Lafayette County, Missouri Genealogy
Guide to Lafayette County, Missouri ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the Marquis de La Fayette. The county is located in the western area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Lafayette County Courthouse
1001 Main Street
PO Box 357
Lexington, MO 64067
Phone: 660-259-4315
Lafayette County Website
County Recorder has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1821.[3]
Lafayette County, Missouri Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1910 | 1821 | 1910 | 1821 | 1821 | 1821 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
The first courthouse was built in 1825 and was destroyed by fire on July 4th, 1831. This fire appears to have not caused record loss as courthouse records exist before 1831. During the Civil War a cannon ball was fired into the courthouse column but it caused no record loss.[5] |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places in Lafayette County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator.
The State Historical Society of Missouri has information on historical Missouri place names for all 114 Missouri Counties.
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]
| Cities | ||
|
|
|
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Portrait and Biographical Record of Lafayette and Saline Counties, Missouri. 1893. Chicago : Chapman Bros. Available online at Google Books; Ancestry ($)
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has burial records for the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Higginsville, Mo and other veterans cemeteries around the country.
The Confederate Home Cemetery in Higginsville, Mo is not available at this site, but records submitted by the general public are available on Find a Grave.com. - Photos and locations of numerous Lafayette County cemeteries, Hearthstone Legacy
- Lafayette County, Missouri, Cemetery Records, Vol. I at Ancestry ($)
- Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Access Genealogy
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 2,912 | — |
| 1840 | 6,815 | 134.0% |
| 1850 | 13,690 | 100.9% |
| 1860 | 20,098 | 46.8% |
| 1870 | 22,623 | 12.6% |
| 1880 | 25,710 | 13.6% |
| 1890 | 30,184 | 17.4% |
| 1900 | 31,679 | 5.0% |
| 1910 | 30,154 | −4.8% |
| 1920 | 30,006 | −0.5% |
| 1930 | 29,259 | −2.5% |
| 1940 | 27,856 | −4.8% |
| 1950 | 25,272 | −9.3% |
| 1960 | 25,274 | 0.0% |
| 1970 | 26,626 | 5.3% |
| 1980 | 29,925 | 12.4% |
| 1990 | 31,107 | 3.9% |
| 2000 | 32,960 | 6.0% |
| 2010 | 33,381 | 1.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1732-1933 Missouri State and Territorial Census Records, 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Missouri denominations, view the Missouri Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Catholic
Immaculate Conception, Lexington
- 1853-1876 Immaculate Conception, Lexington, Baptism Index 1853-1876. Batch C511831 at FamilySearch.[8]
- 1853-1885 Immaculate Conception, Lexington, Marriage Index 1853-1885. Batch M511831 at FamilySearch.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Missouri Land and Property for information about records of land transfers from the government to private ownership. After that transfer, transactions were usually recorded and are currently housed at the county courthouse.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Lafayette County, Missouri Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the Wiki page section Missouri Local Histories.
- History of Lafayette County, Mo.. 1881. St. Louis: Missouri Historical Company. Online at: Missouri Digital History
- History of Missouri's Counties, County Seats, and Courthouse Squares. 1983. by Marian M. Ohman. Missouri: Missouri State Library. Online at: Missouri Digital History
- Lafayette County, Missouri, Excerpts from the 1877 Atlas. Online at: Ancestry ($)
- Portrait and Biographical Record of Lafayette and Saline Counties, Missouri. 1893. Chicago: Chapman Bros. Online at: [URL Missouri Digital History]
- State of Missouri: an autobiography. 1904. by Walter Williams. Columbia, Mo: Press of E. W. Stephens. Online at: Missouri Digital History
- Young's History of Lafayette County, Missouri. 2 Volumes. 1910. by William Young. Indianapolis, Indiana.: B. F. Bowen. Vol 2 Online at: FamilySearch
- Volume 1 Online at: Missouri Digital History
- Volume 2 Online at: Missouri Digital History
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
- Map of Lafayette County townships (Histopolis)
- Missouri As It Is In 1867. 1867. by Nathan II. Parker. Philadelpia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. Online at: Missouri Digital History
- The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Lafayette County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
- Map of 1904 Lafayette County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
- Atlas of Lafayette County, Missouri, circa 1920.
