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
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.
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:
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 Jasper County, Missouri are 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Jasper County, Missouri are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 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 Jasper County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Jasper 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 Jasper County Maps. Email us with websites containing Jasper 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 Jasper County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Jasper 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 Jasper County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Jasper 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 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
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 Jasper County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Jasper 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 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:
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.
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.
