Jasper County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Jasper County History and Information

Jasper County Facts

Jasper County was organized January 29, 1841, from Barry County and named for William Jasper, Revolutionary War soldier. The County Seat is Carthage. Courthouse burned in 1863 and 1883. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Jasper County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1841-1885; Deed records, 1841-1913; Marriage records, 1841 -1916. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1879-1889; Circuit court records, 1841-1886. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1841-1924; Probate records, 1841-1886; Probate minutes, 1841-1861; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1865-1908; Will records, 1842-1916. 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 Jasper County are Barton County (north), Dade County (northeast), Lawrence County (east), Newton County (south), Cherokee County, Kansas (west), Crawford County, Kansas (northwest). Cities and Towns include Airport Drive, Alba, Asbury, Avilla, Brooklyn Heights, Carl Junction, Carterville, Carthage, Carytown, Duenweg, Duquesne, Fidelity, Jasper, Joplin, Kendricktown, La Russell, Maxville, Neck City, Oakland Park¹, Oronogo, Purcell, Reeds, Sarcoxie, Waco, Webb City

Jasper County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
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Jasper 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 was destroyed by fire in October 1863. County records were saved by moving themto Neosho, Missouri

All Departments below are in the Jasper County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 387, Carthage, MO 64836; Telephone: (417) 358-0431 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.jaspercounty.org/ . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Jasper County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-97.
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.”

Jasper Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1841 and Land Records from 1841.
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.

Jasper County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1841.
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).

Jasper County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1841.
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 Jasper County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Jasper County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Jasper 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.

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

Jasper County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Jasper County Historical Society, 1718 Garrison , Carthage, MO 64836; Phone: (417) 358-2980
South West Missouri Genealogical Society, 5676 County Road 120, Carthage, MO 64836; Ph: (417) 358-6494
Carthage Historic Preservation , P.O. Box 375, Carthage, MO 64836 ; Phone: (417) 358-1776
Joplin Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 1063, 300 South Main, Joplin, MO 64802; Phone: (417) 623-7953
Powers Museum, P.O. Box 593, 1617 West Oak , Carthage, MO 64836; Phone: (417) 358-2667
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

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

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Jasper 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

Jasper County was established as a governmental entity January 29, 1841, with the split log house of George Hornback at the pioneer village of Jasper on a bluff above Spring River designated the first, temporary courthouse/county seat. The government was, organized February 25, 1841, at the Hornback house with the first meetings of the Jasper County Court and the Circuit Court for Jasper County. Governor Thomas Reynolds appointed Samuel M. Cooley, Jeremiah Cravens and Samuel B. Bright as the first County Court Judges and John P. Osborne as sheriff. The Court selected Elwood B. James as the first county clerk. The land then included in Jasper County was all of present Barton County plus all but a three-mile-deep strip along the southern boundary of the present Jasper County

On March 28, 1842, the Court adopted the site of Carthage as the permanent county seat. The initial town survey included the provision for a public square with a courthouse at its center on the highest plateau in the land then included in the county's boundaries. Temporary frame buildings were used several years and the first permanent courthouse, a two-story brick structure, was completed there in 1851. It served until 1863, when it was destroyed by fire.

When county government was resumed in 1865, Cave Springs Academy served as temporary courthouse. County government thereafter utilized several business buildings and a former church building in Carthage until 1895. It was in 1894-95, that the present Jasper County courthouse was constructed in the center of the Carthage square.

A temporary seat of justice was established, Thursday, February 25, 1841 in the home of George Hornback, a log cabin, 12 x 16 feet, one and a half miles northwest of Carthage on Spring River. Samuel M. Coolley, Jeremiah Cravens and Samuel B. Bright were the first justices of the Jasper County Court. The first county road commissioners ordered a road built in 1841 "commencing at the township line South of John Pennington's and ending due South of William Babb's Mill". Each male white person was required to work on the public roads at least two days each year or pay 50 cents.

A permanent county seat was chosen in March 1842 and designated by the name of Carthage. The County Court, under Judge Spencer as presiding judge, lets bids for a courthouse building, the contract being awarded to Levi H. Jenkins, at a total cost of $398.50 (100.00 in cash to be paid on completion of the building and the balance on the sale of bonds. The building, a one story room with a large door in the south, was completed on June 29th, 1842, and was located on the north side of the present public square in Carthage. With the settling of the county, the court business grew until it was necessary to have larger quarters, and in the early 50's a new building was constructed.

The Romanesque architecture was designed by Maximilian A. Orlopp Jr. of New Orleans, Louisiana and built by L.W. Divelbliss of Olathe, Kansas. The imposing structure was constructed of native stone quarried from the Thacker farm north of the Spring River by the Carthage Stone Company.

The 104-year old building has one of the area's first electric elevators which continues to be in use today. Accepted to the National Register of Historic Place in 1973, the well maintained building houses the central administrative offices of Jasper County government and the Judical system.