- Atlas map of Lafayette County, Mo. at Missouri Digital Heritage
- Plat Book of Lafayette County, Missouri at Missouri Digital Heritage
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1900-1941 Missouri, Pre-WWII Adjutant General Enlistment Contracts, 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1911-1938 Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications, 1911-1938 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
Regiments
Service men in Lafayette County, Missouri served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Lafayette County, Missouri:
|
|
Civil War Battles
The following Civil War Battles was fought in Lafayette County.[9]
- September 13-20, 1861 - Lexington I, also known as Battle of the Hemp Bales.
- October 19, 1864 - Lexington II.
- Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 Missouri, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1941-1946 Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Missouri Digital Newspaper Project at Missouri State Historical Society
- Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Sedalia newspapers from the late 1800's and early 1900's that sometimes included Lafayette County residents.
- 1800s-Current Missouri, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1891-1920 Lafayette County, Missouri Obituaries, 1891-1920 at Ancestry ($)
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information, see United States Probate Records.
In Missouri, probate records have usually been recorded by the clerks of the probate courts, but in some counties the common pleas or circuit courts handled this function. They are frequently indexed.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1750-1988 Missouri Probate Records 1750-1998 at FamilySearch — images- How to Use this Collection
- 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Missouri Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. For additional guidance on researching and using vital records, see United States Vital Records or How to order Missouri Vital Records.
St. Louis and Kansas City recorded births and deaths starting as early as 1850 for deaths and 1870 for births. The Missouri Department of Health began keeping birth and death records in 1909. County records vary by year and the county. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Missouri Vital Records State Department of Health, the County Clerk's office or order electronically online.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- Pre-1910 Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index.
- 1817-1939 Missouri Births, 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1827-1935 Missouri, Births and Christenings, 1827-1935 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1865-1869 Lafayette County Birth Index 1865-1869. Batch C515311 at FamilySearch.
- 1910-2022 Missouri, Birth Index, 1920-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1910-Onward Missouri Births at MyHeritage — index ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1750-1920 Missouri, Marriages, 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1776-1988 Missouri, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry ($)
- 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1868-1885 Lafayette County Marriage Books F thru H Index 1868-1885. Batch M515312 at FamilySearch.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1867-1976 Missouri, Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1883-1930 Missouri Deaths, 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection
- 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969 at Missouri Digital Heritage - index & images.
- 1968-2022 Missouri, Death Index, 1968-2015 at Reclaim the Records — index; Also at: MyHeritage ($); Ancestry ($)
- 1968-Onward Missouri, Deaths at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
- 1801-Onward Missouri, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Lafayette County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Missouri Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Liberty Missouri FamilySearch Center
- Riverview Missouri FamilySearch Center
- Sedalia Missouri FamilySearch Center
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Lafayette County. For state-wide library facilities, see Missouri Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Lafayette County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Missouri Societies.
Harvey J. Higgins Historical Society
2113 S. Main Street
Higginsville, MO 64037
Phone: 660-584-6474
Facebook
Lafayette County Historical Society
101 West Phillips
Lexington, MO 64067
West-Central Missouri Genealogical Society
302B N Main St
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Missouri Digital Heritage. Digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State.
- MOGenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaFayette County, Missouri" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_County,_Missouri, accessed 9/11/2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lafayette County, Missouri. Page 397-407 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 393-397.
- ↑ Emily Fisher, "Lexington Missouri Tour, Lafayette County Court House," Historic Missouri, https://historicmissouri.org/items/show/106, accessed 1 May 2025.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lafayette County, Missouri," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, Lafayette County Missouri, accessed Oct 2019.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/d/d8/Igimissourij.pdf.
- ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.