Ozark County was organized January 29, 1841, from Taney County and named for the Ozark Mountains. Ozark is the anglicized version of the French abbreviation "aux arcs" for Aux Arkansas meaning "in the county of Arkansas." Originally organized January 29, 1841, as Ozark County, the name was changed to Decatur by an act of the Legislature on February 22, 1843. On March 24, 1845, the name was changed back to Ozark. The County Seat is Gainesville. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.
Ozark County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1859-1899; Deed records, 1858-1886; Marriage records, 1858-1918. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1887; Register of births and stillbirths, 1884-1890; Permanent record of deaths, 1887-1889. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, (no dates); Circuit court records, 1858-1888. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, (no dates); Probate records, 1865-1909; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1872-1914; Inventories, appraisements and sale bills, 1872-1896; Will records, 1904-1941.
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 Ozark County are Douglas County (north), Howell County (east), Fulton County, Arkansas (southeast), Baxter County, Arkansas (south), Marion County, Arkansas (southwest), Taney County (west). Cities and Towns include Almartha, Bakersfield, Brixey, Dora, Dugginsville, Elijah, Foil, Gainesville, Hammond, Hardenville, Howards Ridge, Isabella, Longrun, Lutie, Noble, Nottinghill, Ocie, Pontiac, Rockbridge, Romance, Souder, Sundown, Sycamore, Tecumseh, Theodosia, Thornfield, Trail, Udall, Wasola, Willhoit, Zanoni
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 destroyed by fire in 1858 or 1859, all early records were destroyed. 2nd Courthouse destroyed by fire sometime before February 1864., some records were lost. 3rd Courthouse destroyed by fire November 28, 1934.
All Departments below are in the Ozark County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 36, Gainesville, MO 65655; Telephone: (417) 679-4232 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Ozark County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1884-90. 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.”
Ozark Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1858 and Land Records from 1858. 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.
Ozark County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1865 . 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).
Ozark County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1858. 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 Ozark County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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 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. Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek
Below is a list of online resources for Ozark County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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 Ozark County, Missouri are 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Ozark 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 Ozark County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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 Ozark County Maps. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Ozark County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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 Ozark County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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 Ozark County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Ozark County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Ozark County Genealogical
and Historical Society,
P.O. Box 8,
Gainesville, MO 65655
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 Ozark County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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.
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 Ozark County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Ozark 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.
Ozark County Historical Marker on the town square in Gainesville. Erected by the State Historical Society of Missouri and State Highway Commission, 1961. The text on the sign reads as follows:
County of magnificent scenery, in which extend both Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes; Ozark was organized, 1841. Briefly called Decatur, 1843-45, it is the only county in the United States named for the nation's oldest mountainous region. The name comes from the French abbreviation Aux Arcs for Aux Arkansas, referring to Arkansas Indians. Until 1857, Ozark included a part of Howell and most of Douglas County.
Gainesville, where court was first held in 1860, succeeded old Rockbridge as the county seat when the county was reduced in size. The town, founded on the eve of the Civil War, did not develop until the 1870's. In the war guerrilla bands raided the countryside.
Lake Norfork, impounded in 1943 by a dam on the North Fork of White River in Ark., is bridged in the county at Tecumseh by a structure built in 1925 when North Fork flowed there. Bull Shoals Lake, formed in 1951 by White River dam in Ark., is named for Bull Mtn., and river shoals. Theodosia bridge was built, 1952, over the lake in the county where once ran Little North Fork.
A resort, livestock, and timber producing county, Ozark is in the 1808 Osage Indian land cession. Other tribes roamed the area into period of settlement by Southern pioneers in the 1830's. Bypassed in railroad building boom following the Civil War, the county grew slowly. The virgin pine forest was lumbered off by early 1900's, and iron and zinc have been mined intermittently.
Among many communities founded by the early 1900's are Bakersfield, Dora, Ocie, Romance, Nottinghill, Zanoni, Noble, Brixey, Hammond, Dugginsville, Elija, Foil, Souder, Longrun, Howards Ridge, Wasola, Almartha, Hardenville, Sycamore, Thornfield, Wilholt, Udall, Trail, Tecumseh, Pontiac, Isabella, and Theodosia (Lutie). Ozark County, by 1960, had more post offices, with 29, than any other county in Missouri.
In Ozark County are Aid-Hodgson and Dawt mills in scenic Bryant Creek valley; Zanoni Mill on Pine Creek; Rockbridge Mill on Spring Creek; and Caney Mtn. Wildlife Refuge. Part of the county lies in Mark Twain Natl. Forest founded in 1930's. Many prehistoric mounds remain in the county.
Courthouse History
Ozark County was first established in 1841. It adopted the name Decatur in 1843-45, then reverted back to Ozark. Ozark County's early courthouses have a complicated history, characteristic of those counties scarred by fires and Civil War activity.
When the area of Ozark County included what is now Douglas County, commissioners selected Rockbridge as the county seat. Shortly after 1841 they erected a courthouse which continued in use until destroyed by fire in 1858 or 1859. After Douglas County became established in 1857, Rockbridge no longer remained in a central location. Commissioners secured a 60-acre tract in Gainesville and designated it the county seat. The court moved there in March 1860.
The second courthouse was built in Gainesville, but was destroyed by fire sometime before February 1864. Circuit Court records indicate that court could not safely be conducted in Gainesville, so it met at the Spring Creek schoolhouse. Court continued meeting there until the fall of 1865, when they rented, and apparently finally purchased, temporary quarters until a courthouse could be built. Several attempts to plan a courthouse or begin construction failed. Although the court ordered the sale of the building used as the courthouse on November 3, 1869, it was not until August 8, 1871, that the court authorized the commissioner to advertise for bids to let the contract; however, the court rescinded the order the following day.
Finally, the court appropriated $2,000 for construction of a courthouse on August 6, 1873. R. P. Ellison superintended the construction done by contractor W. J. Piland, who bid $1,825.28. The two-story, frame building continued in use as Ozark County's courthouse until destroyed by fire November 28, 1934.
The court then purchased the old Christian Church building in 1935 for $4,200. This, too, fell to fire in January 1937. After this, county offices rented space in various buildings around the square.
Encouraged by possible assistance from the federal government, voters approved a $20,000 bond issue by a ten to one margin in September 1938, as a 55 percent shared cost of the Work Projects Administration project. Earl Hawkins, of Springfield, drew plans, but when bids were received, they all exceeded the $35,000 limit. Hawkins revised the plans, and in March 1939, the contract was awarded to James Douglas for $34,950. Final costs were near $43,000 when the courthouse was completed in November 1939. Final government inspection was in June 1940. Hawkins drew plans for other southern Missouri courthouses: Laclede County, 1924; Howell County, 1936; and Webster and Oregon counties, 1939, all of which are still in use.
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