Kansas Research Tips and Strategies

From FamilySearch Wiki
Kansas Wiki Topics
Kansas flag.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
Kansas Background
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page

The Kansas Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Kansas. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Kansas Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Kansas:

Finding Kansas Birth, Marriage or Death Records[edit | edit source]

Finding Kansas Records[edit | edit source]

Kansas Statewide Databases[edit | edit source]

Kansas Research Process[edit | edit source]

Kansas Research Tips[edit | edit source]

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Kansas:

Birth and Death information:

  • Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths in 1911, with general compliance by 1917.
  • Local regististration: Some cities and counties recorded birth and death records as early as 1885, although registration was inconsistent.
  • Access to records: See Kansas Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Kansas.


Substitute Records:

  • Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
  • Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
  • List of substitute records: See Kansas Substitute Records for more information.


Finding Parents:

  • Death records: Death records created by the state starting in 1919 required information on parents of the deceased. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
  • Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Kansas Newspapers and Kansas Obituaries for more information.
  • Church records: Knowing the denomination of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Kansas Church Records for more information.


Census Records:

  • Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Kansas Census Records for more information.
  • Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
  • Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Kansas Research[edit | edit source]

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Kansas_Research_Tips_and_Strategies&oldid=6125583"