Harper County was created on February 26, 1867 (Organized in 1873) from Peketon Territory. The County Seat is Anthony. The County was named for Sgt. Marion Harper of Co. E, Second Kansas Cavalry, who died at Waldron, Ark., on 30 Dec 1863 of wounds received the previous day.
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 201 N Jennings, Anthony, KS 67003-2748; Phone: (620) 842-5555.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Harper County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1892-1910, Marriage Records from 1878 and Death Records from 1891-1913.
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.
Harper County Register of Deeds Officehas Land Records from 1873.
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.
Harper County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 1873 and Court Records from 1878. 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 Harper County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Harper County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Harper 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 Harper County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Maps. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Harper 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 Harper County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Harper 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.
Harper County, located in the central part of the southern tier of counties, is bounded on the north by Kingman county, on the east by Sumner, on the south by the State of Oklahoma and on the west by Barber county. It was first organized in 1873 and named in honor of Marion Harper, of the Second Kansas cavalry. As first described the boundaries of Harper included the southern tier of townships in what is now Kingman county. The bill fixing the final boundaries passed the legislature in 1879. The organization of 1873 proved to be one of the most gigantic frauds ever perpetrated in connection with county organizations. There was not at that time a single resident in the county, and it was heavily bonded immediately. In 1873 three men from Cherokee county named Boyd, Wiggins and Homer, having laid a scheme to organize some of the uninhabited lands of southwestern Kansas for the purpose of exploitation, came into the territory which is now Harper county, where they met a trapper by the name of George Lutz, who took them to his camp. Taking Lutz into their scheme, a petition was drawn up asking that John Davis be appointed special census taker, and that H. H. Weaver, H. P. Fields and Samuel Smith be appointed special county commissioners. These names were copied from a Cincinnati directory. The petition further asked that Bluff City, "centrally located in the county, and being the largest and most important business point in the county," be made the temporary county seat. To this petition was attached 40 names. The governor granted the petition and a census report was sent in which showed 641 names, of persons declared to be "bona fide" residents. The county was then declared organized.
The next winter an investigating committee appointed by the legislature visited Harper county and found that it had not a single resident, that it had been bonded for $25,000 and had a funded indebtedness of $15,000. A. W. Williams, then attorney-general of Kansas, recommended that the organization be invalidated on account of fraud and that the county be attached to some other one for judicial purposes. Naturally these events gave Harper an unsavory reputation for some time, but which it has fortunately outlived.
The earliest settlements were made in 1876, when M. Devore and family, H. E. Jesseph and family, John Lamar and family and William Thomas and family located near the east line of the county. The next year a colony from Iowa located on the site of Harper City. The party included J. B. and M. H. Glenn, R. Barton and A. T. Barton, who brought their families, Joseph Haney, C. H. Snider, M. K. Kittleman, G. M. Goss, C. C. Goss, Thomas Elder, B. L. Fletcher and H. C. Moore. They came to Hntchinson on the railroad and drove from that point. The first wedding was solemnized at Harper on Sept. 22, 1878, between Dr. J. W. Madra and Miss Mary Glenn. The first child was born to Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Jesseph.
The county was organized in 1878. In August Gov. Anthony appointed the following officers: Sheriff, E. McEnany; surveyor, B. F. Lee; treasurer, J. L. Rinehart; clerk, H. E. Jesseph; probate judge, R. B. Dawson; attorney, W. R. Kirkpatrick; register of deeds, H. C. Fisler; county superintendent of public instruction, R. H. Lockwood; county commissioners, T. H. Stevens, F. B. Singer and J. B. Glenn. At the first meeting of the commissioners Anthony was named as the county seat, the former county seat, Bluff City, never having had any existence except on paper. The first county seat election was held at the time of the general election in Nov., 1879. Although the county did not have at that time above 800 legal voters, there were 2,960 votes cast. The county commissioners refused to count the ballots and left them in the boxes. When they finally decided to count them they had all disappeared. The citizens of Anthony and Harper, the two contesting towns engaged in a legal battle over the matter, and although Justice Brewer of the supreme court held that 2,960 votes were too many for 800 voters to cast, the vote was finally counted and found to be in favor of Anthony, and that town became the permanent county seat. All the officers of 1878 held over till 1880.
In July, 1880, bonds to the amount of $28,000 were voted for the Southern Kansas & Western railroad, Harper township voting $16,000 and Chikaskia $12,000. The road was built that year. The next year both townships disposed of their stock at 65 cents on the dollar. At present the county is a network of railroads. A line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe enters in the north central part and crosses south through Harper and Anthony into Oklahoma. Another line of the same road enters the east, somewhat north of the center, passes through Harper and crosses Barber county into Oklahoma, and a branch diverges northwest from Attica. The Kansas City, Mexico & Orient enters in the northeast, crosses southwest to Harper, thence to Anthony, and thence southwest into Oklahoma. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific enters from Oklahoma in the southwest and terminates at Anthony. Anthony is also the western terminus of the Kansas Southwestern, which enters in the southeast. The Missouri Pacific, from the east, crosses southwest to Anthony and terminates at Kiowa in Barber county just over the line. There are 167 miles of main track in the county.
There are twenty townships, viz.: Anthony, Banner, Berlin, Blaine, Chicaskia, Eagle, Empire, Garden, Grant, Green, Harper, Lake, Lawn, Liberty, Odell, Pilot Knob, Ruella, Silver Creek, Spring and Stohrville. The postoffices are: Anthony, Attica, Bluff City, Corwin, Crisfield, Crystal Springs, Danville, Duquoin, Ferguson, Freeport, Harper, Runnymede, Shook and Waldron.
The general surface of the county is rolling, with long gentle slopes. Bottom lands, which comprise about 15 per cent. of the total area, average a mile in width. The timber is very sparse, most of it being cottonwood. There are several artificial plantings. Red sandstone, mineral paint and salt are found in large quantities and are of superior quality. The largest stream is the Chikaskia river, which flows across the northeast corner. Bluff creek and its numerous tributaries practically form the water system of the county. This stream crosses the county in a southeasterly direction.
The total area is 810 square miles or 518,400 acres, of which nearly 400,000 acres have been brought under cultivation. The value of farm products averages from $3,000,000 to $3,500,000 annually. In 1910 the yield was not as large as in 1909, but the wheat sold for nearly $1,000,000, the corn for $356,000, and the oats for $349,000, the total product, including live stock, being worth $2,980,000.
The population in 1910 was 14,748, which was a gain of about 35 per cent. over the population in 1900. The assessed valuation of property in 1910 was $29,272,300, which shows the average wealth per capita to be almost $2,000.
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