Wright County, Missouri
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
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Wright County Missouri Map

Wright County was organized January 29, 1841, from Pulaski County and named for Silas Wright, a New York senator. The County Seat is Hartville. Courthouse burned in 1864 and 1897. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Wright County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1853-1894; Deed records, 1866-1896; Patent records, 1895-1903; Marriage records, 1897-1921. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1895-1903. Clerk of the Probate Court: Probate records, 1853-1886; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1884-1896; Proof of publi­cation, notices and affidavits, 1872-1889; Guardian’s/curator’s records, 1872-1928; Will records, 1864-1926. 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 Wright County are Laclede County (north), Texas County (east), Douglas County (south), Webster County (west). Cities and Towns include Graff, Grovespring, Hartville, Macomb, Manes, Mansfield, Mountain Grove, Norwood

  • Wright 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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Wright 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 Wright County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 39, Hartville, MO 65667-0039; Telephone: (417) 741-7121 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.wrightcountyclerk.com . 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. In 1849 courthouse was burned and partially destroyed in 1862. The courthouse burned, reportedly January 11, 1863. A tornado damaged the building in 1888 .County Court records for Wright County were destroyed in an 1896 fire.

Wright County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from N/A. 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.”

Wright Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1897 and Land Records from 1853. 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.

Wright County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1853. 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).

Wright County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1853. 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 Wright County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Wright County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Wright 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 Wright County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Wright County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Wright 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 Wright County, Missouri are 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Wright 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 Wright County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Wright 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.
  • Wright 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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Wright 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 Wright County Maps. Email us with websites containing Wright County Maps by clicking the link below:

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

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Wright 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 Wright County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Wright County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Wright County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Wright 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 Wright County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Wright County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Wright 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 Wright County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Wright 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 Wright County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Wright 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 Wright County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Wright County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Wright County is bordered by Laclede County on the north, Texas County on the east, Douglas County on the south, and Webster County on the west. It is in the portion of the state considered "southwest Missouri." Formed from part of Pulaski County on January 29, 1841, Wright County was named in honor of Silas Wright, a prominent New York democrat. The county seat of Hartville was probably named after Hartsville, TN, where many early settlers originally came from. Wright County lost part of its land in 1845 to Texas County, in 1849 to Laclede, and in 1855 a big chunk to Webster.

It appears there were no Indian settlements early in the area, although the wandering Delawares, Shawnees, and Piankashaws did come through. Early white settlers were in the county in 1836 and were probably hunters. Earliest known settlers (by 1840) were Samuel Thompson, Robert Moore, John W. Burns, Jeff and Robert Montgomery, Benjamin Stephens, James Young, William Franklin, Isham Pool, and the Tuckers, according to Goodspeed.

The county has been devastated several times by storms. The tornado that swept through southwest Missouri that devastated Webster County on April 18, 1880, also killed Polly and Sallie Scott and Mack, according to Goodspeed, in Wright County. A flood April 22 - 23, 1885 drowned James Woods and his son Yat. Another tornado May 8, 1888 did considerable damage, as did a hailstorm near the same time that reportedly left hail 3 - 4 inches deep and in drifts 5 - 8 feet high, after falling for two hours. Goodspeed gives great accounts of these storms, as well as others.

A good-sized portion of the county is located in the Mark Twain National Forest. The Gasconade River and it's tributaries flow through the county, as well allowing for great recreational opportunities. For a Missouri Conservation list of places in Wright County, click here.
Settlements of Wright County
The townships are, beginning at the southwest corner moving east: Pleasant Valley, Clark, Mountain Grove; above the southwest corner moving east: Gasconade, Hart, Wood; again moving above beginning southwest and moving east: Boone, Brush Creek, and VanBuren. Northern most edge moving southwest to east: Union, Elk Creek, Montgomery.

The county seat of Hartville was probably named after the town of Hartsville, Tennessee where many of the Wright County residents came from originally. Although early histories indicate it was named after Mr. Hart who "donated the site", no land records show this transaction, nor does he have a first name, nor were there any Harts in the area until about 1860. The first deed entry in the town of Hartville was made December 27, 1847. Hartville today has about 524 residents. Its zip code is 65667. Hartville saw considerable suffering during the Civil War. For an interesting account of the Battle of Hartville, click here.

