Norton County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Norton 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 for Capt. Orloff Norton, of the 15th Kansas Cavalry, who was killed in the Civil War. The County has Norton as its seat and the County was created February 26, 1867. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Norton County Courthouse 101 S. Kansas Ave. Norton, Kansas 67654-0070 Phone: 785.877-5710 Norton County Website Clerk District Court has marriage and divorce records, and probate court court records Register of Deeds has land records from 1874 and some cemetery records. City Clerks have birth and death records.

Populated Places
The following are locations in Norton County, Kansas:

Cemeteries
Lenora Cemetery Association Index may provide the following information of three cemeteries: Lenora East,  Lenora South, and Pairie Gem: Norton County Kansas Cemeteries Index by the Norton County Genealogical Society has information on all cemeteries, providing essentially the same information as above. South Star Cemetery transcription gives directions to the cemetery and provides the essentially the same information as above.
 * Surname
 * Given Names
 * Birth Date
 * Death Date
 * Age
 * Inscription
 * Other Information
 * Photo

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch — Index and images
 * 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1875 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1919-1961 - Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry — Partial index (4 counties) and images

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.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society
 * 1917 Land Plat book for Norton County - image of plat book

For more information see Kansas Land and Property
 * 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
 * 1861-1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas. 1894.  By Francis Marion Lockard.  Norton, Kan. : Champion.  Online at:, Hathitrust, Google Books, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers


Standard Atlas of Norton County, Kansas, 1917 published by George A. Ogle &amp; Co., 1917. The Index of the atlas shows the names of landowners. It has a patrons' directory, and plats of towns as of the year of publication. Available on Kansas Memory.

Military Records

 * Norton County was not organized until after the Civil War.

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
 * 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 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

Probate Records
'''Online Records


 * 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth

 * 1818 - 1936 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1885 - 1911 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage

 * 1811 - 1911 at | FamilySearch — index
 * 1840 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1855 - 1911 at | FamilySearch — images
 * 1855 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1855-1911 at Ancestry.com — images $

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies
Norton County Genealogical Society One Washington Square Norton 67654 Website

Norton County Historical Society PO Box 303 Norton 67654

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * 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
 * Norton County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Solomon Valley Chronicles - a website for genealogy and local history of Graham, Norton and Sheridan Counties.