

 * Plattsmouth Public Library 401 Avenue A Plattsmouth, NE 68048 Phone: 402-296-4154 Fax: 402-296-4712 Email: plattsmouthpubliclibrary@hotmail.com
 * Elmwood Public Library 124 West D St PO Box 283 Elmwood, NE 68349-0283 Phone: 402-994-4125 Fax: 402-994-4125 Email: elmwoodlibrary@outlook.com Director: Janet L Sorensen
 * Greenwood Public Library 619 Main St PO Box 29 Greenwood, NE 68366-0029 Phone: 402-789-2301 Fax: 402-789-2323 Email: kfranklibrary@hotmail.com Director: Karen Frank

Societies

 * Cass County Genealogy Club 1116 Third Avenue Plattsmouth, NE 68048
 * Cass County Historical Society 646 Main St. Plattsmouth, NE 68048
 * Weeping Water Valley Historical Society 215 W Eldora Ave Weeping Water, NE 68463 Phone: 402-267-5447 Website

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb
 * - 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