Sullivan County, Missouri Genealogy
Guide to Sullivan County, Missouri ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Sullivan County, Missouri | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Missouri, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Missouri in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February 14, 1845 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Milan |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Sullivan County Courthouse 109 N Main Street Milan, MO 63556 Phone: 660.265.3786 Sullivan County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Sullivan County, Missouri Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1835 | 1845 | 1883 | 1850 | 1845 | 1845 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Recorder Deeds has incomplete birth records 1867-1895, marriage and land records from 1845, death records 1883-1896; Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1845; Probate Judge has probate records from 1845.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1843 Sullivan County was created 17 February 1843 from Linn County. County seat: Milan [3]
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.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1908 Fire destroyed the courthouse June 26, 1908.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
- The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Adair • Grundy • Linn • Macon • Mercer • Putnam
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| MOGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| MOGenWeb Archives | ||
| Tombstone Project | ||
| MOGravestones | ||
| EPodunk | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Missouri Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Sullivan County, Missouri Cemetery Records, Volumes 1-5 at Ancestry.com ($)
- Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy
Census[edit | edit source]
- 1732-1933 - Missouri State and Territorial Census Records, 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images
For tips on accessing Sullivan County, Missouri Genealogy census records online, see: Missouri Census.
Church[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.
Catholic[edit | edit source]
Milan
- 1870 - 1872 Milan Catholic Church Baptism Index 1870-1872. Batch C511541 at FamilySearch - free.</ref>
Court[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
Land[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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- History of Adair, Sullivan, Putnam and Schuyler counties, Missouri : from the earliest time to the present. Chicago, Illinois : Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1888.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Shepler, John N. The Milan standard souvenir edition. Milan, Mo. : [Milan Standard], 1895.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Missouri Digital Heritage
- 1795 - The area now known as Sullivan County was claimed by the Missouris.
- 1836 - The first white settlers came to the county.
- 1842 - Settlements now existed along all the streams of the northern part of the County. These settlements were grouped according to the localities of the immigrants.
- 1845 February 14 - Sullivan County was founded.
- 1845 May 6 - Sullivan County was divided into townships.
- 1849 - The Chariton Land Disrtrict was established.
Maps[edit | edit source]
- Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
- Family Maps of Sullivan County, Missouri Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Interactive map of Sullivan County townships (Histopolis)
- The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Sullivan County.
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1900 - 1941 Missouri, Pre-WWII Adjutant General Enlistment Contracts, 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861 - 1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861 - 1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
Regiments
Service men in Sullivan 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 Sullivan County, Missouri:
|
- 18th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company B |
- 66th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company D |
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1941 - 1946 - Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946 at FamilySearch — index
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Probate[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.
Online Probate Records
- 1750 - 1988 Missouri Probate Records 1750-1998 at FamilySearch — images
- 1766 - 1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1849 - 1880 Sullivan County, Missouri Wills, 1849-1880 at Ancestry.com ($)
Taxation[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.
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.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1827 - 1935 Missouri, Births and Christenings, 1827-1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1851 - 1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
- 1867 - 1885 Sullivan County Birth Index 1867-1884. Batches C514609, C514627, and C514628 at FamilySearch - free.[4]
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- 1750 - 1920 Missouri, Marriages, 1750-1920 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1800 - 1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1805 - 2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry.com $
- 1845 - 1881 - Sullivan County Marriage Index 1845-1881. Batch M515851 at FamilySearch - free.</ref>
- 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1881 - 1885 Sullivan County Marriage Index 1881-1885. Batch M515852 at FamilySearch - free.</ref>
- Marriage records of Sullivan County, Missouri at Ancestry.com $
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1834 - 1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry.com — index/images $
- 1867 - 1976 Missouri, Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1883 - Sullivan County Death Index 1883. Batch B514627 at FamilySearch - free.
- Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Historical Society[edit | edit source]
- Sullivan County Historical Society
117 North Water Street
Milan, MO 63556-1023
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| 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 |
| RootsWeb resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| 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 ($) |
Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records | |
| FamilySearch catalog | Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box. |
| WorldCat | To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog. |
| Allen County Public Library | Major genealogy resource library, located in Indiana. On home page enter "Sullivan Missouri" and search catalog. |
| Missouri State Archives Library | catalog; from this page you must search "Sullivan County" |
| Google+ | Missouri Genealogy Network Community | |
| list of groups from "Missouri Genealogy" search | ||
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Alice Eichholz, Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, Revised ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992), 422-438. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 1992
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Sullivan County, Missouri. Page 406 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/f/f4/Igimissourir.pdf.
