Mitchell County was created on February 26, 1867 (Organized on 1870) from Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Beloit. The County was named for William D. Mitchell, who entered the Union army as a private in Company K, Second Kansas Cavalry. Promoted to captain in a Kentucky regiment, he was killed in action at Monroe's Cross Roads, North Carolina, in 1865.
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 P.O. Box 190, Beloit, KS 67420-0190; Phone: (785) 738-3652.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Mitchell County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1891-1911, Marriage Records from 1871 and Death Records from 1891-1911. The Birth & Death Records held by city clerk.
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.
Mitchell 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.
Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Maps. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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 Mitchell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Mitchell 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.
Mitchell County, one of the counties which was settled after the Civil war, is centrally located east and west, and is the second county south from Nebraska. It is bounded on the north by Jewell county; on the east by Cloud and Ottawa; on the south by Lincoln, and on the west by Osborne. The name was given it in honor of Capt. William D. Mitchell, who enlisted in the Union army as a private soldier in the second Kansas cavalry, and after being promoted to the rank of captain was killed at Monroe's cross-roads, N. C., in 1865.
The honor of being the first settler in Mitchell county is divided between Joseph Decker, who located near Glen Elder early in 1866, and Hon. John Rees, who located in Ashbury township at a date not definitely known, except that his son, S. G. Rees, the first while child born in the county, was born in 1866. Mr. Rees opened the first store in the county and kept the first postoffice, both at Ashbury. The postoffice was established in 1869. Mr. Decker brought a large herd of cattle with him, which the Indians drove away before fall. This so discouraged him that he quit the country. In 1867 a number of people settled in the county, and by early spring of 1868 the following had started improvements: Thomas Howie and William Joiner, just below the forks of Asher creek; Mathias Nelson, David Bogardus and B. Bell at the mouth of Plumb creek; Whit McConnell and Tunis Bulis between Asher and Plumb creeks on the river; James Farrow and James Duff just above Plumb creek on the river; H. A. Bell, John Whitehurst and his sons, Vinton and Abraham, on the Solomon river where Beloit now stands; and John Smith at Solomon Rapids. Andrew Peterson settled in Logan township in 1868. Other early settlers were Abram Marshall, Charles Welsh, B. F. Moody and A. A. Bell.
In Aug., 1868, roving bands of Cheyennes and Sioux visited the settlements and lingered about the mouth of Plumb and Asher creeks for several days, hoping to be able to steal something from the settlers. Finally, to intimidate the settlers they called B. Bell and David Bogardus from their cabin and shot them. Mrs. Bell was fatally wounded in attempting to avoid being carried away. They killed Mr. Hewitt of Brown creek and wounded his son, two sons of Abram Marshall and a man by the name of Thompson lost their lives in pursuing the Indians, and two little daughters of A. A. Bell were stolen but were afterward abandoned by the Indians and picked up by the settlers on the Saline. A stockade was established at Howie's ranch, just below the forks of Asher creek a few miles above the present town of Asherville, and nearly all the settlers spent the next winter there. They were joined by George Ealand, William Holton, John Cushing and John Owen. The latter, who led a wild life as a trapper, was unanimously elected commander of the stockade. Finding his protests in vain, he secretly packed his traps and fled to the headwaters of the Cimarron. Shortly after the raid, company G of the Seventh U. S. cavalry made a reconnoisance of the Solomon valley. The Indians managed to escape, although hard pressed on two occasions. That fall the soldiers built a blockhouse on the Solomon 2 miles south of Cawker City, but did not remain long.
