St. Louis County was organized October 1, 1812, as one of the five original counties; named for St. Louis (King Louis IX of France), patron saint of King Louis XV. The County Seat is Clayton. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.
Organized August 22, 1876, under the 1875 Constitution of the State of Missouri. Until that date, St. Louis City and St. Louis County were one entity. After that time, St. Louis City became its own entity, maintaining its own courthouse and records. When the City of St. Louis split from St. Louis County the county courts "long-housed within city limits" were left without a home. After much consideration, county officials chose a site donated by two native Virginian farmers, Ralph Clayton and Martin Hanley.
Ralph Clayton, born in Virginia in 1788, came west in the 1830's, and eventually settled in the southeastern part of the modern city that bears his name. When the infant St. Louis County needed a new site for its seat, Clayton convinced county officials that his land "a half day's ride from the city" was a superior location than the more remote villages of Kirkwood and Mount Olive also under consideration. Clayton agreed to give the land to county, requiring only that the area surrounding the new courthouse bear his name.
Martin Hanley, another native Virginian, arrived in Missouri in 1834. After establishing himself as a blacksmith and merchant, Hanley built a two-story farmhouse that still stands on the north side of town. To augment Clayton's proposal, Hanley gave a small plot east of Clayton's land. Today, the 104 acres donated by Clayton and Hanley are covered by the city's central business district "despite the widow Hanley's attempts to reclaim her husband's gift several years after his death."
On December 4, 1877, county residents voted to adopt Clayton's and Hanley's land as the new county seat; a few months later 3,000 people gathered to see the cornerstone for the new courthouse laid. The building was completed at a cost of about $25,000.
St. Louis County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1804-1900; Deed records, 1804-1832; CoIlet’s index to French and Spanish archives, 1766-1854; French and Spanish archives, 1803-1848; Collet’s Index, 1804-1854; Index to marriage records, 1806-1865; Marriage records, 1808-1882.. 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 St. Louis County, St. Charles County (north, northwest), Madison County, Illinois (northeast), City of St. Louis (east), St. Clair County, Illinois & Monroe County, Illinois (southeast), Jefferson County (south), Franklin County (southwest). Cities and Towns include Affton †, Allenton †, Ballwin, Bella Villa, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Bellerive, Bel-Nor, Bel-Ridge, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Black Jack, Breckenridge Hills, Brentwood, Bridgeton, Calverton Park, Carsonville ‡, Castle Point †, Champ, Charlack, Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, Clayton, Concord†, Cool Valley, Country Club Hills, Country Life Acres, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Crystal Lake Park, Dellwood, Des Peres, Edmundson, Ellisville, Eureka, Fenton, Ferguson, Flordell Hills, Florissant, Frontenac, Glasgow Village †, Glencoe, Glendale, Glen Echo Park, Grantwood Village, Greendale, Green Park, Grover †, Hanley Hills, Hazelwood, Hillsdale, Huntleigh, Jennings, Kinloch, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lakeshire, Lemay †, Mackenzie, Manchester, Maplewood, Marlborough, Maryland Heights, Mehlville †, Moline Acres, Normandy, Northwoods, Norwood Court, Oakland, Oakville †, Olivette, Overland, Pacific, Pagedale, Pasadena Hills, Pasadena Park, Peerless Park ‡, Pine Lawn, Richmond Heights, Riverview, Rock Hill, Sappington †, Sherman †, Shrewsbury, Spanish Lake †, St. Ann, St. George, St. John, Sunset Hills, Sycamore Hills, Times Beach‡, Town and Country, Twin Oaks, University City, Uplands Park, Valley Park, Velda City, Velda Village Hills, Vinita Park, Vinita Terrace, Warson Woods, Webster Groves, Wellston, Westwood, Wilbur Park, Wildwood, Winchester, Woodson Terrace ( † unincorporated; ‡ Times Beach was disincorporated in 1985, Peerless Park was disincorporated in 1999, Carsonville disincorporated)
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.
All Departments below are in the St. Louis County Courthouse located at 41 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105-1719; Telephone: (314) 889-2189 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.stlouisco.com/ . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
St. Louis County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883. 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.”
St. Louis Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1876 and Land Records from 1876. 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.
St. Louis County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1876 . 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).
