Cowley County was created on February 26, 1867 (Organized on February 28, 1870) from Butler County. The County Seat is Winfield. The County was named for 1st Lt. Matthew Cowley of Co. I, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, who died on active duty in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 7 Oct 1864.
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All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link, by contacting the Phone number below for each department or contacting the County Courthouse at 311 E 9th, Winfield, KS 67156-9631; Phone: (620)221-5400.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Cowley County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1885-1911, Marriage Records from 1870 and Death Records from 1885-1911.
The Register of Deeds shall have custody of and safely keep and preserve all the books, records, deeds, maps, papers and microphotographs deposited or kept in the office of the Register of Deeds. The Register of Deeds shall also record or cause to be recorded all deeds, mortgages, maps, instruments and writings authorized by law to be recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds and shall perform all other duties as are required by law.
Cowley County Register of Deeds Officehas Land Records from 1870.
The Register of Deeds shall have custody of and safely keep and preserve all the books, records, deeds, maps, papers and microphotographs deposited or kept in the office of the Register of Deeds. The Register of Deeds shall also record or cause to be recorded all deeds, mortgages, maps, instruments and writings authorized by law to be recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds and shall perform all other duties as are required by law.
Cowley County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 1870 and Court Records from 1871. The Clerk of Court is part of the Judicial Branch of local government and as such is required to maintain a record of all documents filed with the courts, keep a record of all court proceedings, and collect various fines and forfeitures ordered by the court and specified by statute.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Kansas Election List, 1854: Listing of voters from Kansas in 1854 taken from Congressional report in 1856
For the most part, tax records remain at the local level. Assessment and tax rolls are kept, permanently, by the County Treasurer's office.
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Cowley County Treasurers Office
The County Treasurer's Office by Kansas State law is responsible for the tax billing, collection and distribution of tax money for the State, County, Cities and all other taxing entities that levy Ad Valorem and/or special assessment taxes.
Click Here to Search Kansas Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Office of Vital Statistics, 1000 S W Jackson, Suite 110, Topeka, KS 66612; (785) 296-1400 Info; (785) 296-3253.
All Fees below cover a five-year record search – one certified copy is issued if the record is found and if not found, the fee is retained. You will receive either the certified copy or a letter explaining the search conducted and that no record was located. All Request Filled requests take 2-4 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death) or 2-5 Days when you order ONLINE.
They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: In Kansas, Birth certificates began being filed with the Office July 1, 1911. The Kansas Historical Society and/or the County Clerk holds birth records before July 1, 1911.
Cost: $12.00 fee for a certified birth certificate copy is $7 for each additional copy of same record ordered at same time.
Delayed Certificates of Birth: are on file with dates of birth dating back to the 1860's. In 1940, statutory authority was received by the Office which allowed individuals still alive in 1940 and later with no prior birth record filed to submit certain documentation to file a Delayed Certificate of Birth. A request for a Delayed Certificate of Birth is made in the same manner as one for a regular birth certificate – just specify the date of birth. If the date specified is between the late 1860's and July 1, 1911, a Delayed Certificate of Birth search will be conducted.
Death Certificates: In Kansas, Death certificates began being filed with the Office July 1, 1911. The Kansas Historical Society and/or the County Clerk holds death records before July 1, 1911.
Cost: $13.00 fee for a certified birth certificate copy is $8 for each additional copy of same record ordered at same time.
Marriage Certificates: In Kansas, Death certificates began being filed with the Office May 1, 1913. The Kansas Historical Society and/or the County Clerk holds marriage records before May 1, 1913.
Cost: $12.00 fee for a certified birth certificate copy is $7 for each additional copy of same record ordered at same time.
Divorces: Divorce Certificates began being filed with this office July 1, 1951. The divorce decree is not filed with this office. The decree is the court document detailing the settlement of the divorce. The divorce certificate is completed by the plaintiff's attorney and contains only basic information – names of husband and wife, date of marriage, date of divorce, etc. Certified copies of divorce decrees are obtained from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed.
Cost: $12.00 is the cost for the search, which includes one copy of the divorce certificate, if found. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $7.00 each.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.
Order In Person: Go to Curtis State Office Bldg., 1000 SW Jackson, Ste. 120, Topeka, KS 66612. Open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. weekdays.Payment made by cash, check, money order, or credit card.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Kansas Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Kansas Census, 1850-90: This database contains indexes to the Kansas (U.S.A.) portions of the 1850-18700 U.S. Federal Censuses as well as to the 1855-1859 state and territorial census, and the 1890 Veterans Schedules. Information contained in these indexes can include name, state, county, township, year of record, and name of record set.
Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1915: This database contains state censuses for Kansas from 1855-1915. Information available in this database includes: name, age, gender, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, marital status, and place of enumeration. Additional information about an individual may be listed on the original record.
