Kansas Genealogy

This page of our website provides links to Kansas genealogy databases and historical narratives about Kansas. These genealogical records may include, vital records (birth, marriage and divorce, death), ethnic records (Black, Native American), court records (land, probate and wills, criminal and civil), church records (Bibles, baptisms, marriages, burials and histories), cemeteries, census records, military records directories and yearbooks.

Black Kansas Genealogy

  • Kansas African American Records
  • WPA Slave Narratives
    The WPA Slave Narratives, compiled by the Library of Congress from 1936 to 1938, provide firsthand accounts from surviving slaves, offering a vital perspective on Southern culture and the complexities of slavery. Despite inherent biases and transcription challenges, these narratives capture the lived experiences, thoughts, and emotions of former slaves, enriching our understanding of their relationships and life under bondage. This collection serves as essential evidence for scholars and enhances the narrative of American history by including the voices often overlooked in traditional accounts.
  • Colored Directory
    This directory primarily deals with African Americans living in Topeka, Kansas, but it also contains listing for Alma, Burlingame, Council Grove, Dunlap, Eskridge, Osage City, Oskaloosa, Paxico, Perry and rural Shawnee County. Listings of the residents of the smaller communities include name and occupation. The address is included only if it is rural with the RFD numbers. The listings for Topeka include name, occupation or place of employment, and home address.
  • Colored Directory, Topeka, Kansas
    This “Colored Directory” is similar to other city directories. It lists African American churches, organizations, businesses and professionals. The bulk of the directory lists the names of African Americans and their addresses. Page 59 lists the names of the faculty, what they teach, and where they received their education for the Kansas Vocational School, as well as other employees. The directory does not list occupation. It also contains a number of advertisements from Topeka and Shawnee County businesses.

Kansas Biographies

  • Kansas and Kansans Biographies
    In these 2100+ biographies are found the names, portraits and accounts of a great number of the people of the state of Kansas.
  • Biographies of Ford County Kansas
    This post presents 22 biographies from the 1883 "History of the State of Kansas," focusing on prominent figures associated with Ford County. Located in the southwestern corner of Kansas, Ford County encompasses approximately 1,080 square miles. Its landscape consists of mostly level land, with substantial bottom-land along the Arkansas River. The area is notable for its limited timber and quality building stone. The county honors Col. James H. Ford of the Second Colorado Cavalry, reflecting its historical significance.
  • Biographies of Jewell County Kansas
    This collection features 82 biographies from the 1883 "History of the State of Kansas," focusing on Jewell County. Located in northern Kansas, the county spans 900 square miles and is renowned for its agricultural productivity, particularly in the fertile valleys of Marsh and Buffalo Creeks. The land varies from rolling terrain to broken landscapes, supporting numerous farms and pasturelands. For a comprehensive look into Jewell County's history and its prominent figures, further exploration of the referenced genealogical resources is suggested.
  • Biographies of Russell County Kansas
    This post provides an overview of 31 biographies from the History of the State of Kansas, 1883, focusing on Russell County. Located centrally in Kansas, the county spans 576,000 acres and is bordered by Osborne, Barton, Ellsworth, Lincoln, and Ellis counties. It is divided into eight townships and governed by a Board of three elected Commissioners. For more details, readers are encouraged to visit the Russell County, Kansas History and Genealogy resource.

Kansas Cemeteries

Kansas Census Records

Kansas Genealogy

  • Reminiscences of the Early Settlement of Dragoon Creek, Wabaunsee County
    When the Kansas-Nebraska Act opened up the Kansas Territory to settlement, a tide of immigration began as citizens from across the United States, and foreigners, recently arrived in the US, rushed to receive some of the prime property. Stephen J. Spear was one such settler, and this manuscript depicts his life along Dragoon Creek in Wabaunsee County, Kansas.

United States Genealogy

Kansas County Websites

Kansas History

  • History of Kansas
    One of the best Histories of Kansas, taken from Kansas and Kansans

Kansas Images and Photographs

  • Wichita Photo Archives
    A collaborative effort of WSU Libraries’ Department of Special Collections, the Wichita Public Library Local History Division and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum that presents nearly 150 images of Wichita dating from the 1860s to the present.
  • Images of Kansas Cities and Towns
    A collection of postcards and photographs showing scenes in Kansas and the western United States.
  • A. A. Hyde Collection of William S. Soule Photographs
    A collection of portraits of Native Americans made by William S. Soule in Indian Territory around 1870.
  • Sod House Photograph Collection
    A collection of postcards and photographs depicting the sod houses typical of early homesteads on the North American plains.

Kansas Maps

Kansas Military Records

Kansas Native American Records

Kansas Vital Records