Records that survive
These are the record series from Jefferson County in the Kansas Historical Society's catalog of county government records, with the office that kept each and the earliest and latest years. Most are microfilm copies at the State Archives in Topeka. A span can include gaps.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Records · District/Probate Court1856–1924
- Divorce Case Files1859–1917
- Vital Statistics · County Clerk1892–1910
- Cemetery Deed Records1928–1947
Deeds and land
- Indexes to deeds1837–1987
- Deed and Mortgage Records1856–1904
- Register of Deeds Records · Register of Deeds1858–1941
- Tax Assessment Rolls - Real Estate1912–1918
Wills and estates
- Probate Court Records · District/Probate Court1855–1935
- Probate Case Files · District/Probate Court1857–1917
- Probate Indices · District/Probate Court1860–1960
- Will Records · District/Probate Court1863–1920
Naturalization
- Naturalization Records1857–1938
Military and pensions
- Enrollment of Ex-Soldiers and Sailors for Military Pension Benefits · County Clerk1889
Tax records
- Tax Assessment Rolls1858–1879
- Annual Budgets, Financial Statements, and Tax Levies1936–1973
Court records
- Civil Appearance Dockets1858–1919
- Civil Dockets1882–1964
- Execution Docket · District Court1887–1982
- Police Docket1888–1899
- County Coroner Journal · County Clerk1890–1905
- Criminal Dockets1893–1964
- Civil and Criminal Dockets1924–1963
Schools
- School District 58: Section Map1875
- Scholastic Census Records1883–1898
Elections and voters
- Poll Books, Tally Sheets, and Ballots1941–1963
County government
- County Commissioners Journal of Proceedings1856–1863
- Journals · District/Probate Court1858–1920
- Poor House Records · Poor Commissioner1885–1938
Other records
- Road and Bridge Papers1859–1937
- County Road Maps: Coleman and Mishey Roads1884
- Doctor's Invoice1888
- Construction Diagram: Concrete Bridge Southeast of Nortonville1910
- County Road Maps: James Neal Road1911
- Cash Receipts and Accounts Payable1956–1970
- Sewer Service and Rural Water District 7 Maps1961–1969
- Mobile Home Park Expansion Plans1970
- Disbursements Distribution Record1971–1974
See the full list at the Kansas Historical Society
Source: Kansas Historical Society, catalog of county government records (the county searches on its County Records On Microfilm page). Most of the film was made by the Genealogical Society of Utah, so FamilySearch may have it too. Kansas began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1911.
Where to find the records
- Jefferson County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the register of deeds, the probate court, the clerk of the district court and the county clerk, and any online record search the county offers.
- The register of deeds
Deeds, mortgages and other land records, usually from the county's beginning.
- The probate court
Wills, estates, guardianships and, for most years, marriage licenses. Since court unification in 1977 the probate court has been part of the district court, so ask the clerk of the district court for these records.
- The clerk of the district court
Civil and criminal cases, divorces and, in many counties, naturalizations.
- The county clerk
Tax rolls and the county commissioners' journals.
- The Kansas State Archives (Kansas Historical Society)
In Topeka: microfilm of county records, the Kansas state censuses and newspapers from across the state.
- Kansas Historical Society: Jefferson County recordsfree
Every county record series in the Society's catalog, with the office, dates and a description of each.
- Kansas Historical Society: County Records On Microfilmfree
How to use or borrow the county microfilm, with links to each county's list.
- Kansas Historical Society: Kansas censusesfree
The territorial and state censuses, what each one asks, and where to find them and their indexes.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Kansas, Jefferson" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Created by the Kansas territorial legislature in 1855 from land not yet in any county
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1855, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Kansas took its own census every ten years from 1865 to 1925, halfway between the federal ones. A state census can place a family in a county and township in a year the federal census misses, and most of them (all but 1865) also ask where a family came from before Kansas.