In 1540, Hernando de Soto discovered the Missouri River and explored the area that is now Missouri. However, the area later came under French control. In fact, a group of French settlers led by Sieur d’Iberville came to the area in 1699, creating the first Missouri area permanent settlement.

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That settlement was created near what is now Ocean Springs. In 1763, the area came under British control, but they ceded it to the United States in 1783, when the Revolution ended. Spain also claimed parts of the are until 1798. Parts of West Florida, which had been under Spanish control, were annexed by the United States in 1798. That region included the southern section of present-day Missouri.

Missouri Counties – The Missouri Territory was created on June 4, 1812. The State of Missouri was founded as the 24th state on Aug. 10, 1821. States bordering Missouri are Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma and  Tennessee. It has 114 Counties.

The Missouri State Capital is in Jefferson City and the state government website is mo.gov.

Select a Missouri county to view information & records pertaining to each County

Adair ∣ Andrew ∣ Atchison ∣ Audrain ∣ Barry ∣ Barton ∣ Bates ∣ Benton ∣ Bollinger ∣ Boone ∣ Buchanan ∣ Butler ∣ Caldwell ∣ Callaway ∣ Camden ∣ Cape Girardeau ∣ Carroll ∣ Carter ∣ Cass ∣ Cedar ∣ Chariton ∣ Christian ∣ Clark ∣ Clay ∣ Clinton ∣ Cole ∣ Cooper ∣ Crawford ∣ Dade ∣ Dallas ∣ Daviess ∣ DeKalb ∣ Dent ∣ Douglas ∣ Dunklin ∣ Franklin ∣ Gasconade ∣ Gentry ∣ Greene ∣ Greene ∣ Grundy ∣ Harrison ∣ Henry ∣ Hickory ∣ Holt ∣ Howard ∣ Howell ∣ Iron ∣ Jackson ∣ Jasper ∣ Jefferson ∣ Johnson ∣ Knox ∣ Laclede ∣ Lafayette ∣ Lawrence ∣ Lewis ∣ Lincoln ∣ Linn ∣ Livingston ∣ McDonald ∣ Macon ∣ Madison ∣ Maries ∣ Marion ∣ Mercer ∣ Miller ∣ Mississippi ∣ Moniteau ∣ Monroe ∣ Montgomery ∣ Morgan ∣ New Madrid ∣ Newton ∣ Nodaway ∣ Oregon ∣ Osage ∣ Ozark ∣ Pemiscot ∣ Perry ∣ Pettis ∣ Phelps ∣ Pike ∣ Platte ∣ Polk ∣ Pulaski ∣ Putnam ∣ Ralls ∣ Randolph ∣ Ray ∣ Reynolds ∣ Ripley ∣ St. Charles ∣ St. Clair ∣ St. Francois ∣ St. Louis ∣ St. Louis City ∣ St. Genevieve ∣ Saline ∣ Schuyler ∣ Scotland ∣ Scott ∣ Shannon ∣ Shelby ∣ Stoddard ∣ Stone ∣ Sullivan ∣ Taney ∣ Texas ∣ Vernon ∣ Warren ∣ Washington ∣ Wayne ∣ Webster ∣ Worth ∣ Wright

Missouri Genealogy Record Guides

Missouri Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies
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Missouri Census Records