Merrick County, Nebraska Genealogy
Guide to Merrick County, Nebraska ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Elvira Merrick. The County is located in east central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Merrick County Courthouse
1510 18th Street
P.O. Box 27
Central City, NE 68826-0027
Phone: 308.946.2881
Merrick County Website
County Clerk has birth, and death records.
County Judge has marriage, divorce, probate and court records.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1873. [1]
Merrick County, Nebraska 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 |
| 1904 | 1869 | 1904 | 1858 | 1873 | 1858 | 1854 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]
| 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]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 109 | — |
| 1870 | 557 | 411.0% |
| 1880 | 5,341 | 858.9% |
| 1890 | 8,758 | 64.0% |
| 1900 | 9,255 | 5.7% |
| 1910 | 10,379 | 12.1% |
| 1920 | 10,763 | 3.7% |
| 1930 | 10,619 | −1.3% |
| 1940 | 9,354 | −11.9% |
| 1950 | 8,812 | −5.8% |
| 1960 | 8,363 | −5.1% |
| 1970 | 8,751 | 4.6% |
| 1980 | 8,945 | 2.2% |
| 1990 | 8,049 | −10.0% |
| 2000 | 8,204 | 1.9% |
| 2010 | 7,845 | −4.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.
For tips on accessing Merrick County, Nebraska Genealogy census records online, see: Nebraska Census.
State Census Records
- 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
- 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
- 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Nebraska denominations, view the Nebraska Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Online Church Records
- 1875-1899 - Nebraska, Church Records, 1875-1899 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Nebraska Land and Property for additional information about early Nebraska land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Another resource published in 1921 is the Atlas and Plat Book of Merrick County Nebraska.
- Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
- 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
- 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
For more information see Nebraska Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Merrick County, Nebraska 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 Nebraska Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
- Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Merrick County for European and African American settlers included:
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- Platte River
- Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon[5]
- California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California[6]
- Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[7]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1775 - 1783 - United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
- For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1861 - 1865 - Nebraska Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1861 - 1948 - Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records, 1861-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1891 - Nebraska Resident Military Roster on June 1, 1891 at Ancestry.com - ($), Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, the Mexico War, and the War of the Rebellion, residing in Nebraska June 1, 1891
- 1893 - Roster of Nebraska Veterans - list of veterans in 1893
- For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
- For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940 - 1945 - Nebraska, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1855-1989 - Nebraska, Naturalization Records, 1855-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
For information on Nebraska newspapers, see Nebraska Newspapers.
Central City Nonpareil; Central City Republican; Central City Republican-Nonpareil; Central City Courier; Central City Record; Clarks News; Palmer Journal; Twin City Post; Silver Creek Sand; Silver Creek Times
Nebraska Newspapers Online
Digital Archives of the Central City Public - (Silver Creek Sand, 20,393 Pages, 1908-1964; Central City Republican, 10,484 Pages, 1896-1925; Clarks Enterprise,7,395 Page, 1898-1931; Central City Courier,5,929 Pages, 1875-1894; Central City Nonpareil, 4,329 Pages, 1882-1911; Central City Democrat, 3,939 Pages,1895-1905; Silver Creek Times, 3,113 Pages, 1891-1902; Nonpareil, 2,221 Pages, 1897-1903; Palmer Journal, 2,139 Pages,1914-1919; Central City Record,2,099 Pages, 1905-1909; Clarks News 1,691 Pages, 1950-1957; Central City Republican and Record, 452 Pages, 1909-1910; Clarks Leader, 218 Pages, 1892-1897; Merrick County Item, 215 Pages, 1880-1881; Lone Tree Courier, 14 Pages, 1874-1875; Palmer Express, 88 Pages, 1899-1900; Palmer Record, 80 Pages,1901-1901; Central City Record and Central City Democrat, 16 Pages, 1905-1905; Enterprise,16 Pages,1899-1899. As of July 5, 2019) Community history Archive. http://centralcityne.advantage-preservation.com/
- Nebraska Newspapers - contains images of newspapers throughout Nebraska
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Nebraska newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
- Nebraska State Historical Society - catalog of known Nebraska newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
- 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Nebraska, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Nebraska - Merrick - Probate records.
Online Probate Records
- 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Nebraska tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1855 - 1995 — Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only
- 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1861 - 1948 - Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records, 1861-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1904-1955 Reclaim the Records: Nebraska Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Merrick County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Nebraska Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Merrick County. For state-wide library facilities, see Nebraska Archives and Libraries.
- Central City Public Library
1604 15th Avenue
Central City, Nebraska
68826-1814
Phone: 308-946-2512
- Central City Public Library
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Merrick County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Nebraska Societies.
- Merrick County Historical Society
211 East St.
Central City 68826
- Merrick County Historical Society
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Merrick County NEGenWeb
- USGenWeb
- 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]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Nebraska.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merrick, Nebraska," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_County,_Nebraska" accessed 8/22/2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Merrick County, Nebraska. Page 428-435 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), 417-420.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merrick County, Nebraska," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_County,_Nebraska, accessed 4 February 2019.
- ↑ Jim Tompkins, "The Oregon Trail 1841-1848 Map I" in Oregon Trail Landmarks at
(accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ "Oregon California Trails Association" at http://octatrails.micromaps.com/ (accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ "The Pioneer Story: The Mormon Pioneer Trail" in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/pioneer-trek (accessed 18 July 2011).
