Census Records

Barton County, county seat Great Bend, was created and boundaries defined by the Kansas Legislature in 1867, (formed in 1867 from Saline, an original county of 1855). Boundaries were changed in 1868 being formed in 1872 from Ellsworth County and remained in that form until 1875 when the county formally became organized. Barton County was named in honor of Clara Barton, a prominent and beloved nurse of Civil War times. There were many veterans of the Civil War that called Barton County home.

Federal census records are available beginning with 1870 and state census records begin with 1875. The Great Bend Public Library has microfilm copies of the federal censuses for Barton County for the years 1880, 1900 -1920, and the state censuses of 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925. The following outlines indicate available county records.

Register of Deeds
Telephone: 316-7193-1849

Address:
Barton County Court House
1400 Main Street
Great Bend, Kansas 67530

Records available:
Property Records
(Register of Deeds has property records unless otherwise indicated.)
Military Discharges (These have to be filed by the veteran)
(County School Records beginning in 1874 filed by the school districts)
Includes teachers and students names.

Patent books beginning 1876 land grant records are filed by name.
   1. Government grants and sales
     a. Patent (Homestead) records
     b. Sheriff's Sales
     c. Government Land Sales
     d. Seed Contracts (Records Clerk)

Mortgages and Liens

Leases and Releases

Deeds--found by legal description of property.
   1. Warranty Deeds
   2. Quit Claim Deeds

Assessment and Tax lists (records Clerk)
   1.Personal Property lists
   2.Real Property Lists

Plats and Maps

Contracts

Powers of Attorney

Notices of Actions

Judgments and Decrees

Probate Records (Clerk of the Court) District Court
Telephone: 316-793-1856

Address:
Barton County Court House
1400 Main Street
Great Bend, Kansas 67530

Testate Records
   1. Wills
     Written (including Holographic)
     Nuncupatiue (Oral)
   2.Petitions for Probate
   3.Letters Testamentary

Intestate Records
   1.Petitions for letters of Administration
   2.Letters of Administration

Bonds for Executors or Administrators Accounts, Inventories and Appraisements Litigation
   1.Contest of a Will
   2.Distribution of an Estate

Settlements

Guardians' Records
   1.Guardians' Bonds
   2.Guardians' Accounts

Citizenship and Administrative Records

Naturalization Records
   1.Declarations of Intention
   2.Petitions for Naturalization
   3.Final Decrees

Commissioners' Records
   1. Journals
   2. Petitions
   3. Orders

Voter Lists

Registration of Veterans and Pensioners

Registration of Conscientious Objectors

Licenses and Charters
   1.Medical Doctors
   2.Businesses (Register of Deeds)

School Records
   1.School District Records (Register of Deeds)
   2.Truancy Reports
   3.Teachers; Reports
   4.School lands

Records Department
Telephone: 316-7193-1870

Cemetery Records of the county

Death Records-1892-1911

Birth Records-1892-1911

Register of Funerals in Ellinwood 1800-1907
(State Began keeping Birth and Death records July 1911)

Plat Book of Barton County 1902

(District Court records that are on microfilm are kept on the 4th floor they include:)
   1. Probate
   2.Naturalization
   3.Marriage Licenses

If you have research questions direct them to:
Dodo White
4th Floor
Barton County Courthouse
She will do what she can. Be sure to send a self addressed stamped envelope, so she can respond.

Back issues on file both on paper and on microfilm at towns

Ellinwood Public Library
Telephone:316-564-2306

Address:
Ellinwood School Community Library
21 0 North Schiller HU.
Ellinwood, Kansas 67526

Newspapers on microfilm at the library:
   1. Ellinwood Advocate    18 May 1888-14 Apr. 1898
   2. Ellinwood Express   13 April 1878- 2 Aug. 1888
   3. Ellinwood Leader    17 Sep. 1896- Current Date

Hoisington Public Library
Telephone: 316-653-4128

Address:
Hoisington Public Library
169 South Walnut
Hoisington, Kansas 67544

Newspapers on microfilm at the library:
   Hoisington Dispatch    7 March. 1889- Current Date
   Claflin Clarion

Great Bend Public Library
Telephone: 316-7192-2409

Great Bend Public Library
1409 Williams Street
Great Bend, Kansas 67530

(Pawnee Rock and Albert papers are at the Great Bend Library)

ANCESTRY CATALOG
A catalog of genealogy tools available for purchase including: magazines, books, forms, atlases/ gazetteers and computer products.

