Dickinson County was created on February 20, 1857 from Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Abilene. The County was named for Daniel S. Dickinson (1800-1866), United States senator from New York.
PLEASE READ FIRST!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
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 1st & Buckeye Streets, Abilene, KS 67410; Phone: (785) 263-3774.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Dickinson County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1892-1911, Marriage Records from 1867 and Death Records from 1892-1911.
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.
Dickinson County Register of Deeds Officehas Land Records from 18?. Phone 785-263-3073
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.
Dickinson County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 18? and Court Records from 1882. 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 Dickinson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Dickinson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Dickinson 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 Dickinson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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 Dickinson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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
Below is a list of online resources for Dickinson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Dickinson County Maps by clicking the link below:
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 Dickinson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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 Dickinson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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 Dickinson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Dickinson County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Kansas Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
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 Dickinson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Dickinson 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.
Dickinson County, located near the central part of the state, is in the third tier of counties south from Nebraska and the sixth west from the Missouri river. It was created by an act of the legislature in 1857, with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the southwest corner of Clay county, thence west along the southern boundary of said Clay county to the southwest corner thereof; thence south along the 6th principal meridian to the corner of townships 16 and 17 south; thence east along the township line to the range line between ranges 4 and 5 east; thence north along said range line to the middle of the main channel of the Smoky Hill fork of the Kansas river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the Smoky Hill fork to the southwest corner of Riley county; thence north with the west boundary of Riley county to the point of beginning." It was named after Daniel S. Dickinson, United States senator from the state of New York. The boundaries at present are practically those established by the act of creation and it is bounded on the north by Clay county, on the east by Geary and Morris, on the south by Marion and on the west by Saline and Ottawa counties. Its area is 851 square miles.
It is supposed that the first white men to pass over the territory now embraced in Dickinson county were Coronado (q. v.) and his followers, and the Bourgmont expedition probably passed through the county in 1724. A family named Lenon located on Chapman creek in 1855, but did not stay. In the fall of the next year T. F. Hersey located on a claim on Mud creek near the present city of Abilene, but there was an impression that land so far west was not fit for habitation and settlement was slow. By some authorities it is estimated that there were not more than half a dozen families in the county at the time of its organization. Prior to that time the county was attached to Davis (now Geary) county as a municipal township for all civil and military purposes. C. W. Staatz settled on Lyon creek in 1857 and in 1858 a number of settlers arrived, locating along different streams. Among them were Wilham Lamb, who took a claim on the Smoky Hill river; A. J. Markley, who settled on Turkey creek; William Breeson, on Lyon creek; E. W. Bradfield, on Mud creek. Although white settlers were coming into the county, the Smoky Hill valley and the prairies were still the hunting grounds of various Indian tribes, and the pioneers being far apart had more frequent red than white visitors. The Indians committed some depredations and at one time were caught and punished by Capt. Sturgis. Settlement was retarded by the Indians, who, while they professed friendship, could not be trusted. Supplies were brought this far west only at a great risk and inconvenience by slow ox teams. Kansas City and Leavenworth were the nearest points where grain could he ground and supplies purchased. Trips were usually made to these cities twice a year to market and mill, the whole family going along as it was unsafe to leave a few members alone, distant from other settlements.
Soon after the creation of the county in 1857, H. M. Rulison, Dr. Gerat and Nicholas White formed a town company and located what was known as Newport, the site of which was section 3, town 13, range 3, about a mile east of where Detroit now stands. The site was platted and a cabin built on each quarter section. In 1860 C. H. Thompson moved to Dickinson county from Leavenworth and located on land east of and adjoining T. F. Hersey. He laid out a town on Mud creek, which Mrs. Hersey named Abilene, and a few log houses were erected there. Another town, called Union City, was laid out south of the Smoky Hill river, on Turkey creek.
The first white child born in the county was C. F. Staatz, son of C. W. Staatz, who lived on Lyon creek, his birth occurring on June 24, 1857. The first death known to have occurred in the county was that of his sister Julia, who died in Oct., 1857. The first marriage was that of David Beigart and a Miss J. F. Staatz in 1859. The first school was organized on Lyon creek, in what is now Liberty township, in 1859, and was taught by William Miller. In Dickinson county the pioneer religious services were held by the Methodists, who erected a log church on Lyon creek in the spring of 1861, which was used for a school house on week days. Peter May was the first pastor of this pioneer congregation. A man named Jones opened the first store in the county at Abilene in 1860, and the first hotel opened was the Drover's Cottage at Abilene in 1866, owned by Joseph G. McCoy. The Chronicle, the first newspaper of the county, was established at Abilene in Feb., 1870, by V. P. Wilson.