Carthage, Missouri was selected as the county seat in 1842. Before the Civil War Carthage prospered. Guerrilla warfare during the Civil War destroyed the city. The two-story brick courthouse on the square was destroyed by artillery fire in 1861. Rebuilding after the war during the Victorian era brought a new period of investment and growth.

A temporary seat of justice was established on February 25, 1841, in the home of George Hornback, a log cabin 12 foot by 16 foot, one an one half miles northwest of Carthage on the Spring River. Samuel M. Coolley, Jeremiah Cravens, and Samuel B. Bright were the first justices of the Jasper County Court. The first county road commissioners ordered a road built in 1841 “commencing at the township line south of John Pennington’s and ending due south of William Babb’s Mill.” Each male white person was required to work on the public roads at least two days each year of pay the sum of fifty cents.

A permanent county seat was chosen in March 1842 and designated by the name of Carthage. The County Court, under Judge Spencer as presiding judge, let bids for a courthouse building. The contract was awarded to Levi H. Jenkins, at a total cost of $398.50. The building, a one-story room with a large door in the south, was completed on June 29, 1842, and was located on the north side of the present public square in Carthage. With the settling of the county, the court business grew until it was necessary to have larger quarters, and in 1854, a handsome two story brick courthouse was completed in the center of the public square at a cost of $5,000. During the Battle of Carthage on July 5, 1861, it was severely damaged, and county government was suspended. County records were moved to Neosho, Missouri, and later to Ft. Scott, Kansas, for safe keeping until after the war. This courthouse was burned to the ground several years later.

In the late 1880s, due to the increased population of the county, there was an effort to made to locate a courthouse in Joplin. In 1891, after a special election, it was voted to have two courthouses, one at Carthage and one at Joplin.

On May 9, 1893, an election was held for the purpose of incurring an indebtedness on behalf of the county of $70,000 for the two courthouses. $50,000 was for the Carthage Courthouse and $20,000 was for the Joplin Courthouse. The City of Carthage gave $50,000 for the Carthage Courthouse with the stipulation that the City was to have four rooms in the courthouse.

The indebtedness was to be paid for by an increase of the tax levy of 20 cents on the $100 valuation and was to be paid for in three years.

The corner stone of the present Carthage Courthouse was laid in August 1894. The building was completed in 1895 at a cost of $100,000. This structure rests on solid rock and is built of marble from the famous Carthage quarries.

Courthouse History
Jasper County's first courthouse, a one-story building on the north side of the square in Carthage, was built by Levi H. Jenkins for $398.50. He completed the building June 29, 1842.

The square also was the site of the next courthouse. Plans were presented to the court in July 1849 by John R. Chenault, superintendent. He was allowed $15 for the plans and specifications, which were furnished by S. W. Walcott; however, the order was rescinded November 28. Gabriel Johnson then built the courthouse; the record is not clear about whether Walcott's or Johnson's plans were used. Costs of the two-story, brick building came to $4,760. The first story was used for Circuit Court room and offices, the second story for jail and offices. The courthouse was completed July 10, 1854. Used as a hospital during the Civil War, it was destroyed by fire in October 1863.

For the next 30 years the court moved into a number of temporary quarters: a school, a remodeled jail, a two-story building on the west side of the square and a Baptist church converted for the court's use.

Officials took steps in 1891 toward building two courthouses, one, a joint Carthage-Jasper County project costing $100,000, the other, a special $20,000 project at Joplin for holding Circuit Court. This did not materialize because Webb City residents, who had not approved of the proposition, challenged the election on the basis of a technicality in the voting procedure. The protest ended in the Supreme Court, where the decision required that the issue be resubmitted to the people. In May 1893 the tax funding the building again received an affirmative vote.

The city and county shared costs equally for the $100,000 Carthage courthouse, and the city was to be granted the use of not less than four rooms. Officials accepted the plans of architect M. A. Orlopp, residing in New Orleans at that time, for a 106-by-133-foot building constructed of native Carthage stone.

The large appropriation and opportunity to bid on two courthouses at the same time attracted at least 16 architects, some with national reputations. According to the Carthage Press, Orlopp had built 10 or 12 courthouses, the most notable in Dallas, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana, both costing several times Jasper County's appropriation. L. W. Divelbiss, Olathe, Kansas, submitted the low bid for Jasper County's courthouse of $91,600.

The cornerstone was laid August 21, 1894. However, a strained relationship had developed between the architect and the court-appointed superintendent of construction, Nelson L. Damon. The dispute spread to the community, creating factions and resentment. Construction proceeded at such a slow pace the townspeople became impatient, then angry. At the height of tension one group called for Orlopp's dismissal. Damon had reservations about Orlopp's specifications; Orlopp did not trust Damon's judgment and threatened to resign if Damon continued to represent the court. The newspapers carried accounts of the dispute, quoting both sides, but generally sympathetic to Damon.

In spite of the problems of conflicting personalities and questions of judgment, the building was dedicated October 9, 1895. The courthouse, one of Missouri's finest, has remained a source of pride for Jasper Countians ever since. It is now included on the National Register of Historic Places.

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