Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Genealogy

Guide to Cape Girardeau County, Missouri ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records 1883-1893 and land records 1821-1859; County Recorder has marriage records; Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records; Probate Judge has probate records.

History
Cape Girardeau County predates the state of Missouri which was admitted to the union in 1821. Cape Girardeau was one of the five original districts of the Louisiana Territory from 1805-1812 and one of the five original counties of the Missouri Territory from 1812 to 1821.

Parent County
1812 Cape Girardeau County was created 1 October 1812 as an original county. County seat: Jackson

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Missouri county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Missouri County Boundary Maps" (1804-1889) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1870 Courthouse was destroyed by fire July 18, 1870.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog




 * The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.

Neighboring Counties
Alexander County, Illinois •  Bollinger  •  Perry  •  Scott  •  Stoddard  •  Union County, Illinois

Cemeteries

 * Cape Girardeau and Adjoining Counties, Missouri, Cemetery Records at Ancestry.com ($)


 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census

 * 1732-1933 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Evangelical
Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Jackson


 * 1884 - 1909 Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Jackson, Baptism Index 1884-1909. Batch  at FamilySearch - free.

St. James Evangelical Church, Tilsit


 * 1892 - 1973 St. James Evangelical Church, Tilsit, Baptism Index 1892-1973. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Salem Evangelical Church


 * 1874 - 1898 Salem Evangelical Church Baptism Index 1874-1898. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1874 - 1895 Salem Evangelical Church Marriage Index 1874-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Court

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * History of southeast Missouri. Embracing an historical account of the counties of Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Perry, Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Dunklin, Scott, Mississippi, Stoddard, Butler, Wayne and Iron. Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co., 1888.
 * Online at MissouriDigitalHeritage (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Map of Cape Girardeau County townships (Histopolis)


 * The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Cape Girardeau County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.


 * Map of 1904 Cape Girardeau County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)

Military

 * 1900 - 1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1911 - 1938 at FamilySearch — index and images

Regiments Service men in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battle was fought in Cape Girardeau County


 * April 26, 1863 = Cape Girardeau

Map showing Civil War battles in Missouri

World War II

 * 1941-1946 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1750 - 1988 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1766 - 1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Births

 * 1827 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1851 - 1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1866 - 1871 Cape Girardeau County Birth Index, Volume D, 1866-1871. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriages

 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1988 - Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1805 - 1868 Cape Girardeau County Marriage Books A thru C Index 1805-1868. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1868 - 1885 Cape Girardeau County Marriage Books D and E Index 1868-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Deaths

 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1883 - 1893 Cape Girardeau County Death Index 1883-1893. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

 * Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 389 204 S Union Ave Jackson, MO 63755 Phone: 573-243-8141


 * Cape Girardeau County Historical Society P.O. Box 251 Jackson, MO 63755


 * Riverside Regional Library Main Library: 1997 E. Jackson Blvd. P.O. Box 389 Jackson, MO 63755 Phone: 573-243-8141 Genealogy website


 * List of Missouri Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers



 * Cape Girardeau Missouri Family History Center 1048 W Cape Rock Dr, Cape Girardeau MO 63701-2707 United States Location Map