Jefferson County, Missouri Genealogy
Guide to Jefferson County, Missouri 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 Thomas Jefferson. The County is located in the east central area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County Courthouse
300 2nd Street
PO Box 100
Hillsboro, MO 63050-0100
Phone: 636-797-5478
Jefferson County Website
Recorder of Deeds has marriage and land records.
Probate Court has probate records.
Clerk of the Circuit Court has court records.[3]
Jefferson County, Missouri 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 |
1883 | 1825 | 1883 | 1819 | 1819 | 1820 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Missouri county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Missouri County Boundary Maps" (1804-1889) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places in Jefferson County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator.
The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.
Moser's Directory of Towns, Villages and Hamlets Past and Present of Missouri provides similar information on places in Jefferson County.
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Family Biographies from The History of Jefferson County, Missouri (1888) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
- Deceased Physicians, Jefferson County Historical Society
- Railroad Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- A number of residents of Valle Township, Jefferson County, Missouri were buried across Big River in Masonic Cemetery in Washington County, near Blackwell.
- Cemeteries in Jefferson County, Missouri, transcriptions, Jefferson County Heritage & Historical Society
- Cemeteries of Jefferson County, in depth articles, Jefferson County Heritage & Historical Society
- Jefferson County, Missouri Cemetery Inscription Sources, Genealogy in St. Louis
- Missouri Cemeteries, Missouri Access Genealogy
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1820 | 1,835 | — |
1830 | 2,592 | 41.3% |
1840 | 4,296 | 65.7% |
1850 | 6,928 | 61.3% |
1860 | 10,344 | 49.3% |
1870 | 15,380 | 48.7% |
1880 | 18,736 | 21.8% |
1890 | 22,484 | 20.0% |
1900 | 25,712 | 14.4% |
1910 | 27,878 | 8.4% |
1920 | 26,555 | −4.7% |
1930 | 27,563 | 3.8% |
1940 | 32,023 | 16.2% |
1950 | 38,007 | 18.7% |
1960 | 66,377 | 74.6% |
1970 | 105,248 | 58.6% |
1980 | 146,183 | 38.9% |
1990 | 171,380 | 17.2% |
2000 | 198,099 | 15.6% |
2010 | 218,733 | 10.4% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Missouri denominations, view the Missouri Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- Church Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Court Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
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]
- Family Histories, Family Histories Jefferson County Historical Society.
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 Missouri Land and Property for information about records of land transfers from the government to private ownership. After that transfer, transactions were usually recorded and are currently housed at the county courthouse.
- Land Patents: 1831-1969, State Archives
- Land Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Jefferson County, Missouri 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 Missouri Local Histories.
- Articles: Items of History (Jefferson County Historical Society)
- History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford, and Gasconade Counties, Missouri. 1888. Chicago : The Goodspeed Publishing Company. Reprint Greenville, South Carolina : Southern Historical Press, 2001. Available online at Internet Archive - Jefferson County portion
- History of Jefferson Co. Baptists 1798-1949. By Etta Whipple. Index available online at Jefferson County Historical Society
- History of Southeast Missouri. By Robert Sidney Douglass. 1912. New York : Lewis Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Jefferson County, Missouri in Story and Pictures. By Mary Joan Boyer. 1956. Festus, Missouri: Tri-City Independent. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Our Jefferson County Heritage. By Zoe Booth Rutledge. Index available online at Jefferson County Historical Society
- Jefferson County, Missouri History Books, indexes, Jefferson County Historical Society
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
- The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Jefferson County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
- Jefferson County 1876 map, Historic MapWorks
- 1876 township map, Jefferson County Genealogical Society
- Map of 1904 Jefferson County with numerous small settlements, My Genealogy Hound
- Historical townships of Jefferson County, RootsWeb
- Modern day townships of Jefferson County, Histopolis
- Jefferson County, Missouri Township and Range Survey Maps, RootsWeb
- Post Offices of Jefferson County, Missouri in 1876 and 1898, RootsWeb
- An Illustrated historical atlas map of Jefferson County, Mo. at Missouri Digital Heritage
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1900-1941 Missouri, Pre-WWII Adjutant General Enlistment Contracts, 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
- Military Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
- Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Two or More Civilians, Jefferson County Genealogical Society
- Union Provost Marshal's File of Persons Exempt from Serving in the Civil War, Jefferson County Genealogical Society
- Jefferson County WWII Enlistments, Moose Roots - info provided by National Archives
- Jefferson County WWII Army and Air Force Casualties, Rootsweb
- Fold3.com ($) has Civil War and other military records available online. Some libraries including Jefferson County Library and the St. Louis County Library provide free access to this database.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1911-1938 Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications, 1911-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Regiments
Service men in Jefferson County, Missouri served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Jefferson County, Missouri:
- - 31st Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company A
- - 35th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company K
- - 6th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company B
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 Missouri, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1941-1946 Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Historic newspapers from 1869 to 1952 are housed at the Jefferson County History Center at Jefferson College. The Center is located in the Jefferson College Library and is open by appointment.