St. Louis County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1876. 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 St. Louis County Court Records. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Missouri are 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in St. Louis County, Missouri are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 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 St. Louis County Census Records. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County Maps. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County Military Records. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing St. Louis County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Ballwin Historical Society, 14811 Manchester Road, Ballwin, MO 63011; Ph: (636) 227-8580 Meramec Station Historical Society, 20 Fernridge Avenue, Valley Park, MO 63088; Ph: (636) 825-2711
Concordia Historical Institute, 801 DeMun Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105; Ph: (314) 505-7900; [EMAIL]
St. Louis Browns Historical Society,
111 Stadium Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63102; Ph: (314) 982-7334
Creve Coeur-Chesterfield Historical Society
1672 Redbluff Court, St. Louis, MO 63146-3915; Ph: (314) 878-3142
Eden Archives, 475 East Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119; Ph: (314) 961-3627; [EMAIL]
St. Louis Jewish Community Archives
12 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146; Ph: (314) 432-0020, ext. 3720
Ferguson Historical Society, 110 Church Str, Ferguson, MO 63135-2429; Ph: (314) 521-0977
St. Louis Mercantile Library, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson Building
8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121; Ph: (314) 516-7247
St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive Str, St. Louis, MO 63103; Ph: (314) 241-2288
Florissant Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 298, Florissant, MO 63032; Ph: (314) 521-1100
St. Louis Regional Historical Societies, 2315 Woodson Road, Overland, MO 63114; Ph: (314) 427-4810
Fort Belle Fontaine Historical Society, 10225 Bellefontaine Road, St. Louis, MO 63125; Ph: (314) 868-0973
Sappington-Concord Historical Society, 5568 Homeward Lane, St. Louis, MO 63129; Ph: (314) 894-9555
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 St. Louis County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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 St. Louis County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing St. Louis 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.
Founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede, St. Louis was located in the territory owned by Spain and France prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The Spanish governmental records were retained in 1803 and moved to Havana, Cuba, and then to Seville, Spain. Those records are on microfilm as part of the Cuban Collection housed at the Clayton Library in Houston, Texas. The records are not currently available at any other U.S. library.
The City-County Separation
The most unique aspect of St. Louis history was the separation or divorce between St. Louis County and St. Louis City that occurred in 1876. Prior to 1876, what is today St. Louis City and St. Louis County was all under the jurisdiction of St. Louis County. The county courthouse was in-sight of the river. There were several small communities in the county, to the north, south, and west of the City of St. Louis. The City fathers decided they did not want to support the outlying communities, thus forming an independent City of St. Louis establishing the current boundaries of the City. To learn more about mayors in the City of St. Louis, click here. The remainder of St. Louis County formed its own government in 1877 and established its courthouse in Clayton.
Therefore, when researching a St. Louis ancestor, it is often necessary to check both the City and County records for events that occurred after 1876. The records for all events that occurred before that date remained with the City and are available through the appropriate office in the City of St. Louis.
There are many good histories of St. Louis listed below. Some of these books and additional information are available online.
Courthouse History
After the separation of the city of St. Louis from the county, the seat of justice moved about eight miles west where first courts met in temporary quarters. County commissioners accepted a site of 104 acres donated by Ralph Clayton and M. F. Hanley in the wooded, undeveloped area that became Clayton. Even when the cornerstone ceremony took place May 9, 1878, the St. Louis Globe Democrat reported the courthouse was represented only by an unsightly hole in the center of a forest.
A resolution in January 1878 provided funds from the sale of county land for building the courthouse. Plans for the courthouse, which county architect F. A. Renick prepared, were contracted by the firm Rude and Luke (see Figure 5). The courthouse measured about 110 by 205 feet and contained 17 rooms and two courtrooms. Costs came to approximately $38,000. County officials occupied their new quarters during December 1878, only seven months after the cornerstone was laid. The court authorized a 110-by-69-foot addition April 19, 1912, which extended on the south and cost $75,000.
Between 1925 and 1945 St. Louis County voters defeated six courthouse elections, the last in May 1945 for a $4,250,000 complex; given the alternative for a $2,000,000 courthouse in December of the same year, voters gave their approval. Preston Bradshaw, a St. Louis architect, prepared a plan for a four-story, red brick building with white stone trim. A judge asked for a design complementing that of the recently completed city hall and post office. Construction was contracted by H. D. Deal and Co. for $1,155,415. The building was completed in December 1949, five months ahead of schedule.
March 28, 1950, St. Louis voters approved a charter permitting home rule for St. Louis County, replacing the three-member County Court with a seven-member council and a county supervisor as the county's chief administrative office.
By the 1960s county government had become so vast a single building concept was replaced by a county government complex designed by the St. Louis firm, Murphy, Downey, Wofford and Richman. Voters approved a bond issue in 1967. Construction began in November 1968 and was completed in late 1971. The cost was $18,602,266.
Martin Hanley, another native Virginian, arrived in Missouri in 1834. After establishing himself as a blacksmith and merchant, Hanley built a two-story farmhouse that still stands on the north side of town. To augment Clayton's proposal, Hanley gave a small plot east of Clayton's land. Today, the 104 acres donated by Clayton and Hanley are covered by the city's central business district "despite the widow Hanley's attempts to reclaim her husband's gift several years after his death."
