Barton County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Barton 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 after a woman - nurse Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross and Civil War heroinse. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Barton County, Kansas Courthouse 1400 Main Street P.O. Box 1089 Great Bend, Kansas 67530-1089 Phone: 316.793.1870 Barton County Website County Clerk has birth and death records, 1892-1911 and cemetery records. Register of Deeds has land school and military discharge records. Clerk District Court has marriage, probate and naturalization 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 Register of Historic Places listings in Barton County, Kansas

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

 * 1861-1918 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Lutheran

Albert


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Albert, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Barton County

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Barton County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Funeral Homes

 * Bryant Funeral Home and Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Great Bend and Hoisington
 * Minnis Chapel in Ellinwood

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1902 Land Plat book for Barton County - image of plat book
 * 1916 Land Plat book for Barton 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


 * Biographical History of Barton County, Kansas. 1912. [Compiled by the staff of] Great Bend Tribune. Great Bend, Kan. : Great Bend Tribune.  Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books; Ancestry ($);.
 * Echoes of Pawnee Rock. 1908. By Margaret Perkins. Wichita, Kansas : Goldsmith-Woolard Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * The Heart of New Kansas. 1880. By Bernard Bryan Smyth. Great Bend, Kan. : B.B. Smyth. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Moments in History. 1972. By Ray S. Schulz. Great Bend, Kansas : Barton County Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * We Will Go To a New Land : the Great East Frisian Migration to America 1845-1895. 1998.  By Robert H. Behrens. Mahomet, Illinois : Behrens Publishing. Online at: Hathitrust;.

Maps and Gazetteers
.


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

Military Records

 * For information about Civil War records see Marion County.

1890 Census Veterans Schedules

Despite the destruction of the 1890 Federal Census, a few 1890 Census Veterans Schedules for the city of Great Bend in Barton County survived. They are available on roll 118 of "Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War" (NARA M123). The schedules list veterans and their widows who served as Union soldiers in the Civil War. For more information on the 1890 Veterans Schedules see Union Census Records.

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
Obituary Index for the Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, Kansas. Can be accessed by name and by the date the obituary appeared in the newspaper. Index gives the Name, obituary date or dates, the town and the age. Copies can be ordered from the Great Bend Public Library.

Barton County Index of Obituaries and Death Notices. Includes people that lived in or around Barton County during their lives. Index gives name, year of birth and death. name of newspaper, date of death, and possible other information.

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 — 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
 * 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

 * Great Bend Kansas Family History Center

Libraries
Great Bend Public Library 1409 Williams Great Bend, KS 67530 (620) 792-2409 Fax: (620) 793-7270 Website Great Bend Public Library is a FamilySearch Center. Microforms from the Salt Lake Family History Library may be ordered for use at the library. Facilities includes two reader/printers for use. One reader also has the capability of emailing or saving images to a flash drive. Reference librarians are available for assistance. A Genealogy collection and Kansas Collection provide other research materials for use in the building. Some duplicate items may be borrowed. Interlibrary Loan services can also be requested. Materials from other libraries around the world can often be located and borrowed for use. If borrowing is not possible, photocopies of specific pages or index pages can be obtained. Microfilm copies of most Barton County, Kansas, newspapers since the nineteenth century are found at the Library. Other miscellaneous microfilms, microfiche, and CD-Roms provide additional research materials.

Societies

 * Barton County Genealogical Society PO Box 425 Great Bend KS 67530
 * Barton County Historical Society Box 1091 85 South Highway 281 Great Bend 67530 Phone 620-793-5125 Email:[mailto:bchsdirector@gmail.com bchsdirector@gmail.com] Facebook Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Barton County KS Genealogy Research.   Contains information for researching genealogy in Allen 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
 * Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)