Andrew County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Andrew County History and Information

Andrew County Facts

Andrew County was organized January 29, 1841, from the Platte Purchase and named for Andrew Jackson Davis, an important citizen in St. Louis, Missouri and Savannah, Missouri. The County Seat is Savannah. The Official County website is located at http://www.andrewcounty.org/ . See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Andrew County are Nodaway County (north), Gentry County (northeast), DeKalb County (east), Buchanan County (south), Doniphan County, Kansas (southwest), Holt County (west).

Cities and Towns include Amazonia, once on the Missouri River, now inland, laid out in 1857 near the site of Nodaway City, early river port; Fillmore’ 1845; Whitesville, 1848; Rochester, 1848; Bolckow, 1868; Rosendale, 1869; Rea, 1877; Helena, 1878; and Cosby, 1882.

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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.

Andrew County Court Records

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

PLEASE READ!! 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 are in the Andrew County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 206, Savannah, MO 64485; Telephone: (816) 324-3624 , unless otherwise noted below. See also Courthouse History.

Andrew County Clerk of the Court has Permanent record of births, 1883-1 895; Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1891; Register of births, 1891-1895; Permanent record of deaths, 1883-1893; Register of deaths, 1883-1893.
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.”

Andrew Register of Deeds / Recorder has Index to deeds, 1841-1889; Deed records, 1842-1886; Quitclaim deeds, 1875-1887; Mortgage deeds, 1868-1900; School fund mortgages, 1875-1887; Deeds of trust, 1875-1887; Index to marriage records, 1841-1915; Marriage records, 1841-1915..
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.

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).

Andrew County Probate Court Clerk has Index to probate records, 1841 -1976; Probate records, 1841-1887; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1841-1902; Settlement records, 1873-1890; Will records, 1841 -1918 .

Andrew County Circuit Court Clerk has Index to circuit court records, 1841-1906; Circuit court records, 1841-1887; Naturalization records, 1869-1904.
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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Missouri Marriages, 1766-1983, Missouri Marriages to 1850, Missouri Marriages, 1851-1900. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Land Patents: 1831 - 1969. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Missouri 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 Andrew County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Andrew County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Andrew County, Missouri Court Books at Amazon.com
Missouri Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

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

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

Andrew County Museum
Andrew County Historical Society, PO Box 12, Savannah, MO 64485-0012
Local Missouri Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
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
Missouri 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.
See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Andrew County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Missouri 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 Andrew County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Andrew 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 Andrew County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Andrew County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Missouri Bible Records, Volume 1: The database is the first volume in a series of Bible records that includes such information as births, marriages, probate information, and deaths of individuals who settled in Missouri.
Andrew County, Missouri Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Andrew County, Missouri Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Missouri Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Andrew County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Andrew County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

Andrew county, organized 1841, is one of 6 counties in the Indian Platte Purchase Territory annexed to Missouri, 1837. named for Andrew Jackson David, St. Louis editor, the county was first settled in the middle 1830’s. Pioneers were from Ohio, Ind., Tenn., Ky., VA., and other parts of Missouri.

Savannah, the county seat , was laid out in 1841. First Briefly called Union, it was renamed for Savannah, Ga. The Platte Co. R. R. (C. B. & Q.) reached there in 1860, and today’s Chicago., Great Western in the late 1880’s. In the post Civil War years, the town grew as shipping point and trading center.

A divided county during the Civil War, Andrew sent troops to both sides. In Aug., 1861 come 1500 from Andrew and other counties joined the pro-Southern Mo. State Guard at Camp Highly in eastern Andrew County while others joined a large Union cap in adjacent Gentry County. In 1861, Union troops seized “Northwest Democrat,” a pro-Southern newspaper, in Savannah and troops from Camp Highly seized the “Plain Dealer,” Union newspaper. Raiding Guerrilla bands overran the county through 1863.

Andrew County’s glacial plains support fertile livestock, grain, and fruit farms. In the county are One Hundred and Two and Platter rivers and forming its west border are the Nodaway and Missouri. In 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on an island the mouth of Nodaway and members of fur trader Wilson P. Hunt’s 1811 Astorian expedition wintered near the river’s mouth.

Among the county towns are Amazonia, once on the Missouri River, now inland, laid out in 1857 near the site of Nodaway City, early river port; Fillmore’ 1845; Whitesville, 1848; Rochester, 1848; Bolckow, 1868; Rosendale, 1869; Rea, 1877; Helena, 1878; and Cosby, 1882.

Andrew County is the Birthplace of Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman Gov. of Wyo., 1925-27, first woman Dir. U.S. Mint; Joseph k. Toole (1851-1929) first Gov. of Mont., 1935; W. Elmer Holt, Gov. Mont., 1935 Edwin W. Toole (1839-1905) noted Mont. Lawyer; Eugene W. Caldwell (1870-1918) noted roentgenologist. In Savannah lived John P Altgeld, Gov. of Ill., 1893-97; Henry S, Kelley (1832-1911) legal textbook writer; James P. Somerville, one of founders of Sertoma Clubs International.

Courthouse History
Savannah is one of the few county seats in Missouri that chose not to use the entire public square for county business. County authorities designated a public square when they laid out Savannah in July 1841. But the following month the county clerk recorded this court transaction:

"Ordered... there shall be no public square, and the same left for that purpose by the surveyor and commissioner on the platt [sic] herewith filed, shall, as soon as practicable, be laid out in lots as the other blocks in said town."

The north half of block 24 was reserved for county business, and a 60-foot street, considerably wider than the other standard alleys, divided the block into two equal rectangles

During the July term of 1841 the court approved plans and specifications and appropriated $600 for a wood and stone courthouse in Savannah. Gallant Rains, in whose home first courts met, acted as superintendent; James herring served as builder. The court met in the 1-1/2-story, wooden-frame courthouse November 15, 1841.

The building's description quoted in the Work Projects Administration transcription of the County Court Record was so explicit one could accurately reconstruct the 20-by-26-foot courthouse. This 1841 building, on the corner of Sixth and market, was described as a primitive structure, poorly adapted for public use. The court abandoned it after a brief period, but later others used it as a church.

The next courthouse, built on the square in 1844, was a rectangular, brick building with gable roof and cupola. Samuel Knight drew plans and specifications for the 40-by-50-foot, two-story building. The 1877 History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties credited Edwin Toole. The courtroom and sheriff's office were on the first floor, petit and grand jury rooms on the second. Three Nelson brothers, Samuel, James and John, contracted the building for $6,280. They had it ready for occupancy on December 17, 1845.

Fifty years of use took its toll on the building, and by 1899 it was condemned and razed. To finance the $48,000 new courthouse, voters passed a 27-cent direct tax in a special election April 30, 1898. From eight plans presented, the judges selected one submitted by George E. McDonald. Alfred Meier, from St. Joseph, acted as supervising architect for builder J. A. Nason of Northern Building Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota, who submitted the low bid of $37,500. Cornerstone ceremonies took place on January 14, 1899; one year later the building was completed. Officials of Andrew County still use this building as the courthouse. The courthouse measures 84 by 104 feet and 120 feet from the ground to the top of the tower. The 42-by-60-foot courtroom on the second floor could seat about 500. Built of hydraulic pressed brick, the building has a slate roof and sandstone ornamental trim..

Three other courthouses designed by architect McDonald in Johnson, Lawrence, and Bates counties are similar, although the choice of brick, rather than stone in Andrew County creates a remarkably different appearance.

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