Mountain Grove was first named Hickory Springs as the early settlement was near a spring in a hickory grove. The early post office was established in Hickory Springs in 1851 and then a seminary called Mountain Grove Seminary was erected in 1857. A store was opened that year by Mr. Green and John Roper, and finally the village of Mountain Grove was organized on February 11, 1882. Today Mountain Grove has about 3377 residents. Its zip code is 65711.

The town of Mansfield was named for Francis M. Mansfield, who along with George and Julia Nettleton surveyed and acknkowledge the plat of Mansfield on November 10, 1884. He was an attorney for the Gulf Railroad. I.I. Hart and M.D.Gorman opened the first store about 1882, and the postoffice was originally established in 1881. There are approximately 1056 residents of this town which is the adult home of Laura Ingalls Wilder . Neat Wilder links can be viewed here and here.

Norwood was settled as early as 1853-1857 and the plat was acknowledged September 20. It was named by Walter S. Thompson who named it after Norwood a novel by Henry Ward Beecher. Today it has a population of about 294. Its zip code is 65717.

Grovespring, also seen sometimes as Grove Spring or Grove Springs, has a population of about 92. It's zip code is 65662. It came in existance about 1885. Early settlers included the Smith, Weaver, Mahony, Hudson, Shields, Davis, and Moorehouse families.

Macomb early was called Coin and was founded in the early 1880's. Its zip code is 65702.

Cedar Gap is a gap in the Ozarks Ridge that is surrounded by hills full of cedars. It was acknowledged August 19, 1882.

Graff was named for Courtney Graff and is still on the map. Its zip code is 65660.

Manes began about 1880 with George Myers store and was named after Seth Manes, a Missionary Baptist preacher from Richland in 1891.

Smittle, St. George, Owens, Odin, Dawson (at one time called Plunk after John H. Plunk who was there in 1895), Rayborn, Green Mountain, Loring, Boyer, and Jerk Tail are now/still on the map.

Several places aren't on the new maps. They include Astoria (originally named for John Jacob Astor who was president of the American Fur Company in St. Louis where many early traders traded), Mint, Cravens, Jericho, Aurora/Mingsville/Omega, Sunnyside or Crisptown, Umpire, Hawley, Antrim, Cave Spring, Embree, Talmadge (this post office was named by the government), High Point (sets on a high hill), and Fincher.

Courthouse History

County Court records for Wright County were destroyed in an 1896 fire, and there are few newspaper records. The earliest history is Goodspeed's, 1889, which mentioned construction of a small building used as a clerk's office. Work Projects Administration records call it a small courthouse. A photograph in the Pulaski County Historical Society is identified as Wright County's courthouse of 1841-1845, but this may be a home in which early courts met.

On March 10, 1849, John H. Hight presented the plan for a brick courthouse, which William C. Young contracted to build. The court received the building in December, although it was not completed. The yard was fenced and brick sidewalks laid in 1850. The clerk's office on the square was sold in February 1851.

Courthouse history during the Civil War period is unclear. Apparently, the 1849 courthouse was burned and partially destroyed in 1862. A subsequent frame building used for a courthouse, which the court may have had built, was also burned, reportedly January 11, 1863. The partially destroyed courthouse was rebuilt at a cost of $6,700 after the war . A tornado damaged the building in 1888.

W. S. Candler and George W. Freeman acted as superintendents of the last courthouse built in the 19th century. Rader and Huffman were contractors for the two-story, brick building erected in 1898 (see Figures 2 and 3). Built of soft brick, the courthouse plagued the county with constant need of repair until it was demolished in January 1964 as the new courthouse was being constructed.

In November 1962 architect Roger Frangkiser, Kansas City, met with Wright County officials to give them information about the federal government Community Facilities Administration funds for new public buildings under the Accelerated Public Works program. Wright County's need made it a potential recipient for a grant.

The court accepted Frangkiser's offer to draw new courthouse plans contingent upon approval of the grant application and the county's willingness to vote bonds. The Community Facilities Administration allowed $10,000 engineering-architectural planning costs before approving a grant of $187,000 for the new courthouse in July 1963. Bonds were approved for $187,000 on August 23, 1963.

Bids were received in November 1963, and the court awarded the contract to E. R. Smith for $279,950. In January 1965 county offices moved into their new courthouse.

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