Warren County, Missouri
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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Warren County Missouri Map

Warren County was organized January 5, 1833, from Montgomery County and named for Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War general. The County Seat is Warrenton. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Warren County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1833-1886; Deed records, 1833-1938; Marriage records, 1833-1915; Application for marriage licenses, 1901 -1920. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1883-1888; Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1889; Permanent record of deaths, 1884-1894; Register of deaths, 1883-1889. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Circuit court records, 1833-1886. Clerk of the Probate Court: Probate records, 1833-1889; Settlement records, 1868-1896; Guardian’s/curator’s records, 1885-1888; Will records, 1833-1918. The Health Department has Birth & Death Records from 1910-Present. See Court Records for more details on whats available from the courthouse.

Counties adjacent to Warren County are Bates County (north), St. Clair County (northeast), Cedar County (east), Barton County (south), Crawford County, Kansas (southwest), Bourbon County, Kansas (west), Linn County, Kansas (northwest). Cities and Towns include Aspenhoff, Dutzow, Foristell, Innsbrook, Marthasville, Treloar, Truesdale, Warrenton, Wright City

  • Warren County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Missouri (1808 - 1922) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
  • Search Missouri Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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Warren County Court Records

See Also Missouri Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

All Departments below are in the Warren County Courthouse located at 104 W. Main St., Warrenton, MO 63385; Telephone: (314) 456-3363 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . See also Courthouse History.

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. The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Warren County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-89. In this office in each county is located an index to common pleas, records of all extant proceedings, chancery minute books, records of births and deaths, county court records, right-of-way and road records, as well as surveyor's records (including field notes and plats made by the county surveyor). This office usually holds the county treasurer's notes, bonds and commissions, records of marks and brands, wolf scalps, stray notices, real estate assessments, and tax books. In some counties, early terms for this court included “Chancery” or the “Court of Common Pleas.”

Warren Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1833 and Land Records from 1833. The Office of Recorder of Deeds records and files instruments of writing affecting real property or personal property, subdivision plats, federal and state tax liens, and other instruments of writing. Also, the Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses, and in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code files termination statements. All recorded instruments are available for public research.

Warren County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1833. In the smaller counties, probate matters are handled in the same office as the associate circuit court office. (In larger counties, there will be a separate probate court clerk's office and separate probate judges/commissioners).

Warren County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1833. This office holds the direct index to records such as divorces, debt, dissolution of partnerships, adoptions, judgment, and tax fee books including direct and indirect indexes. They also retain the index to criminal records and criminal files of the circuit court. Adoptions are under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. Naturalization records, including petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, and certificates of allegiance, and granting of citizenship are also located in the clerk's office, as well as an index to civil case files. Some naturalization records have been found with the deeds.

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Warren County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Missouri

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate.
    • Cost: The cost of a birth record is $15 per record, $15 for each additional copy. The cost of a death record is $13 per record, $10 for each additional copy. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • Processing Time: 6-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
    • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: To request a certified copy of a marriage license contact the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained.To request a certified copy of a divorce decree contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the decree was granted.
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Order In Person:To request a birth or death certificate from a local health department, you may download the application and submit it in person or by mail to the nearest local health department.

Order By Mail: Make check or money order payable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Checks must be drawn on a United States bank. A money order must be drawn on a United States bank or issued by the United States Postal Service. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address:Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Warren County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Missouri

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

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Warren County, Missouri are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Warren County, Missouri are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 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

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Missouri Census, 1830-70: This collection contains the following indexes: 1830 Federal Census Index; 1830-39 Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1870 Federal Census Index; Early Census Index.
  • Warren County, Missouri Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Warren County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Missouri and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Missouri 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 Missouri showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Maps. Email us with websites containing Warren County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Warren County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Missouri

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 Warren County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Warren County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Missouri Historical Society has some original tax records; others can be found in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri, but most extant records remain in the office of the clerk of the county court. The Missouri State Archives has microfilmed some tax records for the counties of Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clay, Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Charles, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

Prior to 1850, purchasers of the federal lands in Missouri were exempt from land taxes for five years after purchase. If one finds an ancestor on a Missouri tax list with livestock, etc., but no land being taxed, the individual may have purchased his land from the government within the preceding five years.

