Where to Research

Places to research in and around Wabaunsee County

Alma Wabaunsee County Historical Museum
  The archives have a wealth of information relating to Wabaunsee County history. The local genealogical society also meets periodically at this location. Current holdings include folders on many county families (and individuals), school district information, printed Wabaunsee County histories, buggies, period doctor's office, abundant photo displays and much more. Plan to spend up to several hours browsing and doing research.
  3rd & Missouri click for map
P.O. Box 387
Alma, KS 66401
785-765-2200		 hours:
Tues-Sat 10-4
Sun 1-4
Alma Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library - Alma Branch [website]
  Just up the street from the Wabaunsee County Museum is the public library. They have most of the Alma newspapers on microfilm (starting with the Wabaunsee County Herald (~1869-1894) and all variations of the Alma Signal and Alma Enterprise (now merged) to present day). They also have most, if not all, of the Wabaunsee County history books listed on the Bibliography page.
115 West 3rd
P.O. Box 420
Alma, KS 66401-0420
785-765-3647		 hours:
Mon, Tues & Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., 12:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wed: 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., 12:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thur, Sat and Sun: CLOSED
Topeka Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) [website]
 

Consider the KSHS's impressive research library part of the research trifecta (along with the above 2). There are over 220 microfilm rolls of Wabaunsee County newspapers starting with 1861's short-lived Wabaunsee Patriot. The collection includes virtually every newspaper edition printed within the county. The KSHS also has most of the courthouse records (County Clerk/Vital Statistics, Divorce, Marriage, Naturalization, Probate, Will, Register of Deeds and more) on approximately 100 more rolls of microfilm. The library also has the Federal Censuses for Kansas and the Kansas State censuses on microfilm.

Most of the newspapers, county records and census records are available through Inter-Library Loan (ILL). In addition, you can request that the research staff search the records for you (useful for obituary lookups, etc.) for a small fee. You can read more about requesting research on their site. Note that the library is closed on Mondays.

Free access to Ancestry.com is also available to all patrons.
Center for Historical Research
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099		 hours:
Tues - Sat: 9am - 4:30pm
Sun, Mon: CLOSED
Topeka Topeka Genealogical Society [website]
  The TGS has a nice library on the southeastern side of Topeka. They are actively compiling and publishing indexes of many sorts for several counties in Northeast Kansas. In the late '90s, they published three books of great interest to Wabaunsee County researchers: Wabaunsee Co., Cemeteries vol 1; Wabaunsee Co, Selected Obituaries & Vital Records (deaths) 1892-1911 vol 2; and Wabaunsee Co., Index to 1919 Atlas. The three books can be purchased from the TGS on their website.
(library location - check their website for mailing address)
2717 SE Indiana Avenue
Topeka, KS 		hours:
Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat: 1-4
Sun, Tues, Fri: CLOSED
Alma Wabaunsee County Courthouse [website]
  The county website has a nice history of the county. Located 2 blocks west of the Wabaunsee County Museum, the courthouse has the myriad of records that you would expect. It's been my experience that the folks are friendly and, for the most part, will let you perform your research. You may also find it convenient to obtain county records on microfilm through the Kansas State Historical Society (above).
215 Kansas Avenue
Alma, KS 66401		 hours:
Mon - Fri: 8-5
Manhattan Riley County Genealogical Society [website]
  Manhattan is about 30 miles northwest of Alma and their county's genealogical society houses one of the largest collections of Kansas information in the area. According to their website, "the "Kansas Room" houses a comprehensive collection of county histories, cemetery records, and periodicals from most Kansas counties." The RCGS is also very active in indexing and publishing books of their own.
The Platt House
2005 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66052		  
Topeka Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library [website]
  The TSCPL has a nice genealogy section with county histories for much of Kansas. There are also plat maps, general genealogy research books and archives of the two primary Topeka newspapers on microfilm. Free access to Ancestry.com is also available to all patrons.
1515 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66604		 hours:
Mon - Fri: 9-9
Sat: 9-6
Sun: 12-9
Your home town Your local public library
 

You may be able to do more research than you thought at your local public library.

Some public libraries have a subscription to Ancestry.com which you can access for free from within the library.

If you are a resident of Kansas, see if your local public library (or a local school) can help you get a free Kansas Library Card [website]. A KSLC will let you search a number of databases online and from home. These databases include HeritageQuest, a genealogy database that includes all of the census records, many of them indexed. That's right, you can search census records for free and from home.

HeritageQuest also includes access to PERSI, an index to genealogical publications maintainted by the Allen County (IN) Public Library. Within PERSI, you can search for place names or surnames and see if there have been any publications with those terms. For example, a search for Wabaunsee returns over 50 articles that can be ordered for a fee, right from this site.