Howell County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Howell County History and Information

Howell County Facts

Howell County was organized March 2, 1857, from Oregon County and named for James Howell, pioneer settler. Some sources also state the county was named for Thomas J. Howell. The County Seat is West Plains. Courthouse burned in 1866. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Howell County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1866-1888; Deed records, 1866-1914; Index to mortgage records, 1870-1889; Patent records, 1886-1896; Marriage records, 1867-1916. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1883-1895; Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1895. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1858-1896; Circuit court records, 1857-1886. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1867-1886; Probate records, 1870-1886; Settlement records, 1869-1876; Will records, 1862-1885 and 1889-1919. 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 Howell County are Texas County (north), Shannon County (northeast), Oregon County (east), Fulton County, Arkansas (south), Ozark County (southwest), Douglas County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Brandsville, Caulfield, Hocomo, Lanton, Moody, Mountain View, Peace Valley, Pomona, Pottersville, Siloam Springs, South Fork, West Plains, Willow Springs

Howell 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.

Howell 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.
In the fall of 1863, guerrillas burned West Plains and the Courthouse. Most records were destroyed. The county reorganized in 1866.

All Departments below are in the Howell County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 1011, West Plains, MO 65775; Telephone: (417) 256-3750 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.howellcounty.net . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Howell County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-95.
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.”

Howell Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1867 and Land Records from 1866 and has Plat Books; 256-3750.
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.

Howell County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1862.
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).

Howell County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1857.
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 Howell County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Howell County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Howell 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.

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

Howell County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

South Central Missouri Genealogical Society, 9 Court Square, West Plains, MO 65775
Ozarks Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3945, 534 West Catalpa, Springfield, MO 65808; Ph: (417) 831-2773
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

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

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Howell County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Howell County, Missouri Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Courthouse History
Howell County organized in 1857, but all records were destroyed in an 1866 fire. An 1876 account described a log cabin one mile east of West Plains where the first Circuit Court met. A small, wooden courthouse built on the square in West Plains in 1859 was damaged in the Civil War during 1862. In the fall of 1863, guerrillas burned West Plains, devastating the community; not one person remained. Three years later, the county reorganized.

T. E. Britton built the second courthouse in West Plains in 1869, a small, three-room, frame building, about 24 by 30 feet. The county appropriated $1,200 and paid Britton $755.50 for building the courthouse. The building, located south of the square, still stood in 1885 and was used as rental property.

A $15,000 appropriation voted for in November 1882 financed the third courthouse for Howell County. At one time the court considered placing the courthouse away from the square, but they finally opted for the center site. Architect Henry H. Hohenschild was only 19 when he designed this courthouse. He received $200 for his plans and specifications. Hohenschild practiced for many years; among his courthouse designs are those of 11 or 12 Missouri counties.

The three-story, brick building had four similar facades, with the principal entrance receiving some additional embellishment at the ground level. The building measured about 65 by 65 feet and cost $16,600. The courtroom was on the second floor; the third floor was to be finished by the Mount Zion lodge in a manner similar to the rest of the building. G. W. Goodlander, Fort Scott, Kansas, contracted the building. Cornerstone ceremonies took place on July 4, 1883; the court accepted the completed building January 14, 1884. An explosion in the West Plains Halstead block caused extensive damage April 19, 1928, and the building was condemned and abandoned before being razed in 1933.

In June 1935 county officials considered accepting the government's offer for help in constructing a new courthouse. The committee moved with haste when they heard federal assistance might not be available much longer. Alternate sites to the small square were seriously considered before the court decided to keep the same location.

Six years earlier the court had accepted plans from Springfield architect Earl Hawkins for a new courthouse. However, it was not until November 8, 1935, that voters approved a $50,000 bond issue, which was matched by a federal grant of $45,000, making construction of a courthouse possible. On October 12, 1935, the court again turned to Hawkins as architect for the 82-foot-square, three-story, Carthage-stone building. It is not known whether or not the court used the same plans. L. H. Britton was the contractor. Final costs amounted to about $107,000.

Boy Scouts conducted tours through the building, lecturing on the construction during the week of dedication in June 1937. An aerial view shows the courthouse in the center of a circular pattern. In this city plan with streets entering at the center of the block, the traffic flow around the square eventually cut away the corners, creating this unusual shape.

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