Barton County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Barton County History and Information

Barton County Facts

Barton County was organized December 12, 1855, from Jasper County and named for David Barton, United States senator. The County Seat is Lamar. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Barton County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1857-1888; Deed records, 1858-1912; Index to recorders files, 1866-1921; Index to marriage records, 1866-1891; Marriage records, 1866-1916. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1883-1894; Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1896; Permanent record of deaths, 1883-1895; Register of deaths, 1883-1 899. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1866-1929; Circuit court records, 1866-1892. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1869-1923; Probate records, 1866-1887; Inventory, appraisements and sale bills, 1866-1900; Will records, 1867-1921. 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 Barton County are Vernon County (north), Cedar County (northeast), Dade County (east), Jasper County (south), Crawford County, Kansas (west). Cities and Towns include Boston, Burgess (70), Golden City (884), Iantha, Irwin, Kenoma, Lamar (4,425), Lamar Heights (216), Liberal (779), Milford (52), Mindenmines (409), Nashville

Barton County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
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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.

Barton 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.
Courthouse burned in November 1862

All Departments below are in the Barton County Courthouse located at 1004 Gulf St., Lamar, MO 64759; Telephone: (417) 682-2110 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.bartoncounty.com/ . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Barton County Clerk of the Court has has Birth & Death Records from 1883-99.
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.”

Barton Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1866 and Land Records from 1857 and has Plat Books. Phone: 417-682-2110
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.

Barton County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1866.
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).

Barton County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1866 and also has tax books.
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 Barton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Barton County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Barton 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.

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

Barton County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Barton County Historical Society, P. O. Box 416, Lamar, MO 64759; ; Phone: (417) 682-4141, Daytime Fax: (417) 682-5431; Hours: 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
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

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

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County History

The first settlers came to what is now Barton County in the 1840’s. Prior to that time the vast prairies were hunting grounds for the Indians who roamed this area and had some settlements to the East (now Dade County).

As near as can be determined, the first white resident was Allen Petty who settled on Petty’s Creek, a small stream to the Southeast of present day Lamar that drains into Muddy Creek, also known as the North Arm of Spring River.

In July 1852, the George Ward family traveling from Independence, MO to the state of Louisiana, stopped on the east bank of Muddy Creek just west of what is now Lamar due to Mr. Ward becoming ill. Family members included, Charity, George’s wife, their son Edward, their daughter Josephine and her husband Joe Parry. At the time, it was unlikely that there were a dozen other families in this area.

The Wards and Joe Parry liked the area which included vast prairies, several creeks, and the abundant timber that lined the shores of the streams. They decided to remain in the area after George Ward had recovered from his illness. He then erected a cabin and established a trading post.

In 1855, George Ward organized the County as a breakaway from Jasper County. There was a need for local government. The county was named Barton after David Barton, who was the first elected Senator from Missouri after statehood was granted in 1821

In 1857, George Ward along with his son Edward, son-in-law Joe Parry, and Elisha Peters had procured the necessary acreage required to establish a seat of government. They laid out the town with a large square for a courthouse. The town was named Lamar in honor of Mirabeau Lamar, who was a military governor of Texas, and a school friend of George Ward.

The Civil War in Barton County

During the Civil War, the county was about equally divided in sympathy between North and South. George and Edward Ward were Confederates. George died from wounds suffered at Pea Ridge, AR. Edward was wounded but survived and returned to Lamar after the war.

Barton County and Lamar were laid to waste during the Civil War. Perhaps no more than 7 or 8 houses were left standing. Several small skirmishes took place in the County – the Battle of Lamar/Coon Creek, two battles of Drywood Creek, and a number of “Hit and Run” battles between foraging parties.

At the War’s close, schools and churches were built. A new Courthouse was built to replace the one burned during the War. Railroads came to the County in the early 1880’s. One ran north and south; one ran west and east. Both railroads ran through Lamar.

Wyatt Earp

The first constable of Lamar was Wyatt Earp between 1870 - 71, when he was 22 years old. Wyatt married Urilla Sutherland on January 10, 1870. They were married by Wyatt's father, Nicholas Porter Earp, a Justice of the Peace. Urilla died within their first year of marriage and is buried at Howell Cemetery, 6 miles northeast of Lamar. Wyatt Earp later became a famous lawman in Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone. He is known for his participation in the "Gunfight at O.K. Corral" in Tombstone, Arizona.

