Welcome to the Vernon Co., Missouri USGenWeb Project

This site is provided by volunteers working together for free genealogy information.  It contains many free indexes and what you need to know to research your Vernon County ancestors.  Please email the County Coordinator if you have a how-to research question that is not covered.  Information is regularly added and updated.  Information from the local genealogy society's old website is being transferred to this site as time permits.

YOU MAY FREELY LINK TO THIS WEBSITE, BUT DO NOT COPY THIS INFORMATION AND POST ON OTHER WEBSITES OR PUBLISH ELSEWHERE!

Updates:  Updated DNA Project blog web addresses.  Added Biographies.  Added NEW BOOKS FOR SALE. Updated Resources. Circuit Court 1855-1900 Index posted in Resources. Added Caton Family Reunion. Updated contact information throughout website. Posted Oliver Caldwell bio. Added DNA Research. Updated Mound Cemetery information. Updated Biographies. Updated Surnames. Added Metz, MO information in Towns & Townships section. Updated Military links. (Updated April 20, 2019)

The Cedar & Vernon Co MO Genealogical Society meets on the third Wednesday of the month.  The Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, and Nov meetings are held at 10 a.m. at the Nevada Library Annex at the corner of W. Walnut and N. Main, Nevada, MO (northwest corner of the court square).  The Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, and Oct meetings are held at 10 a.m. at the El Dorado Springs Library, 808 S. Main St., El Dorado Springs, MO.  The Dec meeting location will be announced.

USED BOOKS FOR SALE by the local genealogical society.

NEW BOOKS FOR SALE by the local genealogical society.

DNA Project:  Have you tested your DNA? You can compare your autosomal test results with those who tested at different companies by transferring your test data to https://www.familytreedna.com/ (if you did not test at this company). There is a small fee to activate the various comparison tools on the familytreedna website. Also, you can upload your test data to https://genesis.gedmatch.com/ (some features are free). These two websites enable all researchers to compare autosomal results with those who tested at different companies. Transferring your results will help you and other Vernon County researchers to get more from your testing! To learn about genetic genealogy, go to https://isogg.org/.  And sign up to receive a periodic article to learn more about DNA research, such as

https://dna-explained.com/ or https://blog.kittycooper.com/

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Vernon County, Missouri? It is located on the Missouri-Kansas state line about 80 miles south of Kansas City.

Where is the county seat? The county seat is Nevada (neh-VĀ-duh), MO, at the crossroads of I-24/U.S. 71 & 54 near the center of the county. The Courthouse is located in the town square, and its clock tower is visible from much of the town.

Do you have information on the [fill in the name] family? Please check these pages: Biographies, Surnames.  As county coordinator, I personally do not conduct genealogical research or do lookups for individuals, however the Bushwhacker Museum does.

Where is Vernon County, Missouri Found in the Federal Census? 

When was Vernon County, Missouri First Settled?  The first permanent white settlers in the area that is now Vernon County were the Summers brothers--Jesse J., Moses, and Allen--and their families.  They settled near the Osage River in what is now Metz Township, Vernon County, Missouri, in 1829/1830.  Vernon County was organized in 1855. 

Were Vernon County's Records Lost During the Civil War?  Although the Vernon County Courthouse was burned by Federal troops in 1863, the official records were not lost because they had been removed from the area.  Deed Index Book B, however, did get lost.

Thank you for visiting! 

Website online since March 3, 2011

Web hosting generously provided by  sites.rootsweb.com 

© 2011-Present

Vernon Co, MO County Coordinator

Nancy Thompson