Graham County was created on February 26, 1867 (Organized in 1880) from Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Hill City. The County was named for Capt. John L. Graham, of Co. D, Eighth Kansas Infantry, who was killed in action at the Battle of Chickamauga on 19 Sept. 1863.
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 410 N. Pomeroy Street, Hill City, KS 67642-1649; Phone: (785) 421-3453.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Graham County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1892-1904; 1910-11, Marriage Records from 1880 and Death Records from 1892-1904; 1910-11.
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.
Graham County Register of Deeds Officehas Land Records from 1880. Phone 785-421-2551
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.
Graham County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 1880 and Court Records from 1880. 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 Graham County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Graham County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Graham 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 Graham County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Maps. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Graham County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Graham County Historical Society,
414 North West,
Hill City 67642
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 Graham County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Graham 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 Graham County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Graham 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.
Graham County, in the northwestern part of the state, is the fourth county from the west line and the second south from Nebraska. It is bounded on the north by Norton county, on the east by Rooks, on the south by Trego, and on the west by Sheridan.
The first settlements were made on Bow creek in the northern part of the county in 1872. The first to locate was W. E. Ridgley in May. Following him were: Dr. A. D. Wilkinson, E. Poole, F. Schuler, M. N. Colman, John McGeary, Burns Harper, Robert Morrison, Joseph Morrison, Charles Smith, Peter Young, Paris Stevens, Frank Nickol, T. C. Deshon and some others. The first settler to locate elsewhere than on Bow creek was P. H. Collins, who took a claim 10 miles south. Z. T. Fletcher located on the site of Nicodemus and started the first grocery store at that place in 1872. Mrs. Fletcher was the first white woman in the county. On coming into Graham county the settlers found plenty of building material—stone, lime and sand. There was timber on Bow creek but the contractors for the army cut it off and in a few years fuel was very scarce. The bluffs along the streams formed natural stock corrals, and on the Solomon and on Brush, Spring and Bow creeks there were plenty of good mill sites. Up until 1875 the chief occupation was hunting, hauling buffalo bones and raising a few cattle. It was not until 1876 that there was a mill nearer than Glen Elder in Mitchell county, over 80 miles away. There were 75 people in the county at this time, but six years later there were 4,258.
The early towns were: Hill City, established by W. R. Hill in 1876, Nicodemus, Millbrook, Gettysburg, Roscoe and Smithville. Nicodemus, the second town in the county, was established by a town company in 1877 on the site where Mr. Fletcher had established his store on Spring creek. The other towns were established in 1878: Millbrook, by N. C. Terrell; Gettysburg, by A. J. Wheeler; Roscoe, by G. E. Higinbotham. The postoffices in all these towns were established in 1878, the postmasters being: J. W. Crawford at Hill City, Z. T. Fletcher at Nicodemus, N. C. Terrell at Millbrook, Joseph Getty at Gettysburg, G. E. Higinbotham at Roscoe. The first postoffice was called Graham and was on Bow creek. It was established in 1874, with H. W. Windom as postmaster. Houston, the second postoffice, was established in 1875, with Oren Nevins as postmaster. The first Sunday school was held at the home of J. A. Holliway in 1874, the first sermon was preached near the Houston postoffice by Rev. J. M. Brown in 1876. The first school district was organized at Nicodemus. The first drug store was opened by C. Fountain on the site of Millbrook in June, 1878. Three newspapers were established in 1879—the Western Star at Hill City in May, by Beaumont & Garnett; the Millbrook Times, a Greenback paper, by B. F. Graves in July, and the Graham County Lever at Gettysburg by McGill & Hogue in August. Another paper, the Roscoe Tribune, was established in May, 1880, by Worchester & Kellogg. In 1881 there were 22 postoffices, 22 church organizations, 40 organized school districts and 42 business houses.
County organization was effected on April 1, 1880, with Millbrook as the county seat. The appointed officers were: Clerk, E. P. McCabe; commissioners, E. C. Moses and O. G. Nevins. The first election was held on June 1. Hill City was chosen as the permanent county seat, and the following officers were elected: Representative, J. L. Walton; commissioners, A. Mort, G. W. Morehouse and J. N. Glover; county clerk, John Deprad; county attorney, J. R. McCowen; register of deeds, H. J. Harrvi; treasurer, L. Thoman; surveyor, L. Pritchard; sheriff, E. A. Moses; coroner, Dr. Butterfield; probate judge, James Gordon.
The following incident is an illustration of the sufferings and privations of early days in Graham county: A man by the name of Allen was living with his wife and five children about 20 miles north of Millbrook in the winter of 1880. On Wednesday Mr. Allen went to Millbrook to get some coal. On his way back he was caught in a blizzard and lost his way. When he reached home Friday morning he found his family all frozen to death.
Graham county is divided into 13 townships, viz: Allodium, Bryant, Gettysburg, Graham, Happy, Hill City, Indiana, Millbrook, Morlan, Nicodemus, Pioneer, Solomon and Wild Horse. The postoffices are, Hill City, the county seat, Bogue, Gradan, Morland, Nicodemus, Penokee, Saint Peter and Togo. The Union Pacific R. R. runs through the central part of the county from east to west, passing through Hill City.
The largest stream is the south fork of the Solomon river which flows east through the central part. It has numerous tributaries. Several creeks in the southern part of the county are tributary to the Saline. The timber belts along these streams are narrow and contain the varieties of wood most common to Kansas. The bottom lands average one mile in width. Limestone, sandstone, and gypsum are plentiful.
This is a remarkable alfalfa section, and has some of the largest farms in the state. It is also a stock and grain county. The farm products are worth about $3,000,000 per annum, that of 1910 lacking a few thousand dollars of that amount. Wheat in that year brought $794,716; corn, $872,060; tame grasses, $213,854; wild grasses, $91,259; animals sold for slaughter, $604,652. Dairy products, poultry, sorghum, potatoes and Kafir corn are also important.
The assessed valuation of property in 1910 was $13,146,430. The population in that year was 8,700.
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