Stevens County, Kansas Genealogy Facts and Records

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KS Court, Land & Wills

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Stevens County History and Information

Stevens County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Stevens County was created on March 20, 1873 (Organized on 1886) from Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Hugoton. The County was named for Thaddeus Stevens (1792-1868), a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and a passionate advocate of Radical Republicanism.

Counties adjacent to Stevens County are Grant County (north), Haskell County (northeast), Seward County (east), Texas County, Oklahoma (south), Morton County (west), Stanton County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Hugoton and Moscow. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

Kansas Settlers, 1854-1879: Listing of over 3200 early settlers of Kansas
The Stevens County Official Government Website
Search the Kansas USGenWeb Archives
Stevens County, Kansas History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Records at the Stevens County Courthouse

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 200 East 6th Street, Suite 1, Hugoton, KS 67951-2655; Phone: (620) 544-2541. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Stevens County Clerks Office has Birth Records from 18?, Marriage Records from 1886 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.

Stevens County Register of Deeds Office has Land Records from 1886.
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.

Stevens County Clerk of District Court has Probate Records from 1886 and Court Records from 1886.
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.

Click Here to Search Kansas Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Stevens County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Stevens 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
Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856: Voter registration lists from the territory of Kansas between 1854 and 1856
Kansas Settlers, 1854-1879: Listing of over 3200 early settlers of Kansas
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Stevens County, Kansas Court Books at Amazon.com

Stevens County Tax Records

See Also Military Records in Kansas

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.

Below is a list of online resources for Stevens County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Stevens 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
Stevens County, Kansas Military Books at Amazon.com

Stevens County Genealogical Addresses

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 Stevens County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Stevens County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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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

Stevens County Church & Cemeteries

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 Stevens County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Stevens 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 Stevens County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Stevens County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Kansas Obituary 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 Stevens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Stevens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Stevens County ] [ Kansas ] [ Main Page ]
Stevens County USGenweb Archives
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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.
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Stevens County, Kansas Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Transcribed from Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912.

Stevens County, one of the southern tier, the second county east of Colorado, is bounded on the north by Grant county; on the east by Seward; on the south by the State of Oklahoma, and on the west by Morton county. It was first created in 1873 and named in honor of Thaddens Stevens of Pennsylvania. The boundaries were defined as follows: "Commencing at the intersection of the east line of range 35 west with the 6th standard parallel; south along range line to its intersection with the south boundary of the State of Kansas; thence west along said south boundary line of the State of Kansas to where it is intersected by the east line of range 39 west; thence north along range line to its intersection with the 6th standard parallel; thence east to the place of beginning."

Ten years after it was created the county was obliterated and became a part of Seward. In 1886 the legislature reëstablished the original boundaries and later in the year it was organized. In May J. W. Calvert was appointed census taker, and made his returns to the governor on Aug. 3. According to his figures the population was 2,662 and there were 868 householders. The taxable property amounted to $313,035, of which $140,380 was real estate. A large petition in favor of Hugoton for county seat was presented to Gov. Martin along with the returns. The governor made his proclamation the same day, designating Hugoton as the temporary county seat and appointing the following officers: County clerk, J. W. Calvert; commissioners, H. O. Wheeler, J. B. Chamberlain and John Robertson.

