Records from Crawford County

Abstract: This collection contains both paper and microfilmed records from Crawford County, primarily from the County Clerk, District Court, Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The records date between 1868-1952, and document land sales and ownership, divorce cases, wills and estate settlement, vital statistics, and naturalization of Crawford County residents.

The paper records consist of teachers' and clerks' registers from the Mound Valley School District number 24, documenting pupil attendance, school director's meetings, and district financial activities. Also included is a copy of the petition and journal entry establishing Pittsburgh, Kansas as a third-class city.

The microfilmed district court records document cases involving serious criminal offenses, naturalization of individuals wishing to become United States citizens, divorces, and large monetary amounts. These include general divorce case files and indexes, 1867-1917; and naturalization petitions, final papers, and declarations of intention, 1868-1929. Records from the probate court document cases involving marriages, town incorporations, estates, wills, adoptions, insanities, delinquent and dependent children, and similar matters within the county. These include will records, 1870-1921; marriage records, 1867-1918; and marriage record index, 1884-1912. Records from the county clerk include vital statistic birth and death records dated 1887-1911. The records from the register of deeds document land sales and ownership, as well as scholastic censuses. Included are deed records, 1867-1935; and the deed record index, 1870-1901.

Administrative History: Crawford County was established on February 13, 1867. It was named in honor of Samuel J. Crawford (1835-1913), governor of Kansas from 1865 to 1868, until he later resigned to take command of the 19th Kansas Volunteer Calvary. Girard is the county seat while Pittsburg is the county's largest city. Pittsburg is also home to Pittsburg State University. Other cities include Frontenac, and Mulberry. Townships include Baker, Crawford, Grant, Lincoln, Osage, Sheridan, Sherman, Walnut, and Washington.

[Kansas State Historical Society. "Kansas Counties - Crawford County, Kansas." http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/places/counties.php?county=CR (accessed June 15, 2009.)]