Chariton County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Chariton County History and Information

Chariton County Facts

Chariton County was organized November 16, 1820 (effective January 1, 1821) from Howard County and named for the Chariton River. Several origins of the name of the Chariton River have been suggested. The most plausible suggestion connects the name of the river with Joseph Chorette, a French fur trader of St. Louis. Trudeau, in his Journal of 1795, mentions Chorette as accompanying him on his expedition up the Missouri River and as being drowned on July 10 of that year while swimming in the river. The family name has the variants Choret, Care and Carrette in old documents. The County Seat is Keytesville. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Chariton County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1827-1887; Deed records, 1826-1887; Warranty deeds, 1868-1884; Quitclaim deeds, 1866-1897; Sheriffs deeds, 1881-1903; Marriage records, 1821-1898. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1883-1 886;Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1887; Permanent record of deaths, 1883-1886; Register of deaths, 1883-1887. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Circuit court records, 1820-1886. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1861-1896;Probate records, 1861-1896; Will records, 1861-1916. 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 Chariton County are Linn County (north), Macon County (northeast), Randolph County (east), Howard County (southeast), Saline County (southwest), Carroll County (west), Livingston County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Brunswick, Bynumville, Dalton, Forest Green, Keytesville, Marceline, Mendon, Prairie Hill, Rothville, Salisbury, Snyder, Sumner, Triplett

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Chariton 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.
A fire in the clerk's office, apart from the courthouse, destroyed all County Court records November 11, 1861, and fires set by Confederates on September 20, 1864, destroyed the courthouse. The brick courthouse, painted white in 1969, was destroyed by fire August 27, 1973, during a renovation project.

All Departments below are in the Chariton County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 112, Keytesville, MO 65261; Telephone: (660) 288-3602 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Chariton County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-87. Clerk of County Court has State Census for 1876
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.”

Chariton Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1821 and Land Records from 1826.
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.

Chariton County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1861.
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).

Chariton County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1820.
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 Chariton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Chariton County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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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.

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

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

Chariton County Historical Society and Museum, 115 East Second Street, Salisbury, MO 65281; Phone: (660) 388-5941, [EMAIL]
Friends of Keytesville, P.O. Box 40, 112 West Bridge Street, Keytesville, MO 65261; Phone: (816) 288-3425
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

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

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Chariton County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Missouri 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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County History

Organized November 16, 1820 (effective January 1, 1821) from Howard County and named for the Chariton River. Several origins of the name of the Chariton River have been suggested. The most plausible suggestion connects the name of the river with Joseph Chorette, a French fur trader of St. Louis. Trudeau, in his Journal of 1795, mentions Chorette as accompanying him on his expedition up the Missouri River and as being drowned on July 10 of that year while swimming in the river. The family name has the variants Choret, Care and Carrette in old documents.

Courthouse burned on September 20, 1864, and again in 1973.

The courthouse and other public buildings were built in 1833 and '34. The Circuit Court Record A-i, in 1833, states, "February Term, 1833 - The County Court of the County of Chariton, having made report to the Circuit Court of said County, at the February Term of said Court, on the first day of said Term, that the commissioner of the new Seat of Justice of said County, had reported to the said County Court, that a Jail for said County, and other convenient and suitable buildings have been erected, and necessary for the use of said County at Keytesville the new county seat. It is therefore ordered by said Court that the Circuit Court of said County will hereafter be held at the new County Seat, and the Sheriff is ordered to make proclamation of this order changing the place of holding said Circuit Court."

This first courthouse is described as square-shaped brick, two stories high with four rooms below and the courtroom above.

Courthouse History
First courts met in Old Chariton for about 10 years and built no courthouse. After the move of the county seat to Keytesville in 1833, the court built a brick, two-story, square courthouse with four rooms below and a courtroom above. The courthouse and other public buildings were constructed on land donated to the court by James Keyte.

A fire in the clerk's office, apart from the courthouse, destroyed all County Court records November 11, 1861, and fires set by Confederates on September 20, 1864, destroyed the courthouse.

By 1865 the Chariton County Court ordered the treasurer, Hale T. Chellis, to act as commissioner and examine courthouses at Macon, Columbia and Fayette, obtaining dimensions, costs, etc. before reporting back to the court. Apparently, the court favored the style of the recently built Macon courthouse.

The court called for bids on the plan marked "A" and awarded the contract on February 8, 1866, to Levi Aldrich. The court wanted the masonry, brickwork and carpentry done in a plain, durable style, leaving off all ornamental work. The firm of Mitchel (sic) and Wagner received the contract for interior work on October 23, 1867.

The shuttered, two-story, brick building had a cupola rising from the crossing of gabled roofs. Measurements were 110 by 62 feet, and the cost was $40,000. The brick courthouse, painted white in 1969, was destroyed by fire August 27, 1973, during a renovation project.

As County Court judges considered building a new courthouse in the fall of 1973, they visited several recently constructed courthouses in Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri. They were particularly impressed with a Seneca, Kansas, example and requested architect Carroll Hutchens to submit a similar design for consideration, which the court accepted in January 1974.

A protesting group in Keytesville, who considered a modern design unsuitable, offered an alternative. Committed to Hutchens, the court asked him to revise his proposal. Hutchens then presented several options for the exterior, but retained the basic plan. The court accepted one of Hutchens' revisions, and Irvinbilt Co. of Chillicothe, low bidder, began construction in the summer of 1974 on the $725,000 courthouse.

Formal ceremonies at the courthouse were held July 27, 1975, and the court occupied the completed building the following month. Principal sources of funding came from fire insurance compensation, revenue sharing and a grant from Missouri Law Enforcement Assistance Council.

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