Early in 1869 Dr. Rose of Junction City filed on the tract of land occupied by the blockhouse, but was driven out by the Indians and killed near Glen Elder in trying to make his escape. Later in the year the government established a post west of Waconda and north of the river, in which Battery B of the Fourth U. S. artillery, under Capt. H. C. Hasbrouck, was stationed. This company was relieved in April, 1870, by G Troop of the Seventh U. S. cavalry, under Lieut. C. C. de Rudio, with Lieut. McIntosh, a full blooded Chippewa, second in command. The raids of the Indians became less frequent, but on May 9th a party of Cheyennes and Arapahoes came upon four men—Lew J. Best, John Hatcher, R. G. F. Kshinka and John A. Seger—on Oak creek near the west line of the county. The men made such a determined resistance that the Indians gave it up, passed on down the river, and made an attack at Glen Elder, killing Solomon Meiser, John Greer and a Mr. Kenyon. Most of the settlers then took refuge in a stockade built on the farm of George W. Stinson. The soldiers from the post followed the Indians, who divided themselves into two bands and escaped. They reappeared three weeks later at Cawker City, where John Seger led them into thinking the place well manned. They then went on west and stole 10 horses from the ranch of Best & Hatcher, where a dozen men were concealed, but did not dare attack the savages. The final raid took place July 2, 1870. A settlement was made near the center of the county in the spring of that year by C. J. Brown, G. W. Anderson, R. C. Clark and J. S. Smith. They built a stockade and lived together. Civilization was then pretty well established. The last buffalo seen in the vicinity was one which came down the main street of Cawker City (then a town of 250 people), in July, 1872.
The first school houses in the county outside of Beloit, four in number, were built in 1872, in Lulu, Bloomfield, Center and Solomon Rapids townships. The first church was built in Blue Hills township, by the Baptists in 1873, the second was built at Beloit by the Methodists in 1874. The first marriage was in Asherville township between W. McConnell and Nancy Marshall in 1868.
The county organization was effected in 1870, when the governor appointed as commissioners J. M. Myers, William E. Schooley and Charles Brown, and as clerk Don A. Peaslee. The commissioners held their first meeting in Oct., 1870. At the first election Beloit was selected as county seat and the following officers were chosen; Commissioners, C. L. Brown, William E. Schooley and Lew J. Best; clerk, L. C. Smith; probate judge, James Britt; sheriff, W. B. Smith; county attorney, Don A. Peaslee; treasurer, H. J. Messenger; superintendent of public instruction, J. W. Elliott; coroner, J. W. Clark; representative, E. Harrison. A court-house was built by T. F. Hersey at a cost of $4,000 and presented to the county.
There were originally 17 townships, Asherville, Beloit, Bloomfield, Blue Hill, Cawker, Cedar Creek, Center, Glen Elder, Hayes, Logan, Lulu, Pittsburg, Plumb Creek, Salt Creek, Solomon Rapids, Turkey Creek, Walnut Creek. Cedar Creek has disappeared and the following have been added, Carr Creek, Custer, Eureka and Round Springs. Some of the early towns which have disappeared from the map are, West Asher, Round Springs, Naomi, Pittsburg, Elmira, Danville, Shockley, Springfield, Brown's Creek, Ulysses and Excelsior. The principal towns and villages of the present are, Beloit, the county seat, Asherville, Blue Hill, Cawker City, Glen Elder, Hunter, Scottville, Simpson, Solomon Rapids, Tipton, Victor and Waconda Springs.
The Central Branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad came through the county in 1879 and was aided by the people to the extent of $50,000. The Solomon Valley road was extended from Solomon City to Beloit the same year. The Missouri Pacific enters the county in the northeast corner, runs southwest to Beloit, where it connects with the Union Pacific, thence west through Solomon Rapids, Glen Elder and Cawker City, leaving the county a few miles south of the northwest corner.
The general surface of the county is rolling prairie with bottom lands about miles wide along the Solomon river, and from one-quarter to one-half mile wide along the creeks. The north and south forks of the Solomon join just within the western limits of the county, forming the main river, which flows southeast into Cloud county. It has several small tributary streams within the county, among them being Salt, Oak, Brown's, Limestone, Walnut, Carl, Plumb and Asher creeks. Salt marshes are plentiful in the southern part of the county and Waconda spring, at the place of that name, is heavily laden with salt. Magnesian limestone and sandstone of good quality for building material are extensively quarried along the bluffs. Potter's clay and gypsum are found in several localities.
The area of the county is 720 square miles or 460,800 acres, of which about 300,000 acres are under cultivation. The total farm production in 1910 amounted to over $4,000,000. The corn and wheat crops were almost even in value, running over $1,000,000 each. Live stock for the same year was worth $750,000, and the assessed value of property was $28,648,000. The population was 14,089, which makes the wealth per capita about $2,100.
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