The other candidate for the county seat was Woodsdale, located 4 or 5 miles northeast of Hugoton. The people of that town employed the noted lawer,[sic] Col. Samuel N. Wood, to represent them, and to prevent the complete organization of the county on the ground of a fraudulent census. Mr. Wood came to the county and proceeded to gather evidence in the case to present to the governor. He traveled over the county to ascertain the number of actual residents and to secure affidavits to the effect that there was not sufficient population to organize. It was about Aug. 15 when Mr. Wood came to the county. The temporary commissioners had already divided the county into voting precincts in such a manner that the whole north side was without a polling place. A public meeting was held at Woodsdale and a large crowd examined a copy of the memorial for Hugoton, to which 400 names were attached, and also the census roll containing 2,662 names. It is said that the latter contained the names of over 200 pair of twins. It was voted to bring proceedings to disorganize the county. The people of Hugoton called a meeting two days later and resolved to stop Mr. Wood from bringing the matter to the attention of the governor. The next day Col. Wood started to Topeka with the evidence, in company with Capt. J. C. Price, who was going to Meade Center. They were met on the road by a mob and taken into custody on representation that they were arrested, but no warrant was presented. They were taken southwest into "No Man's Land," the intention being to keep them there until after the election on Sept. 9. Their disappearance created great excitement at Woodsdale. A posse of 25 men under Capt. S. O. Aubrey started out in search of the missing men and the citizens of Woodsdale threatened to burn Hugoton if Wood was not brought back. Word was sent to Topeka, and the governor sent out a number of officers who spent some time investigating, but did not accomplish anything. The affair caused considerable concern over the state, as it was feared the captives would be killed. They were rescued by Capt. Aubrey and his men about the last of August.

At the election held a few days later the following officers were chosen: County clerk, C. W. Calvert; register of deeds, H. F. Nichols; clerk of the district court, W. E. Allen; treasurer, O. W. Kirby; sheriff, A. P. Ridenour; surveyor, George B. Teames; attorney, John B. Pancoast; coroner, W. J. D. Halderman; probate judge, W. H. Guinn; commissioners, J. E. Hunt, J. B. Chamberlain and W. A. Clark. Hugoton received a large majority of the votes for county seat. There were, however, but 289 votes cast, which gave color to the contention of the Woodsdale people that there were less than 300 votes in the county. By that time proceedings had been instituted in the supreme court asking that the fraudulent organization be set aside. While this suit was pending the legislature of 1887 passed two acts which interfered with it and made the organization legal. The county was in a continual state of turmoil. The state militia had to be sent out to protect the county officers while they canvassed the returns of the election of 1888.

In that year a party of men from Hugoton followed Sheriff Cross and his posse into "No Man's Land" where they murdered the entire party except a boy of 19 years, who escaped to tell the story. Believing that there was no court which had jurisdiction over that territory they openly boasted of their deed. Col. Wood spent considerable time investigating the matter and finally ascertaining that the courts of Texas had jurisdiction over "No Man's Land," he brought the murderers to trial at Paris in that state. C. E. Cook, O. J. Cook, J. B. Chamberlain, C. Freese and J. J. Jackson were found guilty. A new trial was granted them on a technicality and their release was secured. Determined that Col. Wood should not live to try them again, they laid a plot to kill him. He was shot and killed by James Brennan at the court-house at Hugoton on June 23, 1891. The men who had been found guilty of the murder of Cross and his party were never tried again.

While all this had been going on the county was going through the hard times incident to pioneer conditions. In 1890 the population was 1,418, very little more than half the reputed population of 1886. During the next ten years the suffering brought on by poor crops was augmented by the financial panic which was general over the country. Many of the people left for the southwest, which was just opening up, and in 1900 the population of the county was but 620. A series of good years resulted in building up the county again, and the population in 1910 was 2,453.

The county is divided into 3 townships, Center, Harmony and Voorbees. The general surface is an undulating prairie with sand hills. There is no timber. The bottom lands are from one-half to three-fourths of a mile in width and comprise about 2 per cent. of the area. The only river of importance is the south fork of the Cimarron, which flows northeast across the northwest corner. Sandstone is found near the river, and gypsum and clay in other parts of the county.

The value of farm products marketed in 1910 was $737,947. The leading crop was broom-corn which brought $200,000; milo maize was worth $153,384; Kafir-corn, $106,475; wheat, $66,856; live stock sold for slaughter, $65,560. The value of live stock on hand was $616,170. The assessed valuation of property was $2,877,104.

County Courthouse

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