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Rooks County History and Information |
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See Also Kansas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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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 ? NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Rooks County was attached to ? County for county and judicial purposes from 18?? to 18??. Some early records may be found there.
Rooks County Clerks Office has Birth Records from 18?, Marriage Records from 18? and Death Records from 18?.
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.
Rooks County Register of Deeds Office has Land Records from 18?.
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.
Rooks County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 18? and Court Records from 18?.
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 Rooks County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Tax Records
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 Rooks County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Vital Records in Kansas
Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
Office of Vital Statistics, 1000 S W Jackson, Suite 110, Topeka, KS 66612; (785) 296-1400 Info; (785) 296-3253.
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 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 Rooks County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Rooks County, Kansas are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Rooks County, Kansas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Kansas
Below is a list of online resources for Rooks County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks 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.
- Kansas Territorial Census, 1855: Index to persons whose names appear in the Kansas Territorial Census of 1855
- Census Online - Kansas Census Records
- The USGenWeb Archives Kansas CENSUS IMAGES PROJECT
- Rooks County, Kansas Census Books at Amazon.com
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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 Rooks County Maps. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Kansas
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Rooks County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks 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.
- Kansas Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 2601 Central Avenue, Dodge City, KS 67801; (620) 225-1951
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 1776 D Street NW,
Washington, D.C. 20006; Phone: (202) 628-1776
- Kansas Society of Sons of the American Revolution
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Kansas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- 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.
- 1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll - Veterans or widows of veterans living in Kansas who have applied for a Pension
- Rooks County, Kansas Military Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Other Kansasa Genealogical Addresses
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 Rooks County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- ?
- Local Kansas Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
- Kansas State Historical Society, 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka KS 66615-1099
- Kansas State Genealogical Society, 2109 Twentieth Avenue, Monroe, WI 53566
- Kansas Genealogical Society, PO Box 103, 700 Avenue G and Vine Street, Dodge City, KS 67801; (620) 225-1951
- National Archives - Great Lakes Region (Chicago),
7358 South Pulaski Road,
Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Kansas.)
- 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.
- Kansas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kansas
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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. |
There are many churches and cemeteries in Rooks County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Rooks County Tombstone Transcription Project.
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 Rooks County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Rooks County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Rooks County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
- Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Rooks County ] [ Kansas ] [ Main Page ]
- Rooks County USGenweb Archives
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
- Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
- Kansas Family Group Sheets
- Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
- 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.
- Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
- Rooks County, Kansas Family Books at Amazon.com
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Transcribed from Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912.
Rooks County, in the northwestern section of the state, is in the second tier south of the Nebraska line, and the fifth county east from Colorado. It is bounded on the north by Phillips county; on the east by Osborne; on the south by Ellis, and on the west by Graham. The legislature defined the boundaries in 1867 as follows: "Commencing where the east line of range 16 west intersects the 1st standard parallel; thence south to the 2nd standard parallel; thence west to the east line of range 21 west; thence north to the 1st standard parallel; thence east to the place of beginning."
It was named in honor of John C. Rooks of the Eleventh Kansas cavalry. Settlers did not begin coming into the county till 1871. By the fall of the next year there was sufficient population for county organization, which took place on Nov. 26, 1872. Gov. Harvey in his proclamation named Stockton as the temporary county seat, and appointed as commissioners, Lyman Randall and Lewis Stults. The commissioners chose George W. Beebe as clerk. The first election was held Dec. 31, 1872, when the following officers were elected: Probate judge, M. Drake; sheriff, John Russell; county clerk, L. C. Smith; treasurer, Joseph Brossard; surveyor, Albert Cooper; clerk of the district court, Thomas Boylan; superintendent of public instruction, John M. Park; attorney; D. K. Dibble; register of deeds, L. C. Smith; coroner, D. W. Gaun; commissioners, Lyman Randall, D. O. Adams and Lewis M. Stults; representative, Joseph McNulty. For county seat Stockton received 95 votes and Lowell 52. The whole number of votes cast in the election was 147.
Among the early events was the killing of two young men named Roberts by a desperado by the name of Johnson. In 1873 a cattle dealer from Kentucky was murdered and robbed, his body being hidden in the sand 12 miles east of Stockton, where it was found by some children. In June, 1875, two men with 35 head of Texas ponies came to the south fork of the Solomon river not far from Stockton, where they camped and gave notice that their stock was for sale. One of the strangers went to town to make some purchases and the people gathered to inspect the ponies. While they were doing so sheriff Ramsey of Ellis county, accompanied by sheriff Joseph McNtilty of Rooks county, rode up heavily armed and announced that the ponies had been stolen. Ramsey ordered the thief to throw up his hands. Instead of doing so, the man jumped behind a pony and prepared to shoot. Both Ramsey and the thief were armed with needle guns. They both fired and simultaneously dropped dead. The other stranger was hunted up and wounded in the jaw by a shot but he managed to escape.
The first newspaper was established in Jan., 1876, by J. W. Newell. It was a Greenback labor paper and was called the Stockton News. The county agricultural society was formed in 1879. Until 1881 the county offices occupied rented quarters. A $5,000 court-house was built that year, the city of Stockton contributing $3,000 of this amount. A strong jail of cottonwood logs, strengthened by tons of iron, was built near the court-house. A number of flour mills were built in the '70s.
The county is divided into 22 townships, viz.: Alcona, Ash Rock, Belmont, Bow Creek, Corning, Farmington, Greenfield, Hobart, Iowa, Lanark, Logan, Lowell, Medicine, Northampton, Paradise, Plainville, Richland, Rush, Stockton, Sugar Loaf, Twin Mound and Walton. The postoffices are: Alcona, Codell, Damar, Palco, Plainville, Stockton, Webster, Woodson and Zurich. A line of the Union Pacific R. R. enters in the southeast and crosses northwest into Graham county. A branch of the Missouri Pacific enters in the northeast and terminates at Stockton.
The general surface of the county is rolling, with high bluffs along the south fork of the Solomon river and Paradise creek. One-fifth of the surface is almost level, and about three-fifths are undulating prairie. The bottom lands along the Solomon are about one and one-half miles in width, and those of other streams from one-half to one mile in width. The streams are lined with thin belts of native timber, and some artificial plantings have been made. The south fork of the Solomon river enters on the west and flows eastward through the county. Slate and Sand creeks are tributaries from the northwest and Spring Lost, Box-Elder, Elm and Medicine from the south. Other creeks are Paradise, Wolf, West and East Eagle and Bow. Magnesian limestone of a superior quality underlies the entire county, with quarries at Iago and on Elm and Medicine creeks. Sandstone, gypsum and potter's clay are also found.
In 1878 the number of acres under cultivation was 5,211. In 1882 the value of farm products was $634,077. In 1910 the total value of farm products was $3,403,171. Wheat was worth $1,463,950; corn, $399,543; oats, $142,038; Kafir corn, $110,075; tame grass, $220,671; wild grasses, $113,694.
The population in 1875 was 567; in 1880 it was 8,112. In the next decade there was a decrease of 94, the population in 1890 being 8,018. In the next ten years there was a decrease of about 60. In 1910 the population was 11,282, showing an increase of 3,322, or nearly 50 per cent. The assessed valuation of property in 1910 was $16,351,545.
County Courthouse
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