Dallas County, Missouri Genealogy

United States

Missouri

Dallas County

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

Missouri Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Buffalo Organized: January 29, 1841 Parent County(s): Polk Neighboring Counties Camden  • Greene  • Hickory  • Laclede  • Polk  • Webster See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for George M. Dallas. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Dallas County Courthouse
107 Maple Street
PO Box 436
Buffalo, MO 65622-0436
Phone: 417-345-2632
Dallas County Website

County Recorder has birth, marriage, death, burial, divorce, probate, court and land records.

Dallas County, Missouri Record Dates

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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1883	1867	1883	1867	1867	1867	1830
Statewide registration started in 1910 for births and deaths. General compliance for births by 1927 and deaths by 1911.

Record Loss

1863 Fire burned courthouse October 18, 1863. 1864, 1867 Fire also destroyed two subsequent buildings in 1864 and 1867, consuming most county records. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1841 Dallas County was created 29 January 1841 from Polk County. County seat: BuffaloDallas was originally named Niangua County. Its name was changed to Dallas in 1844. 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

For a complete list of populated places in Dallas County, MO, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTownLocator.
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:

Cities
Buffalo (county seat)	Urbana
Villages
Louisburg
Unincorporated communities
Celt Foose Leadmine	Long Lane Redtop Tunas	Wall Street Windyville
Census-designated places
Bennett Springs

Resources

Biographies

• Family Biographies from The History of Dallas County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
  

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Dallas County, Missouri online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com MOGenWeb MOGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MOGravestones Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves FamilySearch Places
See Missouri Cemeteries for more information

• Missouri Cemeteries Missouri Genealogy Cemeteries

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	3,648	—
1860	5,892	61.5%
1870	8,383	42.3%
1880	9,263	10.5%
1890	12,647	36.5%
1900	13,903	9.9%
1910	13,181	−5.2%
1920	12,033	−8.7%
1930	10,541	−12.4%
1940	11,523	9.3%
1950	10,392	−9.8%
1960	9,314	−10.4%
1970	10,054	7.9%
1980	12,096	20.3%
1990	12,646	4.5%
2000	15,661	23.8%
2010	16,777	7.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 1732-1933 - Missouri State and Territorial Census Records, 1732-1933 at FamilySearch — index and images

For tips on accessing Dallas County, Missouri Genealogy census records online, see: Missouri Census.

Church Records

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

• FamilySearch Places

Court Records

• 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images

Land and Property Records

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

Local histories are available for Dallas 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 Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps and Dent counties, Missouri. 1889. Chicago : Goodspeed. Available online at FamilySearch
• The Dallas County, Missouri, History, 1841-1971. By Dallas County Historical Society (Buffalo, Missouri). c1974. Cassville, Missouri : Dallas County Historical Society (Missouri). Available online at FamilySearch

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Missouri (1804-1889)
• Map of Dallas County townships (Histopolis)
  
• The University of Missouri Digital Library has digital copies of Missouri county plat books (ca. 1930) for all Missouri counties including Dallas County. The city of St. Louis is not included in this collection.
  
• Map of 1904 Dallas County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
• [https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?reqParents=394282&reqParentsLabel=Dallas%2C%20Missouri%2C%20United%20States&reqParentsType=209&reqTypeGroups=8&reqTypeLabel=Cities%20and%20Towns
• Plat Book of Dallas County, Missouri at Missouri Digital Heritage

FamilySearch Places]:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• 1900-1941 Missouri, Pre-WWII Adjutant General Enlistment Contracts, 1900-1941 at FamilySearch — images

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 Missouri, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1911-1938 Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications, 1911-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images

Regiments

Service men in Dallas 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 Dallas County, Missouri:

- 16th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company I

- 8th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry (Union), Company F

- 26th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company A

- 4th Regiment, Missouri State Militia Cavalry (Union), Company L

- 6th Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union), Company I

World War II

• 1940-1945 - Missouri, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1941-1946 - Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946 at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records

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

• 1750-1988 Missouri Probate Records 1750-1998 at FamilySearch — images
• 1766-1988 Missouri Wills and Probate Records 1766-1988 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Social Security Records

• 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

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

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

• 1817-1939 Missouri Births, 1817-1939 at FamilySearch — index
• 1827-1935 Missouri, Births and Christenings, 1827-1935 at FamilySearch — index
• 1851-1866 Dallas County Birth Index 1851-1866. Batch C514651 at FamilySearch.
• 1851-1910 Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910 at Ancestry — index/images ($)
• 1883-1922 Dallas County Birth Index 1883-1922. Batch C514652 at FamilySearch

Marriage

• 1750-1920 Missouri, Marriages, 1750-1920 at FamilySearch — index
• 1776-1988 Missouri, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1800-1991 Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1805-2002 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 at Ancestry ($)
• 1850 Missouri Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1867-1880 Marriage records, Dallas County, Missouri: book "A," 1867-1873, and "B," 1873-1880 at Ancestry ($)
• 1867-1885 Dallas County Marriage Book 1 Index 1867-1885. Batch M514651 at FamilySearch

Death

• 1834-1910 Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 at Ancestry — index/images $
• 1867-1976 Missouri, Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976 at FamilySearch — index
• 1883-1924 Dallas County Death Index 1883-1924. Batch B514657 at FamilySearch
• 1883-1930 Missouri Deaths, 1883-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1910-1960 Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1960 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• Missouri State Archives provides on-line access to Missouri Death Certificates more than 50 yrs old starting in 1910.
  

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Dallas County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Missouri Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

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.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Dallas County. For state-wide library facilities, see Missouri Archives and Libraries.

• List of Missouri Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
  

Societies

Listed below are societies in Dallas County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Missouri Societies.

• Dallas County Historical Society, Inc.
  P.O. Box 594
  Buffalo, MO 65622
  Phone: Thelma Kurtz at 417-345-8694
  Email: lcrawford@windstream.net
  Website

Websites

• 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 ($)

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