Polk County, Missouri Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Recorder has marriage from 1835 and land records from 1836; Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1857; Probate Judge has probate records from 1947.

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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Neighboring Counties
Cass •  Clay  •  Johnson  •  Johnson County, Kansas  •  Lafayette  •  Ray  •  Wyandotte County, Kansas

Biographies

 * Family Biographies from The History of Polk County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Cemeteries

 * Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy

Census

 * 1732-1933 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records

Court

 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * Dade County Historical Society (Greenfield, Missouri). History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri present : from the earliest time to the present, including a department devoted to the preservation of sundry personal, business, professional, and private records; besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, etc., etc. Chicago, Illinois : Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1889.
 * Online at FamilySearch (Free)

Maps



 * Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Map of 1904 Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, 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 $

Marriages

 * 1750 - 1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1988 - Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1800 - 1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
 * 1836 - 1874 Polk County Marriage Index 1836-1874. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1874 - 1885 Polk County Marriage Index 1874-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * Marriage records, Polk County, Missouri at Ancestry.com $

Deaths

 * 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
 * 1867 - 1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1883 Polk County Death Index, Volume 1, 1883. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

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

Genealogical Society
Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc. 120 E. Jackson P. O. Box 632 Bolivar, MO 65613 Phone: 417-777-2820 Website Facebook

Library
Polk County Library 1690 W. Broadway Bolivar, MO 65613 Phone: 417-326-4531 Website

Family History Centers

 * Bolivar Missouri Family History Center 1575 E Mount Gilead Rd Bolivar MO 65613 United States Location Map