Some early delinquent tax lists were sent to the state auditor's office and are now located in the Capitol Fire Documents held by the Missouri State Archives

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Warren County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Warren County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Missouri 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 more 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 Warren County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Warren County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Boone-Duden Historical Society, P.O. Box 82, New Melle, MO 63365, E-mail: bdhissoc@norn.org
  • Warren County Historical Society, P.O. Box 12 , Market and Walton Streets , Warrenton, MO 63383, Phone: (636) 456-3820
  • Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Information Center, [EMAIL]
    P.O. Box 1747, 600 West Main Str, Jefferson City, MO 65102; Phone:(573) 751-3280, Fax: (573) 526-7333
  • State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Str., Columbia, MO 65201-7298; (573) 882-7083, [EMAIL]
  • Missouri State Genealogical Association, P.O. Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
  • Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Warren County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Missouri

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 Warren County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Warren County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Missouri State Archives has published A Brief Guide to Church Records on Microfilm which is a county by county listing, but it is currently out of print. The available church records can be located by using the Archives' Manuscript Register. Church microfilm rolls are not available for purchase, without written consent of the individual church, and must otherwise be used at the Missouri State Archives. The Western Historical Manuscript Collection on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus holds some church records. These can be located by using their descriptive catalogue or microfiche guide. Most church records in Missouri are scattered and remain in private hands

There is no central registry for cemeteries located in Missouri. The following national cemeteries are located in Missouri:

  • Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 E. Seminole Street, Springfield, Missouri 65804. All known soldiers buried there, including those transferred from towns throughout southwest Missouri were published in Ozar'kin
  • Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 101 Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63125. There is a card file reference to persons interred there. Inquiries may be made by phone or mail.
  • Jefferson City National Cemetery, 1024 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher may phone or write the Jefferson Barracks for information.

Below is a list of online resources for Warren County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Warren County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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 Warren County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Warren County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Warren County is located on the western edge of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Lincoln and Montgomery Counties to the North, St. Charles County to the East, Calloway County to West, and Gasconade and Franklin Counties to the South.

Warren County was formed from Montgomery County on the 5th of January 1833. Marthasville, located in the southern part of the county in the Missouri River Bottoms, is the oldest town in Warren County. It succeeded the French Village, La Charette. This French village was founded about 1766 at the mouth of Charette Creek for the convenience of hunting, trapping, and trading with the Indians. Charette was the most western settlement of white men when the Lewis and Clark expedition went up the Missouri River in 1804 and when it returned in 1806.

Marthasville was described in the gazetteer of Missouri in 1883 as; "First settled in 1801 by Colonel Daniel Boone and his son-in-law, Flanders Calloway, and known then as Calloway's Post, located near the Missouri River, in the southeastern part of Warren County, 20 miles southeast of Warrenton, the county seat, 5 miles north of Washington, on the MP Ry., 60 miles west of St. Louis, and one and one-half miles north of Marthasville Landing, on the Missouri River, the most convenient shipping point. The village contains saw, flour, and planing mills, all operated by steam. One Evangelical and three Methodist Churches, one German school, also white and colored public schools. Grain, live stock, and all kinds of farm produce are shipped in large quantities. Population, 350. Mail, tri-weekly. P.A. Quickert, postmaster.