BARTON COUNTY FAMILIES
Marlin Bryant's database contains data on Barton County, Kansas families and those persons with connections to Barton County families.

FAMILY SEARCH (Including):    ANCESTRAL FILE® Ancestral file contains millions of names arranged in family groups and pedigrees.
   GI - INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGICAL INDEX This file contains millions of records extracted from vital records or submitted to the LDS Church.
   U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY INDEX This index contains information about persons whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration from 1937 through 1996. Most records are from 1962 and later.
   U.S. MILITARY INDEX This index lists almost 100,000 U.S. servicemen and women who died in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
   FAMILY HISTORY CATALOG This automated catalog describes all of the materials held by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

GRS (GENEALOGY RESEARCH SYSTEMS) Includes marriage indexes, birth records, census index, Social Security death benefits for various dates and places.

PERSI - PERODICAL SOURCE INDEX This index is the largest and most widely used index of genealogical and historical periodicals in the world. It catalogs almost 5,000 different periodicals. PERSI is a comprehensive subject index to genealogy and local history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800. The collection also includes literature dating from the 1700's, although the collection before 1800 is less complete.

PAF - PERSONAL ACESTRAL FILE This tool enables you to type into the computer and organize your personal -genealogical information.

SOURCE GUIDE. This tool contains guides to discovering the records and research aids in the Family History Library and Family History Centers. It contains research outlines that describe types of records in countries, states, and provinces around the world. This guide also contains forms and census work sheets.

VITAL RECORDS INDEX--BRITISH ISLES This resource has 5 million names extracted from birth and marriage records in the British Isles.

VITAL RECORDS INDEX--NORTH AMERICA. This resource has 7 million names extracted from birth and marriage in the United States and Canada.

Barton County Histories in Print
   Barton County Genealogical Society. Barton County Cemeteries. 3 vols
     Vol. I: Rural Cemeteries, 1983 199pp.
     Vol. II: Hoisington D Ellinwood Cems. 1983. 190pp.
     Vol. III: Great Bend Cemeteries. 1984. 240 pp.
Great Bend Public Library has remaining copies.
The Barton County Genealogy Society disbanded in Sept. 1998.

The Quarterly 1980+
Issued quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.
Records of Barton County, Kansas: Marriages, Book A, B, C and D. 4 vols.

Neuforth, Juanita S. and Karen P. Neuforth, Abstracts of Deaths, 1876-1899, Barton County, Kansas. 1987. 106pp.

Neuforth, Karen P. Civil War Veterans of Barton County, Kansas. 1983. 36 pp.

Karen Neuforth
Telephone: 316-793-7304
RT. 4
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
(Karen also does some research for people.)

Barton County Historical Society
Telephone: 316-793-5125
85 South Hwy 281
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
They have many publications for sale in their gift shop as well as items to use in research. There are pictures, & family files in the main building, in the file cabinets/cabinets.

Some Publications that they have for sale:

   Barton County Historical Society. Collection. Vol 1, Nos. 1-5. 1965-1974. 219pp.

   Barton County Golden Heartland of Kansas. Published by Great Bend Tribune, author Marge Harrington. 1996, 167 pp.

   Centennial Book of Great Bend, Kansas, a Historical Portrait of Great Bend, 1872-1972. 60 pp.

   Schulz, Ray., The Great Bend City Directory and Business Gazetteer, 1886. (reprint)

   Schulz, Ray. Great Bend Pride, a pictorial view of the 1 920's, 96pp.

   Schulz, Ray., History of the Streets of Great Bend, Kansas., 51 pp.

   Schulz, Ray., Moments in History.

   Smyth, Bernard B. , The Heart of the New Kansas, a pamphlet Historical and descriptive of the Southwestern Kansas.