The Kinsley Library has excellent resources for research in Edwards County genealogy and local history.  Probably the most valuable is librarian Rosetta Graff, who draws from over 30 years of experience helping people discover their ancestors or explore the area’s fascinating history.

          The library has a burial file which contains a card for Edwards County people memorialized locally or buried in the Edwards County cemeteries including Belpre, Bethel, Fellsburg, Hillside, Kinsley's first cemetery, Peace Lutheran, Prattsburg, Providence, St Bernard, St. Nicholas, St. Peter & Paul, Salem, Trotter, Wayne, and Wire (private).  Cemetery sexton Ray Wetzel has given us a Directory of Hillside Cemetery (with tombstone pictures), the largest cemetery in the county. 

          The city of Offerle is located on the western edge of Edwards County.  Many Edwards County residents are buried in cemeteries just inside bordering Ford County.  Evergreen Cemetery   Search in: 

     Evergreen Cemetery: Index by Last Name

     Evergreen Cemetery:  By Location With Additional Notes; 

     Old St. Joseph Cemetery:  Index by Last Name

     Old St. Joseph Cemetery:  By Location With Additional Notes

     St. Joseph Cemetery:  Index by Last Name

     St. Joseph Cemetery:  By Location With Additional Notes.

          Another source is the 1880 Mortality Schedule for Edwards County compiled by Thelma Carpenter and Helen Franklin.

          We have Birth Records compiled from old city records, and Marriage Records of Edwards, County Kansas, 1877-1896.

          We have Church of the Holy Nativity (Episcopalian) Church Records beginning in 1934 to 2004.  We have photocopies of church records for Peace Lutheran Church (1906-2006) and Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (1947-2005), Salem Methodist Church (1887-1927).

          The Standard Atlas of Edwards County, Kansas contains a patron directory of a partial list of Edwards County residents in 1906.

          We own microfilm of all existing copies of the county newspapers since 1883 where obituaries and other historical information can be gathered and printed on our microfilm reader/printer.  The microfilm collection also contains the Edwards County State Census of 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925; and the U.S. census for Edwards County for 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.  We are happy to interlibrary loan microfilm from the Kansas State Historical Society for use in the library.

          Rosetta with the research help of Ed Carlson, the unofficial Edwards County historian, have put together an extensive vertical file on the people. businesses, places and events in Edwards County.  These have been entered into the Kinsley Library Card Catalog.

          Ed Carlson has begun excerpting and name-indexing the local newspapers which is a wonderful resource for finding people. Indexed years include: 1876-1885, 1887, 1888, 1890, 1898-1902, 1904-1908, 1910, 1911, 1921, 1923, 1948, 1950, 1957, and 1958. We also own most of the books written about Edwards County and have some local family histories Kinsley Library Card Catalog.  The 1930 to 1939 Kinsley Mercury was indexed by volunteers and is on line  in categories:  Births, Marriages, Deaths, and News Highlights and Businesses.

          Our collection also contains general genealogy resources in both book and other formats.   For use in the library we have several CD ROMS including Family Tree Searcher and PERSI, the genealogy periodical index.   Check out on-line card catalog as well. On video we have How To Trace Your Native American Heritage,  the popular 10 tape ANCESTORS video series, and another series which goes into detail on researching in four specific areas (U.S. military records, land records, immigration and ship passenger lists, and court records). 

          We own an index and copies of the DAR magazine from 1914 to 1997,  all 21 volumes of the Forgotten Settlers of Kansas.  We have back issues and continue to subscribe to the Kansas Treesearcher and Genealogy Helper.

          We were given a mixture of resources exploring Swedish genealogy.

We are able to do quick searchers (as our time permits) for out-of-town people seeking specific information.  Unfortunately, time does not permit us to do extensive research.  We will provide up to five pages of copies for a fee of $1.00

GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY AT-A-GLANCE       

CONTACT:    

                        Rosetta Graff or Joan Weaver

                        Kinsley Library

                        208 E. 8^th

                        Kinsley, KS 67547

                        620-659-3341

                        kinlib@kl.kscoxmail.com

LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS:

                        Belpre Kansas: The Story of a Small Town by David M. Kearney

                        Centennial books for Kinsley, Lewis, and Offerle

                        Parish histories for St. Peter & Paul and St.Mary’s Churches

The Crescent Communities of Kiowa and Edwards Counties

                        Myrtle Richardson’s books:                  Changes Rode the Winds

                                                                                    The Great Next Year Country

                                                                                    Whirlwind

                                                                                    Oft' Told Tales

                        Some family histories

                        Marriage Records of Edwards County, Kansas, 1977-1896

Belpre

Providence

Bethel

St. Bernard

Fellsburg

St. Nicholas

Hillside

St. Peter & Paul

Kinsley (old)

Salem

Peace Lutheran

Trotter

Prattsburg

Wayne

Wire (private)

                        Burial Listings of North Edward County Cemetery District (online)

                        Obituaries on microfilm from county papers since 1883

                        Edwards  County Birth Records, 1911-1943 (online)

MICROFILM:

                        Existing copies of all Edwards County Newspapers since 1883

Kansas State Census, Edwards County:  1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 

U.S. Census for Edwards County:           1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930

                        Misc. microfilms from Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas

                        Interlibrary Loan from Kansas State Historical Society

VIDEO:

                        PPB Ancestors series

                        How to Trace Your Native American Heritage

                        OGS/FGS Genealogical Teleconferences:

                                    American Court Records

                                    American Land Records

                                    Immigration and Ships Passenger Lists

                                    U.S. Military Records

PERIODICALS:

                        PERCI (Index for U.S. genealogical magazines)

                        Kansas Treesearcher

                        DAR Magazine with Index: 1914-1997

                        Forgotten Settlers of Kansas, all 21 volumes

VERTICAL FILE:

                        Edwards County people, buildings, historical events, and places

                                Burial Card File for people buried in Edwards County (index online)

CD ROMS:

                        PERSI  Index of Genealogical Periodicals

                        Family Tree Maker

                        Social Security Death Index: U.S. 1937-1995

                        Family Archives:  World Family Tree, Pre 1600 to Present,  Vol. 1-22 

Census Index: Colonial America 1607-1789

                        Census Microfilm Records: Virginia, 1850

                        Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV   1728-1850

                        Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834

                        U.S. Marriage Record Index, 1691-1850