Genealogy Resources

Featured Resource: Missouri Digital Newspapers

The State Historical Society of Missouri is pleased to present a growing collection of digitized historic newspapers. These images are freely available to the public and are keyword-searchable. The Johnson  County papers included in the completed grant cycle are now available here: https://shsmo.org/collections/newspapers/mdnp

Focused on merging meaningful historic content with innovative modern technology, the State Historical Society of Missouri employs the highest national digitization standards: newspapers in our collection are digitized to National Digital Newspaper Program specifications. Many of Missouri’s digital newspapers are also available through the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America site, which ultimately aims to include newspaper pages from all states and U.S. territories in its collection.

Press Release

Final Newspaper Titles

Whether you're researching your family history or just looking for one birth date, start your search with these resources.

Ancestry Library Edition

A genealogical database featured primary documents such as census, birth, marriage and death records as well as guides for genealogists. This resource can only be used in one of our branches. Find the nearest branch.

Archives.com

Archives.com helps everyday people and advanced genealogists trace their family trees.

Census.gov

Government site designed for displaying census data.

Cyndi's List

A categorized and cross-referenced index of genealogy resources on the internet.

Federation of Genealogical Societies

FGS was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies.

GENUKI

Provides a virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland. It is a non-commercial service, maintained by a charitable trust and a group of volunteers.

HeritageQuest

A genealogical database featuring primary documents such as census records, books, PERSI, Revolutionary War records, Freedman's Bank records and the United States Serials Set.

The Midwest Genealogy Center

Just a short drive to the west, Mid-Continent Public Library's Midwest Genealogy Center is a dedicated genealogy library with excellent resources, staff, and materials like family history charts and forms to help you organize your research.

Missouri Digital Heritage

More than 9 million records can be accessed through Missouri Digital Heritage, including the collections of the Missouri State Archives, the Missouri State Library and other institutions from across the state.

Missouri Digital Newspapers

The State Historical Society of Missouri is pleased to present a growing collection of digitized historic newspapers. These images are freely available to the public and are keyword-searchable.

National Register of Historic Places

Covers a wide array of information on historic sites in Missouri. Both Johnson and Lafayette counties are well represented.

USGenWeb Project

The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone.

Windy Prairie Cemetery Search

Search family plots in a variety of cemeteries. One notable local inclusion is Machpelah Cemetery, Memorial Park and Memory Gardens in Lexington, MO.

Groups

West Central Missouri Genealogical Society