Jefferson County Library - Genealogy

04/08/2026

03/30/2026

The exhibit is open and we are so excited for you to visit!

03/25/2026

Have questions about finding your ancestors?
Now is a great time to start tracing your family's history!
We are excited to offer a program tomorrow evening that will help you navigate the steps to discovering the wonderful world of genealogy, led by our Genealogy Room staff.

Family History For Beginners
@ Northwest Branch Community Room
4 PM - 6 PM

03/21/2026

Attendees were presented with some fascinating history, and a few mysteries, at today’s author program with historian Chris Naffziger.

03/11/2026

Did you hear our big announcement at RootsTech? Using handwriting recognition technology, we've just transcribed 2.4 million pages of Revolutionary War pensions! These manuscripts, written in quill and ink, contain amazing firsthand accounts of service and family details. They are now easy to read and fully searchable! Just select 'Show Transcription' on any page to unlock these amazing records: https://f3.social/6y0i

03/01/2026

Here is what's coming up for genealogy and local history programming in March:

Historian Chris Naffziger will take us on a deep dive into the true origins of St. Louis’s most legendary brewing dynasty with his new book, Adam Lemp and the Western Brewery. Saturday, March 21st, 10:00 AM.

Genealogy staff will guide you through the steps to get started with tracing your tree with a Family History for Beginners class on Thursday, March 26th, at 4:00 PM.

These programs are held at the Northwest Branch in High Ridge. Please visit our event calendar to learn more and register!

02/27/2026

At the 102nd Annual Agriculture Conference hosted by MU Extension in Hillsboro last weekend, we had the opportunity to provide property history lookups for attendees, and it was a huge success! Exploring the county's historical plat maps is a fun and interesting way to learn who used to own the land, how property lines shifted through time, and the evolution of roadways. You can uncover hidden gems and surprises, like discovering generational farm ownership or that your property was once a part of a larger estate.
We were excited to share our knowledge and expertise with the attendees, and happy to see so many people engaged and fascinated by the stories that these maps tell. Property history research is a free service we offer at the Northwest Branch, and our staff can show you how it's done. We'll guide you through the process, step by step, and help you uncover the secrets of your property's past. Whether you're a history buff, a genealogist, or simply curious about your property, our property history research service is an invaluable resource that can help you learn more about your land and your community.

02/14/2026

Our lead genealogist, Ginger Brickey, was awarded an Excellence in Historic Preservation medal and certificate by the Louisiana Purchase Chapter, NSDAR in De Soto today!

Photo shows Ginger (second from left) with several members of the chapter.

02/11/2026

Who What When Where? Digital archives style!

This is a digitized black-and-white photograph of crowds walking along a row of vendor booths. A carnival ride can be seen in the background. The information provided states that the photograph depicts the High Ridge Homecoming. The photograph was taken by Pat Hanes.

The photograph is part of a collection of newspaper photographs. These photocopies were donated to the Jefferson County Library by Dave Hallemann. He received them from Kevin Carberry of the Suburban Journal.
The photos are from the era of 1978 – 1994.

What else can you tell us about this image or the event? Can you identify any of the people? Did you attend?

02/10/2026

In honor of Black History Month, we are pleased to host Dr. Jeff Smith to learn about concrete and handmade grave markers that are unique to Black cemeteries. This event is co-sponsored by MO Humanities.
Plan to attend on Friday, February 27th at 2 PM in the Northwest Branch Meeting Room. Get registered through the library's event calendar!

Alt text: Event flyer with photo of Dr. Jeff Smith. Topic: "Cement Grave Markers and Segregated Burial Spaces." Includes date, time, and location details. Colors and logo celebrating Black History Month. Co-sponsored by Missouri Humanities and Jefferson County Library.

01/28/2026

📚Book recommendation with a bit of truth mixed with historical fiction!
If you've visited the Genealogy Room or attended some of our local history programming, you may have overheard someone here say that Jefferson County is the center of the Universe. And we mean it!

Recently, I was reading a historical fiction based on the tragic 1928 dance hall explosion in West Plains, Missouri. The book is titled The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson. When I went to Newspapers .com and searched for details about the tragedy, one search result from Jefferson County included an article about Elbert C. and Mary (Downer) White, former residents of De Soto, who lost a 19-year-old son to the horrific blast and fire. Elbert, who worked as an editor of The Jefferson Republic, and Mary were married in Jefferson County in 1901, and at least one of their children was born here before the family moved to Carter County, and later were residents of Doniphan, Missouri, at the time of their loss.

If you would like to learn more about the events that inspired the book, visit the library's website for free access to Newspapers and our online catalog to check out a copy of The Flower Sisters!

Image sources: Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1638-[1909] 4; Author: White, Almira Larkin, Ancestry. U.S., Family History Books [database online].

The Jefferson Republic, Thursday, April 26, 1928, page 1

Book cover: The Flower Sisters; Google image search

01/24/2026

Stay safe this weekend!