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
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.
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:
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.
Click Here to Search Missouri Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
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
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 and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
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.
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Missouri newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Missouri Newspaper Death Index: Spanning over 150 years with over 50,000 records from three Missouri counties, this updated version of the Missouri Newspaper Index is a wonderful resource for the researcher with ancestors in this area.
Click Here to Search Missouri Voter Lists & Census Records! - 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 Howell County, Missouri are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Howell County, Missouri are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 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 Howell County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Howell 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.
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 Howell County Maps. Email us with websites containing Howell County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Missouri Military Records! - 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 Howell County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Howell County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Missouri (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Missouri Confederate Death Records: This list, originally published in the St. Louis Republic in the spring of 1895, reveals important information regarding many of these volunteers
Missouri Confederate Volunteers: Taken from the History of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades, 1861-1865 published in 1879, this database lists over 1600 men who volunteered to fight in the 1st and 2nd Missouri Confederate Brigades.
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:
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
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
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.
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.
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:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Missouri obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Missouri newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Missouri.
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.
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:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
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.
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.
