Otoe County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Otoe tribe. The County is located in southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Otoe County Courthouse 1021 Central Ave. P.O. Box 249 Nebraska City, NE 68410-0249 Phone: 402.873.9505 Otoe County Website County Clerk has marriage, divorce and court records. County Judge has probate records. 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 ($)
 * 1860 - 1885 Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index & images($)
 * 1885 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index & images($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Online Church Records
 * 1875-1899 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index

Funeral Homes

 * Gude Mortuary in Nebraska City
 * Marshall Funeral Chapels in Nebraska City

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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Otoe 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  - How to Use this Collection; images only

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1861 - 1948 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; 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.

World War II

 * 1940 - 1945 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1855-1989 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online


 * 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 Newspaper Catalogs


 * 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
Archives Record – This document lists the official records of Otoe County from 1855-1994 which reside on 144 reels of microfilm. The records are arranged into the following subgroups: 1) County Treasurer, 1858-1967; 2) County Assessor, 1858-1895; 3) County Board of Commissioners (no records); 4) County Clerk, 1855-1994; 5) Register of Deeds, 1854-1891; 6) County Court, 1867-1904; 7) District Court, 1855-1955; 8) Superintendent of Schools, 1934; and 9) School District Records, 1872-1938.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1806-1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index & 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.

Marriage

 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Death

 * 1861 - 1948 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1904-1955 Reclaim the Records: Nebraska Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1904-1968 Nebraska, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1904-1968 at Ancestry — index($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Lincoln Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Nebraska City Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Shenandoah Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Morton-James Public Library 923 First Corso Nebraska City, NE 68410 Phone: 402-873-5609 Email: [mailto:mortonjameslibrary@gmail.com mortonjameslibrary@gmail.com] Facebook Website Syracuse Public Library 480 5th St Syracuse, NE 68446 Phone: 402-269-2336 Email: [mailto:sueantes@yahoo.com sueantes@yahoo.com] Facebook Website
 * Librarian: Susan Antes

Talmage Public Library 405 Main St PO Box 7 Talmage, NE 68448-0007 Phone: 402-264-3875 Email: [mailto:talmagepl@jagwireless.net talmagepl@jagwireless.net] Facebook Website
 * Librarian: Carol Fisher

Societies
Otoe County Genealogical Society PO Box 465 Syracuse, NE 68446 Email: [mailto:info@ocgsne.org info@ocgsne.org] Facebook Website

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb
 * SFB Family Research.   Local Resident with access to the courthouse and the records there. ($$$)
 * - 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