Cowley County, Kansas Genealogy
Guide to Cowley County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Lt. Matthew Cowley, 9th Kansas, who died during the Civil War.[2] The County is located in the south central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Cowley County Courthouse
311 E. 9th Ave.
Winfield, Kansas 67156-2864
Phone: 316.221.4066
Cowley County Website
City Clerk has birth records.
Probate Court has marriage, divorce and probate records 1870 and death records.
Clerk District Court has court records.
Appraisers Office has land records. [1]
County Clerk
311 E. 9th; Winfield, KS 67156
Phone: 620.221.5400 or 620.441.4500; Fax: 620.221.5498
Website
- Records minutes of Commission meetings and maintains files for minutes and resolutions; Assist in budget preparation, accounting, payroll, etc.; Manages elections and voting; Selling of hunting and fishing licenses, etc; Birth and death records from the 1800's to 1911 for the county are available; Land records from the 1800's are also available.
Register of Deeds
Phone: 620.221.5461; Fax: 620.221.5463
Location: County Courthouse; 311 E. 9th; Winfield, KS 67156
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 741; Winfield, KS 67156
Website
- The central location for vital records and land records for Cowley County. The Register of Deeds maintains a variety of records and prepares reports of some complexity; assists the public in preparing forms, answering inquiries, certifying copies of military discharges, and looking up records; receives, records, and indexes grantor, grantee, and related records; records plats and maps; files chattel mortgages; makes lien searches; maintains various office records; computes and posts figures; etc.
Cowley County, Kansas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1885 | 1870 | 1885 | 1870 | 1870 | 1870 | 1855 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
A flood damaged or destroyed some records at the county offices. Contact the county clerk for details on what is missing and what was salvaged. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[7]
Cities | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
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Townships | ||
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See also: National Register of Historic Places in Cowley County, Kansas
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
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Census | Pop. | %± |
1860 | 158 | — |
1870 | 1,175 | 643.7% |
1880 | 21,538 | 1733.0% |
1890 | 34,478 | 60.1% |
1900 | 30,156 | −12.5% |
1910 | 31,790 | 5.4% |
1920 | 35,155 | 10.6% |
1930 | 40,903 | 16.4% |
1940 | 38,139 | −6.8% |
1950 | 36,905 | −3.2% |
1960 | 37,861 | 2.6% |
1970 | 35,012 | −7.5% |
1980 | 36,824 | 5.2% |
1990 | 36,915 | 0.2% |
2000 | 36,291 | −1.7% |
2010 | 36,311 | 0.1% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Kansas became a territory in 1854 and the first territory census taken was in 1855. It was also enumerated as Kansas Territory in the 1860 Federal Census, although there were 15 counties that were marked with "no population" in them. The state continued to take state censuses after it was admitted to the Union in 1861.[8] See links listed below.
State and Territorial Census Records[edit | edit source]
- 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at FamilySearch - Index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry - ($), Index and images
- 1865 - Kansas State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1875 - Kansas State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1885 - Kansas State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — images- How to Use this Collection
- 1895 - Kansas State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1905 - Kansas State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1915 - Kansas State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1919-1961 - Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry - Partial index (4 counties) and images
- 1925 - Kansas State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Federal Census Records[edit | edit source]
The 1870 Census was the first Federal Census taken for Kansas after it became a state in 1861.[9] For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Kansas Church Records.
- 1861-1918 - Kansas, Swedish Church Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Arkansas City
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Kansas Land and Property for additional information about early Kansas land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Records
- 1882 Land Plat book for Cowley County - image of plat book
- 1905 Land Plat book for Cowley County - image of plat book
- 1882 Land Plat book for Cowley County - image of plat book
- 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 Kansas Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Cowley County, Kansas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Kansas Local Histories.
Online County Histories
- Cowley County, History of the State of Kansas. 1883, By William G. Cutler. Chicago, IL: A. T. Andreas. Online at: Kansas Collection Books.
- History of Cowley County, Kansas. (Title also known as The Winfield Courier : supplemental edition.) 1901. By D. A. Millington, E. P. Greer. Winfield, Kan. : Winfield Courier. Online at: Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- The History of Cowley County, Kansas. 1990. By Cowley County Heritage Book Committee. Winfield, KS : Cowley County Heritage Book Committee ; Arkansas City, KS : Cowley County Community College. Online at: KSGenWeb; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Cowley County GIS Maps - A very detailed set of interactive and pdf maps of Cowley County including township lines, roads and water ways, towns, schools, and cemeteries.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
For information about Civil War records see Marion County.
Online Collections[edit | edit source]
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records.
Collections Covering Multiple Wars
- Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
- Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.
Civil War
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
- 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
Spanish-American War (1898)
- 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War I
- History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
- 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War II
- 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only
Korean War
Vietnam War
For further information see Kansas Military Records.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1864 - 1972 - Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1865 - 1874 - Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
- 1865 - 1984 - Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
- 1917 - 1918 - Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
For more information, see Kansas Newspapers.