- De Soto Weekly Facts, 1895-1899 transcriptions
- Jefferson Democrat, 1870-1888 transcriptions
- Jefferson Leader, 1866-1868 transcriptions
- Jefferson Watchman, 1883-1884 transcriptions
- Various Newspaper Transcriptions, Jefferson County Historical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Jefferson County Obituaries
- Jefferson County Obituaries (Newspaper Obituaries)
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Miscellaneous
- Historical Postcards and Photos, Jefferson County Historical Society
- Old Settlers' Association of Jefferson County, Missouri, Records, 1864-1951, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
- Passports - Early 1900s, Jefferson County Historical Society
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information, see United States Probate Records.
In Missouri, probate records have usually been recorded by the clerks of the probate courts, but in some counties the common pleas or circuit courts handled this function. They are frequently indexed.
The Jefferson County History Center, located in the Jefferson College Library and open by appointment, contains probate files dating from the 1820s.
- Wills & Probate Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
Online Probate Records
- 1750-1988 Missouri Probate Records 1750-1998 at FamilySearch — images- How to Use this Collection
- 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
School Records[edit | edit source]
- Schools, Jefferson County Historical Society
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]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Missouri Taxation.
Real estate and personal property tax records from the 19th through the mid-20th centuries are located at the Jefferson County History Center in the Jefferson College Library. The Center is open by appointment.
- 1862 Real Estate and Personal Property Tax, Jefferson County Genealogical Society
- 1894-1901 Back Taxes for Real Estate; Personal Property, Jefferson County Genealogical Society
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. For additional guidance on researching and using vital records, see United States Vital Records or How to order Missouri Vital Records.
St. Louis and Kansas City recorded births and deaths starting as early as 1850 for deaths and 1870 for births. The Missouri Department of Health began keeping birth and death records in 1909. County records vary by year and the county. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Missouri Vital Records State Department of Health, the County Clerk's office or order electronically online.
- Vital Record Resources and Transcriptions, Jefferson County, Missouri GenWeb
Birth[edit | edit source]
- Pre-1910 Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index.
- 1817-1939 Missouri Births, 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1827-1935 Missouri, Births and Christenings, 1827-1935 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1842-1861 Jefferson County Birth Index 1842-1861. Batch C515272 at FamilySearch.
- 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
- Jefferson County Heritage and Historical Society
- 1920-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1750-1920 Missouri, Marriages, 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1776-1988 Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry ($)
- 1826-1878 Jefferson County Marriage Index 1826-1878. Batch M515271 at FamilySearch.[7]
- 1849-1885 Jefferson County Marriage Index 1849-1885. Batch M515272 at FamilySearch.
- 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1871-1885 Jefferson County Marriage Index 1871-1885. Batch M515273 at FamilySearch .
- Marriage Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
- Brian Oster Missouri Marriage Records Site (local area marriage records)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
- 1867-1976 Missouri, Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1883-1892 Jefferson County Death Index 1883-1892. Batch B515274 at FamilySearch.
- 1883-1930 Missouri Deaths, 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index and images.
- Funeral Home Records, Jefferson County Historical Society
- Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
- 1968-2015 Reclaim the Records: Missouri Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Jefferson County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Missouri 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 Affiliate Libraries
- Many of the older county records have been moved from the Jefferson County Courthouse to the Jefferson County History Center at Jefferson College. Old newspapers which were once housed at Roop Printing in De Soto have also been moved to the Jefferson County History Center. The De Soto Public Library has a large collection of vintage photographs of De Soto landmarks and businesses.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County Library5680 State Road PP
High Ridge, MO 63049
https://jeffcolibrary.org/
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Jefferson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Missouri Archives and Libraries.
- List of Missouri Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
- De Soto Public Library
Website - Jefferson County Library
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
- Jefferson County History Center
Website - Kimmswick Historical Society Museum
Website - De Soto Historical Society Museum
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Jefferson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Missouri Societies.
- Arnold Historical Society
Website - The De Soto Historical Society
Website - Jefferson County, Missouri Historical Society
Website - Jefferson County Genealogical Society
Website - Herculaneum Historical Society
Website - Jefferson County, Missouri Genweb
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
- MOGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
- USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- FamilySearch Catalog . Free. - 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
- RootsWeb resources. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- Jefferson County Heritage and Historical Society. Free. County history, school records, marriage, birth and death records, churches, adoptions, passports, photos, military, court records, family histories can be found here.
- Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
- StateofUS. Free. family history resources and government records
- Missouri Genealogy. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jefferson, Missouri," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County,_Missouri. accessed 9/11/2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jefferson County, Missouri. Page 397-407 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), 393-397.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jefferson County, Missouri," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, Jefferson County Missouri, accessed Oct 2019.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/d/d8/Igimissourij.pdf.