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Franklin County, Missouri Genealogy

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Guide to Franklin County, Missouri ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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County Facts
County seat: Union
Organized: December 11, 1818
Parent County(s): St. Louis[1]
Neighboring Counties
Crawford  • Gasconade  • Jefferson  • St. Charles  • St. Louis  • Warren  • Washington
See County Maps
Courthouse
MissouriFranklinCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Missouri Franklin County Map.svg.png
Adoption

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was named for Benjamin Franklin. The County is located in the east central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Franklin County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
PO Box 311
Union, MO 63084-0311
Phone: 314-583-6355
Franklin County Website

County Clerk has birth records 1883-1892 and death records 1883-1887.
Recorder of Deeds has marriage and land records.
Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce records.
Probate Judge has probate records.[3]

Franklin 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1883 1819 1883 1819 1819 1819 1830
Statewide registration started in 1910 for births and deaths. General compliance for births by 1927 and deaths by 1911.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • 1818 Franklin County was created 11 December 1818 from St. Louis County.
  • County seat: Union[5]
  • Franklin County was established in 1818, two years before Missouri was admitted to the Union as a state. When the Missouri Territory was organized in 1812, there were only five counties: St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and New Madrid. Franklin County was once part of St. Louis County. Between 1812 and 1820, the number of counties increased to 15 with the addition of Washington (1813), Howard (1816), and Jefferson, Franklin, Wayne, Lincoln, Madison, Montgomery, Pike and Cooper (all 1818). Any student of history and genealogy relating to Franklin County in the first half of the 19th century would be well advised to become apprised of the details of county formation and township formation as townships also evolved before assuming their present form. Someone living in St. Louis County in 1814 might actually have been in present-day Franklin County. Likewise, someone living in Franklin County in 1818 could have been living in present-day Gasconade County.
  • When the county was first organized, Newport was selected as the first county seat and remained so until 1825, when an act of Legislature effected its removal to Union. Before a courthouse could be built at Union, court was held in a structure belonging to Ambrose Ransom (see photo at right).

For animated maps illustrating Missouri county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Missouri County Boundary Maps" (1804-1889) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places in Franklin 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:[6]

Cities
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Franklin County, Missouri online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Missouri Cemeteries for more information

Census Records[edit | edit source]

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.

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

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.

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for Franklin 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.

  • Historical review of Franklin County, Missouri, 1818-1968. By Melvin B. Roblee. [1968?]. Franklin County Sesqui-centennial Corp. Available online at FamilySearch
  • History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford & Gasconade Counties, Missouri. 1888. Chicago : Goodspeed Pub. Available online at FamilySearch
  • One Hundred Years for God and Country : St. John's, the Church and the Community, 1839-1940. By George John Hildner. 1940. Washington, Mo. : Printed by the Washington Missourian. Available online at FamilySearch
  • Sesquicentennial 150 Years Young, 1818-1968, Franklin County and Pacific, Missouri. August 6-17, 1968. Pacific, Mo. : Pacific Press. Available online at FamilySearch
  • Two invaluable sources of early Franklin County history are Goodspeed and Kiel histories. "Goodspeed" is an 1888 history published by Goodspeed Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois, correctly called "History of Missouri, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford, & Gasconade Counties. The "Kiel" history, correctly referred to as "The Centennial Biographical Directory of Franklin County, Missouri" compiled and published by Herman Gottlieb Kiel", 1925, is basically a book of lists, but the lists are a great tool for the researcher.[7]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Warren CountySt. Charles CountySt. Louis CountyJefferson CountyWashington CountyCrawford CountyGasconade CountyMO FRANKLIN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Regiments

Service men in Franklin 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 Franklin County, Missouri:

- 11th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company K
- 26th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company E
- 26th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company F
- 26th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company I
- 31st Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company E
- 31st Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company G
- 12th Regiment, Missouri State Militia Cavalry (Union), Company H
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company C
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company D
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company E
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company H
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company A
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company C
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company D
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company E
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company F
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company G
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company H
- 55th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company I
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company K
- 54th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company B

World War II[edit | edit source]

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Missouri Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

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 Records

School Records[edit | edit source]

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]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

  • Four Rivers Genealogical Society
    P.O. Box 146
    Washington, MO 63090
  • Franklin County Historical Society
    P.O. Box 293
    15 North Oak Street
    Union, MO 63084-0293
    Phone: 636-583-3247

Websites[edit | edit source]

  • Missouri Digital Heritage. Free. digital images of many types of records from institutions across the State
  • MOGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
  • USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
  • FamilySearch Catalog . Free. - 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
  • RootsWeb resources. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
  • Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
  • CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
  • StateofUS. Free. family history resources and government records
  • Missouri Genealogy. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin, Missouri," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_County,_Missouri. accessed 9/10/2018
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Franklin County, Missouri. Page 397-407 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL 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.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Missouri. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin County, Missouri," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, Franklin County Missouri, accessed Sep 2019.
  7. ↑ http://franklin.mogenweb.org
  8. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/5/5a/Igimissouria.pdf.
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