Missouri Genealogy
This guide contains a sample of The Newberry's resources on this topic. To locate additional resources, please check our catalog or consult a reference librarian.
This research guide is also available as a PDF file.
Guides and Bibliographies
Parkin, Robert. Guide to Tracing your Family Tree in Missouri. St. Louis: Genealogical R & P, 1979. Call # Local History Ref F465 .P37 (2nd floor open shelf). Dated but helpful.
Porter, Pamela Boyer and Ann Carter Fleming. Research in Missouri. NGS Special Publication; No. 84. Research in the States Series. Alexandria, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2007. Call # 2010122302 on order
Census
The records of the United States census for Georgia from 1790-1930 are available online at the public access computers. Federal census microfilm holdings for 1840- 1880, and published statewide indexes for 1840-1860 are available. CDROM index for 1870 and an 1880 Soundex index also available. Ask at 2nd floor reference desk.
Vital Records
Blattner, Teresa. Divorces, Separations, and Annulments in Missouri 1769 to 1850. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, c1993. Call # F465 .B53 1993.
Blattner, Teresa. People of Color: Black Genealogical Records and Abstracts from Missouri Sources. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, c1993. Call # F465 .B4 1993. Includes military records, slave schedules, burial records, marriage records, and court records for a variety of counties.
Eddlemon, Sherida K. Missouri Genealogical Records and Abstracts. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1990- <1993>. 5 volumes. Call # F465 .E25 1990. Each volume is indexed separately and includes the earliest records from various counties through 1839. This work is continued by Eddlemon's Missouri Genealogical Gleanings: 1840 and Beyond. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1994-<1996>. 3 volumes. Call # F465 .E33 1994. Both include tax lists, church records, etc.
Missouri Coroner's Inquest Database, 1842-1932. Indexes coroner's investigations in some Missouri counties, including St. Louis. From the Missouri State Archives.
Missouri Pioneers: County and Genealogical Records. [Kansas City, MO], 1967-1976. Call # folio E695846.584. Each volume indexed separately. Counties covered and types of records vary for each volume.
Ormesher, Susan, compiler. Missouri Marriages Before 1840. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1982. Call # Local History Ref F465 .O75 1982 (2nd floor open shelf).
Stanley, Lois. Death Records of Pioneer Missouri Women, 1808-1849. Decorah, IA: Anundsen Publishing Co., 1980. Call # folio F465 .S83. Taken from newspapers. Companion volumes include:
- Death Records of Missouri Women from Newspapers, January 1850-December 1853. Call # folio F465 .W451.
- Death Records of Missouri Men from Newspapers, 1808-1854. Call # folio F465 .W45.
- Death Records from Missouri Newspapers: The Civil War Years, January 1861-December 1865. Call # folio F465 .S82.
City Directories
The Newberry holds almost 40 city directories pertaining to the state of Missouri.
Atlases and Gazetteers
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The atlas is available online at:
Missouri state gazetteer, shippers’ guide and business directory for 1865. Indianapolis: G.W. Hawes, 1865. Call # Graff 1824 no 1. (Special Collections, 4th floor).
Newspapers
State Historical Society of Missouri. Missouri Digital Newspaper Project:
Periodical
Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal. 1981-. Call # folio F461 .M577. Published quarterly. Subject indexing in PERiodical Source Index. Call # Local History Ref Z5301 .P47 (2nd floor open shelf).
Local Histories and Biographies
Bryan, William Smith. A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri: With Numerous Sketches, Anecdotes, Adventures, etc.... Columbia, MO: Lucas Brothers, 1935. Call # Local History Ref F465 .B91 1935 (2nd floor open shelf). Very brief county histories along with family sketches and individual biographies. Every name index.
Yarnell, Ilene Sims. Central Missouri Area History. [Versailles, MO: I.S. Yarnell, 1979]. Call # folio F465 .Y3 1979.
Land and Tax Records
American State Papers. Public Lands. Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1994. Call # Local History Ref J33 .M3 1994 (2nd floor open shelf). Indexed by Phillip McMullen's Grassroots of America.... Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1994. Call # Local History Ref J33 .M3 1994, Index (2nd floor open shelf). Missouri is heavily represented.
Boyd, Gregory A. Family maps of…Missouri. Norman, Okla: Arphax, c2005-. 37 volumes, one county per volume. Includes index of surnames for county patents (with parcel-counts for each surname), and a surname/township index (with parcel-counts for each surname by township). All volumes are available on the 2nd floor open shelf. Ask at the 2nd floor reference desk.
Lowrie, Walter. Early settlers of Missouri as taken from land claims in the Missouri Territory. Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1986. Call # F465 .L68 1986. Missouri Land Claims. New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1976. Call # HD181 .G31 1835a. This is a reprint of the Report from the Commissioner of the General Land Office with a new index by Patricia Chadwell and an introduction by Anton Pregaldin.
Military
Eakin, Joanne Webb Chiles. Confederate records from the United Daughters of the Confederacy files. Independence, MO: J.C. Eakin, c1995-c2001. Call # folio E483.5 .E35 1995. 5 volumes; arranged in alphabetical order.
Houts, Alice Kinyoun. Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Missouri. [Kansas City?, MO: s.n.], c1966. Call # Local History Ref E263.M5 H68 1966 (2nd floor open shelf). Data gathered by local DAR chapters; amount of information varies.
McGhee, Lucy Kate. Missouri Revolutionary Soldiers, War of 1812 and Indian Wars Pension List. Washington [1957?]. Call # F 884 .536.
Missouri. Adjutant General. Report (1963, 1864, 1865 in three volumes). Jefferson City: 1864-1866. Call # Dawes U1884.58. Union Civil War rosters.
U.S. Adjutant General's Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who Served in Organizations from the State of Missouri. Call # Microfilm 1032. Specify soldier's surname on call slip.
World War I Service Records database.
Cemeteries
Stephenson, Earl. An Index to Cemetery Locations in the Missouri Ozarks: (some 5,000 cemeteries). Springfield, MO: Ozarks Genealogical Society, 1991. Call # folio F472. O9 S74 1991.
Wright, Helen. Cemetery records of Crawford County, Missouri. [United States]: H. Wright, 1998. Call # folio F472.C8 W75 1998.
Other
Quaker records: Missouri monthly meetings: Fairview; Kansas City, Jackson County; Union, Jasper County. [197?]. Call # folio F465 .Q73.
Weant, Kenneth E. The 49ers. [Arlington, TX?]: K.E. Weant, c2004- Call # folio F472 .A15 W43 2004. “v. 1 As reported in The Missouri republican, St. Louis, Missouri 1 January 1849 to 31 December 1849 (3300 plus names). This volume serves as a name index and transcription of newspaper articles surrounding the California gold rush of 1849 published in Missouri. 8/11