Kansas Newspapers Online
- 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 Newspaper Catalogs
- 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
- Newspaper Files Transcribed by Mary Ann Wortman from Microfilm contains transcribed articles for various newspapers 1868-1895 and 1918-1922.
- Kansas State Historical Society houses one of the largest newspaper collections. They have 1321 reels of Cowley newspapers which may be available through interlibrary loan. Titles include Arkansas City Traveler 1876 - 2008, Cowley County Reporter 1967 - 1996, Winfield Daily Courier 1885 - 2007, and many more.
- Births and deaths of Cowley County, Kansas as abstracted from the Winfield Daily Courier and other sources, 1875-1969 [compiled by members of the Cowley County Genealogical Society including Cheryl Voigtlander and Ruby Mussen ; data entered by Connie Lea Becker Lawrence] is available from the Family History Library as book 978.189 V2b or FHL US/CAN Film 2055496 Item 1
- Deceased persons from the Winfield daily courier : Winfield, KS, April 1995 to February 1998 compiled by Gale J. Bunner available as FHL US/CAN 978.189/W1 V4b 1995-1998 or FHL US/CAN Film 1425480 Item 8
Current Newspapers
- Arkansas City Traveler (620) 442-4200; 200 E. Fifth Avenue / P. O. Box 988, Arkansas City, KS 67005
- Cowley County Reporter (620) 438-2370; Burden, KS 67019
- Winfield Daily Courier (620) 221-1050; 201 E. Ninth Street / P.O. Box 543, Winfield, KS 67156
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Obituary notices, Winfield Daily Courier by Gale J. Bunner covering Dec. 1988-Mar. 1995 available as FHL US/CAN Book 978.189/W1 V4b 1988-1995
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Records
- 1854 - Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1854 - 1856 - Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Kansas, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, inventories, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Kansas, Cowley and click Probate records.
Online Records
- 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Kansas tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Kansas Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Kansas Vital Records. For information about restrictions and costs for certificates, see the CDC Where to Write for Vital Records site.
See County Offices above.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1818 - 1936 Kansas, Births and Christenings, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911 at FamilySearch — Index - How to Use this Collection
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1840 - 1935 - Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935 at FamilySearch.org — Index- How to Use this Collection
- 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index
- 1861 - 1918 - Kansas, Swedish Church Vital Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Cowley County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kansas Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Cowley County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kansas Archives and Libraries.
- Cowley County Genealogical Library
Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum
31639 US 77
Arkansas City, KS 67005
Website
The library houses Cowley County Cemetery records, Arkansas City Traveler obituaries, Cowley County Birth, Death and Marriage records, the Robert Docking collection and much, much more. - Arkansas City Public Library
120 E. 5th Avenue
Arkansas City, KS 67005
Telephone: (620) 442-1280
Website - Southwestern College Library
100 College Street
Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 229-6225
Website - Udall Public Library
109 E. First
Udall, KS 67146
Telephone: (620) 782-3435
Website - Winfield Public Library
605 College
Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 221-4470
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
- Cowley County Historical Museum
1011 Mansfield
Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 221-4811
Website - Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum
Attn: Heather Ferguson, Director/
PO Box 778
31639 US 77
Arkansas City, KS 67005
Telephone: (620) 442-6750
Website
The mission of the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret natural material culture and documentary items which focus on the history and development of the South-Central Kansas and North-Central Oklahoma areas as it relates to Arkansas City. The emphases will include Native Americans, Land Settlement, and the Cherokee Strip/Outlet Run. - Cowley County Historical Museum
1011 Mansfield
Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 221-4811
Website
The museum is dedicated to preserving the past for the future. In pursuit of this goal, the museum preserves historical documents, artifacts and genealogy records pertaining to the rich history of the region.
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Cowley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kansas Societies.
- Cowley County Genealogical Society
1518 East 12th
Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 221-4591 - Cowley County Historical Society
1011 Mansfield
Winfield, KS 67156
Website - Udall Community Historical Society
113 E. First
Udall, KS 67146 - East Central Cowley County Historical Society
c/o Emory Lewis
123 Easy Street
Burden, KS 67019
Telephone: 620-438-3384
Website
Our purpose is to preserve the past of East Central Cowley County in digital form and present it on the internet and at our new home, the old Burden City building. Online databases include lots of photographs of early people, places and things, plus birth and death records, Family Trees, early school records, and more.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Cowley County, KS USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Cowley County KS Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Cowley county KS, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
- FamilySearch Catalog 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
- Cowley County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cowley County, Kansas. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Cowley, Kansas Genealogy and History”, "http://genealogytrails.com/kan/cowley/ 8/10/2017."
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cowley, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowley_County,_Kansas" 8/10/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cowley County, Kansas. Page 249 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 234.
- ↑ “Kansas Research Outline”, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Department, 2000), 40.
- ↑ William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas was first published in 1883 by A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL. COWLEY COUNTY.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cowley County, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowley_County,_Kansas#Communities, accessed 14 September 2017.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 118-119.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 119.