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Genealogy

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The Central Resource Library Genealogy collection includes census indexes, passenger lists, family histories, civil war records and much more. Staff and genealogy volunteers are available to assist at the Genealogy/Regional Reference Desk on weekdays.

The Johnson County Genealogical Society is dedicated to fostering genealogical activities focused on Johnson County, Kansas and environs. It is a non-profit organization open to all who are interested in genealogy. Meetings are held monthly (except December) at Central Resource Library.

Web sites to find local genealogy information.




A sample of librarians' favorite genealogy Web sites:

  • Free on the Web.Access Genealogy
    Access Genealogy provides links to resources in all states, with strong content on Native Americans.
  • Free on the Web.Africana Heritage Project
    This database includes valuable records documenting the names and lives of slaves, freedpersons, and their descendants, assisting African Americans who are researching their family histories.
  • Free on the Web.Association of Professional Genealogists
    Use the "Membership Directory" to locate a professional genealogy researcher.
  • Free on the Web.CastleGarden.org
    Offers free access to a database of information on 10 million immigrants who entered this New York port from 1830 through 1892, the year Ellis Island opened.
  • Free on the Web.Cemetery Records Online
    The leading genealogical resource for burial records and tombstone inscriptions.
  • Free on the Web.Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
    More than 220,000 categorized and cross-referenced links.
  • Free on the Web.Death Indexes - USA, by State
    Online searchable death indexes, alphabetical by state, including some obituary and cemetery indexes. Some databases that require a fee can be searched at no cost on Ancestry Library Edition at any Johnson County Library.
  • Free on the Web.Ellis Island Records Online
    A database of 22 million records of immigrant arrivals through New York Harbor from 1892 to 1924.
  • Free on the Web.Family Search
    At this site, developed by the Family History Department of the LDS (Mormon) Church, search the LDS library catalog, collection of databases, and more.
  • Free on the Web.Genforum at Genealogy.com
    Find genealogy forums by surname and contact others who are researching those names. Answer questions and get answers.
  • Free on the Web.Land Patents, Bureau of Land Management
    Search for information on the initial transfer of land titles from the federal government to individuals.
  • Free on the Web.National Archives & Records Administration Genealogy Page
    The gateway into federal records for genealogy research including census records, military records, immigration records (ship passenger lists), naturalization records and land records.
  • Free on the Web.National Orphan Train Complex
    The Museum and Research Center in Concordia, Kan. is dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement from 1854-1929.
  • Free on the Web.Online Searchable Naturalization Indexes & Records
    These online naturalization indexes are available for most states and Canada.
  • Free on the Web.RootsWeb
    The oldest and largest free online community for genealogists. Numerous research tools, surname lists, mailing lists, message boards and more.
  • Free on the Web.USGenWeb Project
    This project is a collaborative resource by a group of volunteers who provide electronic data useful for genealogical research in every state and county in the U.S. Volunteers adopt individual counties and add new information and maintain the site for the individual county.
  • Free on the Web.U.S. Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Lists 1820-1957
    Find passenger lists for U.S. ports, plus Canadian and Mexican border crossing records.
  • Free on the Web.Vital Records Information
    Information about where to obtain vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce, etc.) in the U.S., U.S. Territories, and foreign countries.
  • Free on the Web.WorldGenWeb Project
    An international volunteer project for genealogists researching ancestors outside the United States.

The Genealogy Department at the Central Resource Library holds hundreds of genealogy journals and magazines, including publications from many genealogical societies around the United States and even some foreign ones.

Some favorite journals:
Looking for a specific journal or magazine?
Check the list of magazines, journals and newspapers:

The best places to find local obituaries:


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