Square & Industrial Age

As Lamar continued to grow, buildings were erected around the Square. Most of the buildings were two-story and were built in the mid 1880’s to the mid 1890’s. Mr. Allen Cockrell brought a cannon from Gunboat Benton to Lamar and for years it was fired on July 4th and other rally days.

On October 10, 1910 at a gathering of Old-timers and War Veterans, the cannon was placed in the Courthouse Yard. Union and Confederates shook hands over the barrel stating “The War is over --everyone is glad”.

While most of the County is underlain with coal, it was in the Western third where most mining was done. Deep strip mines were worked from the early 1900’s until the 1970’s. The land is and was well suited for general farming as well as for growing apples. Wheat, corn, and soybeans are the main crops harvested in the area.

Main trade areas were Lamar and Golden City. This town was established in 1866, on the eastern edge of Barton County. It is located on US Highway 160 and intersects with the Burlington-Northern Railroad. Golden City is the home of Golden Business Forms and the well-known Cookie’s Café. On the western edge of the County is the town of Liberal. George Walser, who for years had been an attorney in Lamar, founded this town in 1880. It was founded as a haven for “freethinkers”. In the beginning there was to be “no priest, preacher, church, God, saloon or Hell”. This was the formula laid down by Mr. Walser. It was not too long before churches moved in. Liberal is now a progressive farming community. It is the home of the Barton Mutual Group of Insurers, which was established in 1894.

Courthouse History
Lamar, county seat of Barton County, was laid out in 1856 by Allen Petty on property given to the county by Elisha Peters. The exceptional size of the square, 400 feet, has been attributed to the influence of George E. Ward, a leader in establishing the pioneer village of Lamar. The idea for the unusually large square size was believed to have come from Ward's earlier experiences on the frontiers of Spanish settlements. The town of Lamar reportedly was named after Ward's school friend Mirabeau Lamar, a military hero in Texas.

Barton County has had four courthouses, two temporary and two permanent. Since county records were destroyed In a Civil War incident in November 1862, there is no documentary evidence for the first courthouse. When the History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties was written in 1889, apparently some remembered the location of the original site, across the street from the square on the north side.

The Story of Barton County also credits Ward for financing the first temporary building. Lumber for the building came from Ward's sawmill. It has been reported as a two-story building, 60 by 30 feet.

In 1860 a second courthouse, made of brick and designed for permanent use, was built on the 400-foot square. The Story of Barton County claims it was a two-story brick building in the center of the square. Destruction came during the Civil War, in November 1862, by fire. In 1866 the sheriff was ordered to offer the remaining foundation at public sale to the highest bidder. Samuel Cones purchased it November 5, 1866 for $255.

County officials called for a temporary courthouse to be built on the west side of the square and requested Samuel Cones, A.H. Gibbs and J.C. Gaston to provide specifications. The county clerk recorded a description of the building: 34 by 20 feet, two stories, the lower 10 feet high, the upper 8 feet, with a board partition separating the upper story. Weatherboarding covered the exterior. Specifications called for a bannistered interior stairway and three panel doors hung with good lock and key.

The Clerk's office received bids until February 10, 1866. Charles Van Pelt offered low bid on the contract. Cost was approximately $5,000. The court received the completed building August 9, 1866. Apparently this courthouse continued in use until replaced by the next permanent building. At that time it was sold, moved and diverted to other uses.

An election in 1882 gave voters the option for a new courthouse, but it was not until November 1887 that a proposal passed. W.R. Parsons and Son, Topeka, Kansas, provided the plans; Morrison Brothers of Lamar agreed to construct the building for $32,500. Building materials for the 80-by-120-foot courthouse were Barton County stone and St. Louis red brick. The abundant use of native stone and white trim contrasted sharply with the red brick. This contrast along with the small prickly patterns around the tower and roof line animated the building's appearance. The architect varied the window grouping and canopy design on adjacent sides of the building. The Lamar Democrat printed all the specifications June 7, 1888.

During the 20th Century workers removed the clock tower and replaced the corner tower parapets with pyramidal roofs. Although these design changes have altered its appearance, this same building, built in the late 1880s, still functions as the Barton County courthouse.

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