Marion County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Marion 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 Francis Marion of South Carolina. The County has Marion as its seat and the County was created August 30, 1855. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Marion County Courthouse 204 S. 4th Street P. O. Box 219 Marion, Kansas 66861 Phone: 316.382.2185 Marion County Website County Clerk has birth and death records 1885-1911. Clerk District Court has marriage records from 1800’s, divorce, probate and court records. Register of Deeds has school records 1873-1964 and land records.

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

Mennonite Villages
 * Alexanderfeld
 * Ebenfeld
 * Friedenstal (Alvin)
 * Gnadenau (Grace Meadow)
 * Hoffnungsthal (Hope Valley)
 * Schoenthal (Fair Valley)
 * Steinbach

Alexanderwohl Mennonite Villages
 * Blumenfeld (also in McPherson County
 * Blumenort (also in McPherson County
 * Emmathal
 * Gnadenfeld
 * Gnadenthal
 * Gruenfield (Green Field) abandoned then later became Goessel
 * Hochfeld
 * Springfield

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
 * 1885 Land Plat book for Marion County - image of plat book
 * 1902 Land Plat book for Marion County - image of plat book
 * 1921 Land Plat book for Marion 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 Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion Counties. 1893.  Chicago, Illinois : Chapman Bros.  Online at: ,

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Township Map of 1887 Marion County, Kansas with enlarged views of each township (My Genealogy Hound)

Military Records

 * During the Civil War Marion County was designated as a minicipal township attached to Chase County for judicial purposes. The population was only about 80 in 1861.  See Chase County for information about Civil War Records.

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, only covers Bulter, Cherokee, Clay, Elk, and Marion Counties.
 * 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 $

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
 * Marion County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)