Dickinson county was organized in 1858 with the following officers: Commissioners, William Lamb, James Long and William Mulligan; clerk, Dr. Gerot; treasurer, John Lamb; sheriff, Henry Long; register of deeds, John Long. The county board declared Newport the county seat. The records of the territorial era were burned in 1882, but it is known that in 1859, a voting precinct was established at Newport and 20 votes were cast at the November election. By 1860, the population of Dickinson county had increased to 378 and the first regular election was held in the fall.
The Smoky Hill river divides the county nearly in equal parts—the northern and southern. To accommodate the voters on both sides of the river the county commissioners established two voting precincts, one on the north side at Newport and one on the south side at A. J. Markley's house in Union City. The officers had hardly qualified when the county seat agitation began, the contesting points being Union City on the south and Smoky Hill (now Detroit), Abilene and Newport on the north side of the river. The settlers on the south side were fewer than those on the north side, but were united, while those on the north side were divided. Thompson and Hersey saw that, unless the people north of the river united, the county seat would go south of the river. A compromise was effected by which the settlers on Chapman's creek withdrew their support from Newport in favor of Abilene, and thus it became the seat of justice. The election took place in 1861. In 1870 a brick and stone court-house was built at the corner of Broadway and Second streets. On Jan. 17, 1882, the court-house burned and nearly all the county records were destroyed, except those of the register of deeds, which were in another building. A new court-house was soon contracted for at a cost of $30,000 and was ready for occupancy late in the year.
The first railroad to enter the county was the Kansas Pacific, built along the valley of the Smoky Hill in 1866. At the present time the Union Pacific railroad crosses the county from east to west, passing through Abilene, with a branch south from Detroit. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe crosses the southern boundary a few miles west of the southeast corner, traverses the county in a northwesterly direction, and at Abilene branches, one line running west into Saline county, the other running northwest to Concordia. A line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific system crosses the southeast corner of the county, with a branch from Herington to Abilene and Salina. A line of the Missouri Pacific crosses the southern part of the county, east and west, passing through Herington. These lines give the county more than 152 miles of main track road.
Dickinson county is divided into the following townships: Banner, Buckeye, Center, Cheever, Flora, Fragrant Hill, Garfield, Grant, Haynes, Holland, Hope, Jefferson, Liberty, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Newbern, Noble, Ridge, Rinehart, Sherman, Union, Wheatland and Willowdale. The surface of the conutry[sic] is gently rolling prairie which breaks into bluffs along some of the streams. River valleys average 2 miles in width while the valleys of the creeks are only about a mile in width. This "bottom land" comprises about a quarter of the total area and the soil is rich and deep growing somewhat thinner on the upland. Timber—mostly walnut, ash, elm, hackberry, burr oak, cottonwood, hickory, honey-locust, box-elder and sycamore—is found along the streams. The largest water course is the Smoky Hill river, which flows across the county from west to east, a little north of the center. This stream, with its tributaries, the most important of which are Chapman's, Turkey and Vine creeks, waters all of the county. A few springs exist and good well water is found at a depth of 30 feet. The county is well adapted to agriculture, the principal crops being winter wheat, corn, and other grains. Tame grasses and prairie hay are also important products and Dickinson ranks high as one of the great stock raising counties. There are more than 225,000 bearing fruit trees, about half of which are apple. An excellent quality of limestone is abundant; mineral paint and clay for brick and pottery is found near Abilene; gypsum is plentiful in the southwest and is extensively utilized. Salt water is found at Solomon, in the western part of the county and in Hope township in the southwest. There are two mineral springs at Abilene supposed to have medical properties and the water is bottled and shipped to some extent.
Abilene, on the north bank of Smoky Hill river 169 miles west of Kansas City, is the county seat and largest town. The population of the county in 1910 was 24,361, a gain of 2,445 during the preceding decade. The value of farm crops in the same year was $3,293,338, and of all agricultural products $5,610,505.
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