Nemaha County was created on August 25, 1855 as an Original County. The County Seat is Seneca. Several etymologies are given for this name, derived from the Indian word Ne-ma-ha; most probably, it is an Otoe Indian word meaning 'muddy water' or 'swampy water' that was originally applied to the Nemaha River and later to the county through which it flows. Other interpretations: (1) 'water of cultivation'; (2) 'no papoose,' because the tribes did not live in the area or raise families, but merely wandered through on hunting parties; (3) 'furthest up water'; or (4) 'water of the Omahas.'
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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 P.O. Box 186, Seneca, KS 66538-0186; Phone: (785) 336-2170.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Nemaha County Clerks Officehas Birth Records from 1883-1904, Marriage Records from 1857 and Death Records from 1883-1904.
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.
Nemaha County Register of Deeds Officehas Land Records from 1855.
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.
Nemaha County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 1857 and Court Records from 1859. 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.
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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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Nemaha 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 Nemaha County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Nemaha 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.
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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 Nemaha County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Nemaha 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.
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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 Nemaha County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Nemaha 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 Nemaha County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Nemaha 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.
Nemaha County, the third west from the Missouri river in the northern tier, was one of the original 33 counties created by the first territorial legislature in 1855, and one of the 19 counties to be organized in that year. It is bounded on the north by the State of Nebraska; on the east by Brown county; on the south by Jackson and Pottawatomie counties, and on the west by Marshall county.
It is claimed by some historians that Nemaha was included in the region visited by Coronado and that he reached its northern boundary in Aug., 1851, but it is probable that the first expedition to cross the county was in 1842 when Fremont made his journey across the continent. His route entered the county on the east line, south of the present town of Sabetha, extended northwest to Baker's ford, turned south, passing near the place where Seneca now stands, thence northwest again and crossed the county line near the present village of Clear Creek. This road was used by the Mormons in the early '40s and by the California gold-seekers in 1849, later becoming the military road used by the government troops moving westward.
Nemaha county took its name from the river, which in Indian language means "no papoose," indicating the malarious character of the climate at that time. The earliest settlement was made in 1854, when W. W. Moore located near Baker's ford, 9 miles north of where Seneca now stands. In the same year, Walter D. Beeles, Greenberry Key, Thomas, John C. and Jacob B. Newton settled in the same vicinity. John O'Laughlin took a claim on Turkey creek and B. F. Hicks in Capioma township. The settlers in 1855 were James McCallister, William Barnes, Samuel Magill and Robert Rea, in Capioma township; David Locknane, in Granada township; James Thompson, John S. Doyle, Cyrus Dolman, Elias B. Newton, H. H. Lanham and wife, S. M. Lanham and Joseph Lanham, in Richmond township; William M. Berry and L. J. McGown, in Valley township; Horace M. Newton, in Richmond township; William Harris, on the creek that bears his name; Hiram Burger, George Frederick and George Goppelt, on Turkey creek. Along with these last named came a negro by the name of Moses FatIey, who took a claim which he sold the next year to Edward McCaffery for $200. He bought his own freedom, the freedom of his wife, his sister and two of her children. C. Minger and wife settled in Washington township, and Reuben Wolfley in Wetmore township.
These early claims were taken without warrant, as there were no facilities for entry and no place at which payment could be made to the government. The earliest payments were made in 1857. Preëmptions were made up to 1860 at the land office at Kickapoo, where entries were made for the district of which Nemaha county was a part. The settlement and development of the county having begun during the time when the pro-slavery element had the upper-hand in Kansas, most of the early towns started at that time do not now exist, having given away to free-state towns before 1860. Among those to disappear were Central City, laid out in 1855 by William Dodge, for Thomas Newton and sons and H. H. Lanham, which had the first postoffice in the county; Pacific City; Lincoln, the dream of J. E. Hawkes; Ash Point; Urbana, the first town in the county; Wheatland and Richmond. The last was started in 1855 by Cyrus Dolman, a pro-slavery man and a member of the territorial legislature. Richmond was made the county seat by legislative enactment at the time of the organization of Nemaha county. The town company was given a right to enter by preëmption any quantity of land up to 1,000 acres, lay off the same into lots and sell it. Richmond was 3 miles north of the present town of Seneca.
The first officers appointed for the county were as follows: Cyrus Dolman, probate judge; James E. Thompson, sheriff; Edwin Van Endert, treasurer; Jesse Adamson, David P. Magill and Peter Hamilton, county commissioners. The legislature of 1857 passed an act fixing April 4, 1858, as the date upon which the people should choose a location for a county seat. By this time Seneca had been established and won after three elections had been held on the question. In the first election there were six contesting places—Ash Point, Centralia, Wheatland, Seneca, Richmond and Central City. The next election was held in May and some of the places dropped out. In June another contest was held in which only three towns entered—Seneca, Wheatland and Richmond. In August at the election on the Lecompton constitution the county seat question again came up, this time between Seneca and Richmond, the former being triumphant mainly through the influence of George Graham, president of the board of county supervisors. The county had become free-state by this time and turned down Richmond because it was a pro-slavery town.
