Mississippi County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE Missouri GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:

MO Court, Land & Wills

MO Public Records

MO Birth, Marriage & Death

Mississippi County History and Information

Mississippi County Facts

Mississippi County was organized February 14, 1845, from Scott County and named for the Mississippi River. Mississippi is derived from the Algonquin Indian words: missi meaning "great" and seepee meaning "water." The County Seat is Charleston. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Mississippi County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1823-1895; Deed records, 1823-1891; Sheriff’s deeds, 1879-1920; Marriage records, 1845-1916. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1845-1926; Circuit court records, 1845-1927. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1845-1872; Probate records, 1845-1889; Inventories, appraisements and sale bills, 1859-1867; Proof of publication, notices and affidavits, 1867-1868; Settlement records, 1847-1889; Guardian’s/curator’s records, 1851-1873; Will records, 1859-1940. 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 Mississippi County are Alexander County, Illinois (north), Ballard County, Kentucky (northeast), Carlisle County, Kentucky (east), Hickman County, Kentucky (southeast), Fulton County, Kentucky (south), New Madrid County (southwest), Scott County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Anniston, Bird's Point, Bertrand, Charleston, Deventer, Dogwood, Dorena, East Prairie, Miner, Pinhook, Wilson City, Wolf Island

Mississippi County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

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.

Mississippi 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 reportedly burned in 1891, Record loss unknown. The Courthouse burned, Monday, Feb. 10, 1997. Extensive damage done to records. Joan T. Feezor of CA emailed me and stated "I just wanted to update the information on the MIssissippi County MO courthouse fire. While the courthouse was gutted and later demolished, 98% of county records were saved. The Office of Secretary of State, Local Records Program, spent over nine weeks pulling records from the courthouse site. The records were dried using a variety of techniques. Since I was an archivist with the Local Records Program and lived one mile from the courthouse, I was the supervising archivist who oversaw the project. Please inform genealogists and other researchers that the records still exist."

All Departments below are in the Mississippi County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 369, Charleston, MO 63834; Telephone: (573) 649-2986 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.misscomo.net/ . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Mississippi County Clerk of the Court has .
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.”

Mississippi Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1845 and Land Records from 1823.
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.

Mississippi County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1845 .
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).

Mississippi County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1845.
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 Mississippi County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Mississippi County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Mississippi 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.

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

Mississippi County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Mississippi County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 5, Charleston, MO 63834
Mississippi County Historical Society, P.O. Box 312, 403 North Main Street, Charleston, MO 63834; Phone: (573) 683-3837
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

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

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Mississippi County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
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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.
Mississippi County, Missouri Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

History denotes that in 1540 Hernando De Soto penetrated to the Arkansas River and perhaps well into Southeast Missouri, populated only by various Indian tribes. Under the pressure of a constantly advancing white immigration, the Indians were forced to retreat further westward to survive.

The entire area of Southeast Missouri was noted for its level swampy lowlands, subject to the overflow of the Mississippi River during periods of excessively heavy rainfall.

Virgin forests attracted the timber barons who demanded the forests. Following the clearing of the land, levees were built and drainage districts were formed. As hundreds of miles of levees and dikes were constructed within the drainage districts, thousands of acres of land were reclaimed for agriculture use. The reclaimed land, was made especially rich by centuries of floods from the Mississippi River, was excellent farm land for corn, wheat, cotton, and later soybeans.

Mississippi County is located in what was formerly known as "Tywappity Bottom", a vast area bordered by the Scott County Hills on the north, St. James Bayou on the south, the Mississippi River on the east and Little River on the west.

By 1820 settlements had been made in most of the present counties of Southeast Missouri. The settlers, largely farmers, came from Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, in search for fertile and cheap land which they found around Charleston.

The site of the present City of Charleston was originally entered in 1830. In 1837, a person by the name of Thankful Randol sold Joseph Moore 22 1/2 acres of land and the City of Charleston was immediately laid out. Its original boundary was 12 blocks - four north and south and three east and west. The Original Plat was filed on May 20, 1837. An act to incorporate the City of Charleston, Missouri, in the County of Mississippi, was enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri on March 25, 1872.

Courthouse History
Although Mississippi became a county in 1845 and a clerk's office was built in 1846, it was not until 1852 that County Court officials authorized construction of a frame courthouse in Charleston. James T. Russell contracted the two-story building, which remained standing in 1888, the date of Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri; the structure appears on an 1886 Sanborn map as a square shape. The 1852 courthouse reportedly burned in 1891.

After the fire the court used two, small, brick offices on the square and the opera house to conduct county business until 1900. A neighboring community, Hibbard, began vying for the county seat as early as 1893, but Charleston remained the county seat.

Architect Jerome B. Legg planned the second courthouse after the court appropriated $25,000 in a special election September 30, 1899. St. Charles County used Legg's same design for their present courthouse, but selected gray stone building material. Legg's design for the Gasconade County courthouse, 1896, is similar, but constructed of brick.

V. O'Bryan and the Central Bridge Co., of St. Louis, contracted Mississippi County's 114-by-70-foot, brick building. Construction began in February 1900 on the same block as the previous courthouse. The court accepted the finished courthouse in May 1901. The courthouse continues in use today, although repairs altered its appearance considerably after workmen on a Work Projects Administration repair crew, in September 1938, apparently set the tower on fire while using a blowtorch to remove paint.

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