Genealogy Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Kansas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Kansas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Kansas Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
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Click Here to Search Kansas Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Kansas Civil War Soldiers: Listing of over 20,000 men who served in the Union Army from Kansas, 1861-1865
Leavenworth, Kansas Veterans, 1915-16: One of the oldest and most important communities in Kansas, Leavenworth has been home to thousands of military veterans. This database is a listing of residents of the Western Branch of the Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers between 1915 and 1916.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Kansas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Kansas Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Kansas Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
The earliest churches were established among the native tribes settled in Kansas long before it was organized as a territory. The Methodist, Baptist, Society of Friends, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches all had early missions which grew as the white settlers immigrated.
There is no central registry of cemetery locations in Kansas. The Woman's Kansas Day Club has identified and located many Kansas cemeteries. The project's results are at the Kansas State Historical Society which has additional collections of published cemetery inscriptions, though not comprehensive, listed in their card catalog.
The Register of Deeds in each county is often able to assist in locating cemeteries. Certain maps distributed by the Kansas Department of Transportation show the location of known cemeteries in relation to county roads.
Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Cowley County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Cowley County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Kansas Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Transcribed from Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912.
Cowley County, located in the southern tier, the fifth county west of Missouri, was created in 1867 with the following boundaries: "Commencing at the southeast corner of Butler county, thence south to the 37th degree of north latitude, thence west to the east line of range 2 east, thence north to the southwest corner of Butler county, thence east to the place of beginning." It was named in honor of Lieut. Mathew Cowley of Company I, Ninth Kansas, who was killed at Little Rock, Ark., in 1864. The county is bounded on the north by Butler county; on the east by Elk and Chautauqua; on the south by the State of Oklahoma, and on the west by Sumner county.
It is believed that N. J. Thompson was the first actual settler in what is now Cowley county. He built a cabin on the Walnut river, near what he supposed was the south line of Butler county, in Aug., 1868, but it was afterward found that he located in Cowley county. The land was still an Indian reservation, but the white settlers were attracted by the fertility of the soil and another settlement was soon made south of Thompson by William Quimby and a man named Sales. Cattle dealers began to come among the Osages to purchase their herds and carried back reports of the rich lands, which caused a number of white settlers to trespass on the Indian reserve and make settlements. Among those who came in 1869 were James Renfro, T. B. Ross. John and Joseph Stanbury, F. W. Schwantes, S. B. Williams, B. F. Murphy, T. A. Blanchard and some others, extending the settlements southward to within 4 miles north of the present city of Winfield. In June, 1869, C. M. Wood brought a small stock of groceries from Chase county to sell to the Indians. This stock he kept at Renfro's house for a time, but soon erected a stockade and cabin on the west bank of the Walnut nearly opposite where Winfield now stands. The Indians were numerous and knowing the insecurity of the whites in the country, began to steal and make unfriendly demonstrations, which caused Wood to move back to Renfro's for safety.
About the same time that Wood came, E. C. Manning and P. Y. Becker came down the valley and erected a cabin for the latter at the bend of the Walnut river about 2 miles below Winfield, and on June 11 Manning laid claim to the land where a part of Winfield now stands. In August all the settlers in the valley were ordered off the Indian lands. Wood's stockade was burned and all the settlers but T. B. Ross left for Butler county. Later the settlers began to drift back, and in September several families came down the valley to settle near Manning. These settlers each paid the Osage chief $5 for the privilege of remaining. Among them were W. G. Graham and family, Mrs. Graham being the first white woman of north Timber creek. Prettyman Knowles, James H. Land and J. C. Mountfort also located in this neighborhood. In December Alonzo Howland, W. W. Andrews, Joel Mack, H. C. Loomis, A. Mentor and others took up claims. Mr. Howland built a dwelling on his land just south of where Winfield now stands, which was the first frame house in the county, the lumber for it having been hauled 100 miles.
During the summer of 1869 H. C. Endicott, Edward Chapin, George Harmon, W. Johnson, Patrick Sommers and others took up claims as far south as the site of Arkansas City. In June, 1870, a party of men took claims along the Grouse valley, among whom were John Nichols, O. J. Phenis, D. T. Walters, Gilbert Branson and William Coats. Up to this time all settlers had been trespassing on the Indian lands, but on July 15, 1870, the Osage diminished reserve was opened for settlement and the whites began to pour into the county. The land was surveyed and sold to actual settlers in quantities not exceeding 160 acres each. Among the new arrivals were J. C. Fuller and D. A. Mulligan, who bought A. A. Jackson's claim which adjoined Manning's. Max Shoeb built a log blacksmith shop, and W. Z. Mansfield opened a drug store in a log cabin, the first of its kind in Winfield.