The first election for county officers was held in 1859, all the officers having thus far been appointed. The result of the election was as follows: R. U. Torry, county clerk; Charles F. Warren, treasurer; Samuel Lappin, register of deeds; John S. Rodgers, sheriff; J. W. Fuller, county superintendent; Haven Starr, probate judge. Very little of the violence which was occurring at that time in Kansas over the question of slavery molested Nemaha county, although there were in the county both pro-slavery and free-state men who had come to Kansas to help their side win. The only slave holder in the county was L. R. Wheeler of Rock Creek township, who held two slaves until 1859.
The year 1860 was a particularly hard one for the settlers. The county had grown from a population of 99 in 1855 to over 2,000 without experiencing any serious backsets. But the drouth, storms, etc., have caused this period in the history of Nemaha county to be referred to as "the famine of 1860." The main articles of diet were corn bread and sorghum molasses, and the settlers who could even get enough of that were lucky. F. P. Baker of Centralia was on the territorial relief committee and remained at Atchison during the winter of 1860-61 attending to the office of the committee. Through him many of the people of this county were relieved from suffering.
It is stated by some historians that John Brown spent his last night in Kansas at Albany, Nemaha county. The underground railway came through the eastern part of the county and one of the stations was at Lexington, 3 miles south of the present town of Sabetha. In 1859 Brown, in escorting 14 negroes to freedom over the famous "Lane Road," was held up on Straight creek in Jackson county for three days by those who hoped to obtain the rewards offered for him. He was relieved by Col. John Ritchie of Topeka who escorted him to Albany, Nemaha county, where he spent the night, proceeding to Nebraska the next day.
When the Civil war broke out A. W. Williams of Sabetha was commissioned as captain by the government and by Aug., 1861, had succeeded in raising 150 men from Nemaha, Marshall and Brown counties. As the volunteers enlisted they went into temporary barracks at Sabetha, where they remained for a month at the expense of Williams. In September they proceeded to Leavenworth, where 100 of them were made members of Company D of the Eighth Kansas and 50 were mustered into other companies. Nemaha county contributed about one-third of these men. A little later George Graham, who was a member of the legislature from Nemaha county in 1859, enlisted a squad of 30 men who went to Leavenworth and connected themselves with various regiments. Altogether there were 218 Nemaha county men enlisted, which included every able-bodied man in the settlements, Sabetha having but one man left.
Previous to the state election of 1866 there were stirring times over negro suffrage and woman suffrage and some of the leaders in both causes held meetings in Nemaha county, notably Lucy Stone and her husband, Henry B. Blackwell, Rev. Olympia Brown and Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The vote of the county on the negro suffrage amendment was 251 for to 421 against it, and the woman suffrage amendment was defeated by a vote of 427 to 227.
Some of the early marriages in the county were Charles Leachman and Mrs. Caroline Davenport in 1854; Samuel Crozier and L. A. Newton, July, 1855; Joseph Brown and Elizabeth Haigh in 1857. The first births were H. M. Randel, Oct., 1856, and Elizabeth Lochnane, 1857. The first death was that of Jacob B. Newton, son of Rev. Thomas Newton, in Sept., 1854. The first church was built by the Christian denomination in Granada township in 1856. The first schools were built in Granada township in 1856 and in America City, Red Vermillion township, in 1857. The first postoffices were Central City, 1856; America City, 1858.
There was one lynching and the one legal execution in the county, the former occurring at Baker's ford in 1865. The victim was Miles N. Carter, a horse thief, who shot and killed John H. Blevins. Carter was taken from the jail at Seneca at 11 o'clock at night by 20 men who overpowered the guard. The next morning his body was found hanging to a tree at Baker's ford. The legal execution was held near the jail on Sept. 18, 1868, Melvin Baughn being the victim. He had shot and killed Jesse S. Dennis in 1866 and had managed to escape punishment for two years though arrested several times.
The first railroad to enter the county was the Atchison & Pike's Peak, now the Missouri Pacific, in 1866. The stations along the route were Wetmore, Sother, Corning and Centralia. The St. Joseph & Denver City R. R. came through the county in 1870, entering at Sabetha and touching at Onedia, Seneca and Baileyville. This road is now the St. Joseph & Grand Island. Two other lines have been built since giving Nemaha county excellent shipping facilities. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific enters near the central part of the north line and extends across the northeast corner through Bern, Berwick and Sabetha. A second line of the Missouri Pacific enters from the west, 11 miles south of the Nebraska line, and extends southeast through Baileyville, Seneca, Kelly, Goff and Bancroft.
The growth of the county in population may be noted from the following figures: It was 99 in 1855; 2,436 in 1860; 2,638 in 1865; 7,296 in 1870; 13,486 in 1880; and 19,072 in 1910.
The increase in wealth has far out-distanced the increase in population. The value of property per capita in 1881 was a little less than $24, while in 1910 it was over $2,000. The principal wealth is in farms and the income is from products, which amounted in 1910 to $5,307,178. The leading field crop is corn, which in 1910 amounted to $2,338,953.84. The second crop is oats, third Irish potatoes and fourth wheat. The assessed value of all property in 1910 was $40,652,775.
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