Lincoln County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
Lincoln County is located in the western central part of the state. Lincoln County was named after Abraham Lincoln.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse 301 N. Jeffers Street North Platte, NE 69101 Phone: 308.534.4350 Lincoln County Website County Clerk has marriage records. Clerk District Court has divorce records. County Court has probate and court 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:

Bible Records

 * Lincoln County Bible Records at Rootsweb

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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Created in 1935 from the East Nebraska District, was a unit of the Western States Mission. Record of members 1935-1941
 * Record of members 1929-1941

Court Records

 * 1896-1987 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

There is a District Court and a County Court in Lincoln County. District courts primarily hear felony criminal cases, equity cases, and civil cases involving more than $51,000. County courts handle misdemeanor cases; traffic and municipal ordinance violations; preliminary hearings in felony cases; civil cases involving $51,000 and less; small claims cases; some divorce cases; probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption proceedings; and juvenile matters.
 * Lincoln County District Court PO Box 1616 North Platte, Nebraska 69103
 * Lincoln County Court PO Box 519 North Platte, NE 69103

Funeral Homes

 * Adams and Swanson Funeral Home in North Platte
 * Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte
 * Odean Colonial Chapel At C and Sycamore in North Platte

Genealogies
Surname Lists

Surname listof early settlers of North Platte area.

Land and Property 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 Lincoln County for European and African American settlers included:
 * Platte 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


 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

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
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1806-1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1895-1976 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

 * Grand Island Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Kearney Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * North Platte Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Sidney Nebraska FamilySearch Center


 * Grand Island Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Gere Branch Library 2400 S 56th St Lincoln, NE 68506 Phone: 402-441-8560 Website Maxine White/Sutherland Public Library 900 2nd Street PO Box 275 Sutherland, NE 69165 Phone: 308-386-2228 Email: [mailto:sutherlandpubliclib@gmail.com sutherlandpubliclib@gmail.com] Facebook Website
 * Librarian: Katie Smith

North Platte Public Library 120 W 4th St North Platte, NE 69101 Phone: 308-535-8036 Email: [mailto:library@ci.north-platte.ne.us library@ci.north-platte.ne.us] Facebook Website
 * Director: Cecelia Lawrence

Museums
Nebraska History Museum 131 Centennial Mall N Lincoln, NE 68508 Phone: 402-471-4782 Email: [mailto:lily.sughroue@nebraska.gov lily.sughroue@nebraska.gov] Facebook Website

Societies
Lincoln County Historical Society 2403 N Buffalo Ave North Platte, NE 69101 Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogy Society PO Box 30055 Lincoln, NE 68503 Email: [mailto:contact@LLCGS.info contact@LLCGS.info] Facebook Website North Platte Genealogical Society 1307 South Willow, Suite C North Platte, NE 69101 Phone: 308-539-1941 Email: [mailto:rvcole@charter.net rvcole@charter.net] Facebook

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the 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