The first newspaper of the county was the Cowley County Censor, owned and edited by A. J. Patrick, the first issue being dated Aug. 31, 1870. The first postmaster in the county was C. H. Norton of Arkansas City, who was appointed on April 18, 1870. The next was E. C. Manning at Winfield, who was appointed in May. The first United States census was taken in June, 1870, and the population at the time was 726. The first session of the district court was held at Winfield on May 23, 1871, by Henry G. Webb, judge of the Eleventh judicial district. Arkansas City and Winfield were hardly established as towns before schools were opened. In 1871 a $10,000 school house was built at the latter place and the same year thirty-seven districts were organized, although only three erected buildings. The Methodists were the pioneer religious organization in the county. They perfected a church organization at Winfield in the spring of 1870 under the direction of B. C. Swartz, and in the fall the Baptists organized a church at Winfield. These were followed soon by other denominations.
Early in Feb., 1870, a bill was introduced in the legislature to organize Cowley county. This bill named Cresswell (now Arkansas City) as the county seat. The citizens of Winfield determined to have their town made the county seat. C. M. Wood, A. A. Jackson and J. H. Land made a canvass of the county and found that it contained over the necessary 600 inhabitants for organization. Papers were made out and forwarded to the governor, petitioning him to have Winfield made the seat of justice. On Feb. 28, 1870, the governor proclaimed the county organized, with Winfield the temporary county seat. W. W. Andrews, G. H. Norton and A. F. Graham were appointed special commissioners, and E. P. Hickok, clerk. The first meeting of the board was held on March 23 at the house of W. W. Andrews, who was elected chairman. A special election for township officers, and to locate the county seat, was ordered for May 2. At that election Winfield received 108 votes for county seat, Creswell 55, and thus Winfield became the permanent seat of justice. The following officers were elected: Morgan Willett, Thomas Blanchard and G. H. Norton, county commissioners; H. C. Loomis, county clerk; E. P. Hickok, clerk of the district court; F. A. Hunt, sheriff; John Devoe, treasurer; W. E. Cook, register of deeds; T. B. Ross, probate judge; F. S. Graham, surveyor; and W. S. Graham, coroner. At the general election in November E. S. Stover was elected state senator from Cowley; E. C. Manning, representative; T. B. Ross, probate judge; J. M. Patterson, sheriff; E. P. Hickok, clerk of the district court; A. A. Jackson, county clerk; G. B. Green, treasurer; E. S. Torrance, attorney; Walter A. Smith, register of deeds; H. L. Barker, surveyor; H. B. Kellogg, coroner.
On Aug. 22, 1871, a petition was circulated to change the county seat to Tisdale, which was located at the exact geographical center of the county, but the vote resulted in a victory for Winfield. In 1873, the county buildings were erected, consisting of a court-house and jail. The former, which cost $11,500, was located on a block of land, one-half of which was donated to the county by the town company and the other half purchased by the commissioners.
Cowley county is divided into the following townships: Beaver, Bolton, Cedar, Creswell, Dexter, Fairview, Grant, Harvey, Liberty, Maple, Ninnescah, Omnia, Pleasant Valley, Richland, Rock Creek, Sheridan, Silver Creek, Silverdale, Spring Creek, Tisdale, Vernon, Walnut and Windsor.
The general surface of the county is gently rolling prairie. There are some bluffs in the east, and the western part is quite level. The valley of the Arkansas averages about 5 miles in width; the valley of the Walnut averages about 2 miles and the smaller streams from a quarter of a mile to a mile. Timber belts are found along the streams that vary from a quarter of a mile to a mile in width and contain Cottonwood, elm, hackberry, mulberry, walnut, oak, redbud, pecan, hickory, ash and cedar. The county is well watered by the Arkansas river which crosses the southwestern portion, and the Walnut river, which flows south in the western part of the county, and their tributaries, the most important of which are the Muddy, Dutch, Timber, Silver and Grouse creeks. Cowley county is one of the first counties in the state in the production of corn. Oats, winter wheat and other grains are also extensively raised. Live stock raising is one of the leading industries, and dairying is a paying business. There are about 300,000 bearing fruit trees in the county that bring in a large income. Magnesium limestone of an excellent quality is found and extensively quarried, both for local use and shipment out of the county. Gypsum is found in large quantities in the west. A large salt marsh exists in the southwestern portion.
Few counties in the state have better transportation facilities. Five lines of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway system center at Winfield; the Missouri Pacific enters the county near the southeast corner and runs west to Winfield; a branch of the same system runs from Dexter to Arkansas City; the St. Louis & San Francisco crosses the county diagonally from northeast to southwest, through Winfield, and a line of the Kansas Southwestern runs west from Arkansas City. Altogether, the county has over 200 miles of main track railroad.
The population, according to the U. S. census for 1910, was 31,790. The value of farm products, including animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, was $4,321,090. The five leading crops, in the order of value, were: corn, $674,865; hay, $581,383; oats, $398,559; Kafir corn, $172,500; sorghum, $101,760. Dairy products to the value of $429,123 were sold during the year.
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