The Booneslick Trail crosses Warren County and is traversed daily, just as it has been for over a century and a half. The grandfather of all trails to the far west, its importance in history cannot be exaggerated. Originally a trace or pathway used by Indians, trappers, and fur traders, it was known then as the Light Horse Trail. In 1805 Daniel Boone and his son, Daniel Morgan Boone, on a hunting expedition, discovered the animal salt licks along the trail in Howard County. Boone's sons, Nathan and Daniel Morgan, were responsible for surveying and marking the trail, which then took their name. By 1819 the first stageline travelling the trail had been established following the trail, because it remained on higher ground and went due west from St. Louis and St. Charles. An average of 20 wagons and carriages used the trail on a weekly basis. The Booneslick Trail was the most travelled road in Missouri in the mid 1800's. It was crowded daily as emigrant travellers and stock passed through. The trail was immensely important as a connecting route between St. Louis, the gateway to the west, and the great Santa Fe and Oregon Trails that led to California and Oregon.

The early settlers were friends, relatives, and followers of Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone, in the last years of his life, lived most of the time with his daughter and son-in-law, Jemima and Flanders Calloway in Charrette and later in their house near Marthasville. His wife, Rebecca Bryan Boone, died in the Calloway home in 1813 and was buried in the nearby Bryan Family Cemetery situated on a knoll overlooking Teuque Creek. Daniel Boone died in 1820. His funeral was held at the Calloway farm and his body was interred next to Rebecca's.

Before Warren County was established, Gottfried Duden lived along Lake Creek from the fall of 1824 to the spring of 1827. After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, many persons in Germany looked to America as the place to live, but living conditions in America were not known in Germany. Gottfried Duden wrote a book a book entitled, "Berichtueber eine Reise nach den westlichen Staaten Nord Amerikas", which has been called "the most important piece of literature in the history of German immigration". Greatly due to Duden's book and the letters of his travelling companion, Lewis Eversmann to Germany, the new state of Missouri became very alluring to the German people. In 1830 Augustus F.Grabs arrived to scout the area and prepare a settlement for a group organized in Berlin. In 1832 the Berlin group arrived in the Lake Creek and Marthasville area. Baron von Bock bought a Spanish grant and founded Dutzow. Two divisions of the Giessener Society led by Paul Follenius and Frederich Muench arrived in 1834 at the ports of New Orleans and Baltimore. The divisions broke up on arrival in America and the large parts that held together broke when they reached St. Louis. Many of them, including the leaders, settled in the Lake Creek area of Warren County. Despite this the area remained "American" and was reported as such by visitors. However after 1840, and especially after the flood of 1844, the area and the county became increasingly a settlement of German-Americans. In 1870, Friedrich Muench, then the authority on German immigration to Missouri, claimed Warren County to be the most German County in Missouri.

Courthouse History

Warren County was organized in 1833, but the site for the county seat remained undesignated for three years. In January 1836 county citizens cast their ballots in favor of Warrenton as the county seat. The court called for proposals for the first courthouse in May 1837 and accepted the plans of Solomon Jenkins in February 1838. Jenkins married Jane Wells, whose brother, Carty Wells, Jr., was circuit and county clerk of Warren County.

The court appropriated $2,600 for the new courthouse. No known illustrations exist, but it was described as a grand building. Some criticized the extravagance of the court appropriation.

This was the earliest Missouri courthouse designed by Jenkins. Later courthouses by Jenkins include St. Charles County in 1849, and Scotland and Callaway counties in 1856.

The building, located on the same square as the present courthouse, was ordered sold after construction was completed on the second courthouse. On January 20, 1871, the sheriff reported sale of the building for $325.

Warren County's second and present courthouse was begun in June 1869 when Francis Varekel, superintendent, was ordered to secure plans and specifications. The court appropriated $25,000 and approved the plan of Thomas W. Brady, an architect from St. Louis, for which they paid him $350. Julius Conrad and Co. submitted a bid of $25,240, which the court accepted in September. The County Court room and four offices are located on the first floor, a large Circuit Court room on the second. Final costs reported in 1871 were about $40,000.

Warrenton is a growing community, and the need for modernization and expanded county services placed a burden on a 100-year-old building. Resolving the problem required understanding and compromise. For now, preservation of the courthouse seems assured. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 1972.

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