KCGS on Facebook

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies announces the development of a space on Facebook as another means of networking with genealogist interested in the happenings of Kansas Genealogy. Visit the space, sign up to become a "Friend" and help spread the word.

Kansas Forgotten Settlers Volumes

The KANSAS COUNCIL OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES has published volumes containing the application and pedigree charts of those individuals who qualified for one of these certificates.

Each volume is soft bound and is 8-1/2" by 11"(while supply lasts) or on CD. Each volume contains the names of approximately 100 KANSAS pioneers. Each application contains the name of the pioneer, birth date and place, death date and place, pioneer's father's name, mother's maiden name and spouse's name as well as the names of the parents of the spouse. The date and place of settlement in KANSAS is also stated. The individual making application for a certificate also sends in his/her pedigree chart. Each volume is fully indexed and contains 200 to 230 pages.

Index of Volumes One through Ten
Index of Volumes Eleven through Twenty
Index of Volumes Twenty-one through 25
Index of Volume 26

KCGS will not make copies of individual pages of the Forgotten Settler Volumes. If interested order the volume(s) you need on the order form below or visit your local library.

Order Your Volume(s) Today
Complete Forgotten Settlers Order Form
Return with payment to
KANSAS COUNCIL OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
PO BOX 3858
TOPEKA KS 66604-6858

View lists of Forgotten Settlers of Kansas

Territorial Certificates

Pioneer Certificates

Early Settler Certificates

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Kansas Forgotten Settlers

Many of the early pioneers who have helped make Kansas a great state have been lost in history because no other information existed except in family records. In order to gather information on these pioneers, the Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies has a project of issuing a Territorial, Pioneer or Early Settler certificate to a direct descendant of a person who lived in Kansas before 1900.

Eligibility

1. To receive the Territorial Certificate an applicant must be a direct descendant of an ancestor who lived in Kansas prior to 29 January 1861.
2. To receive the Pioneer Certificate an applicant must be a direct descendant of an ancestor who lived in Kansas between 29 January 1861 and 31 December 1880.
3. To receive the Early Settler Certificate, an applicant must be a direct descendant of an ancestor who lived in Kansas between 1 January 1881 and 31 December 1900.
4. Applicant must be able to prove descent with an official record of some type or some other acceptable source of proof (i.e.: census records; obituaries; county histories; birth, death or marriage records; school or church records; newspaper clippings and any other records showing proof.)
5. Applicant does not have to live in Kansas or ever have lived in Kansas.

To apply for a certificate, each applicant will need to complete a the four-page application form. This form includes the certificate application (page 1), permission to publish (page 2), a line of descendant chart (page 3) and a pedigree chart (page 4). In addition, each application will need to submit documentation to substantiate the information included in the line of descent chart. Pages 1 and 4 will be printed in a Forgotten Settlers book at a later date.
The documentation sent to establish eligibility for a certificate is placed in the Library and Archives Division of the Kansas State Historical Society. It is available to researchers as part of The Forgotten Settlers of Kansas manuscript collection, no. 206. For information about doing research in person at the Center for Historical Research, please go to the KSHS website, http://www.kshs.org/places/chr/index.htm. Information on reference policies and requesting copies by mail is at http://www.kshs.org/contact/ask_question.htm. When requesting copies, the file number, either a letter-number combination such as G28 or a number such as 5922, should be included if possible. It appears at the bottom of each Form #1 in the published The Forgotten Settlers of Kansas volumes, available in many Kansas and some out-of-state libraries.
The cost of the certificate is $12.00 for out-of-state residents and $13.00 (includes KS sales tax) for Kansas resident.

Apply for Your Certificate Today
Complete Forgotten Settlers Certificate Application in PDF Format
Please click on "Shrink to Fit" when printing

Return all four pages of the completed application with copies of documentation to
KANSAS COUNCIL OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
PO BOX 3858
TOPEKA KS 66604-6858

Atchinson County Genealogical Society

MEET THE AUTHORS, SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009, ATCHISON LIBRARY: CAROL AYERS, 9:30 A.M. - "LINCOLN IN KANSAS". BILL MCFARLAND, 10:30 A.M. "KEEP THE FLAG TO THE FRONT"
“Lincoln in Kansas” is the story of Lincoln’s historic campaign stop in northeast Kansas where he tweaked his famous Cooper Union Address along this particular leg of the presidential campaign. Ayers is a Leavenworth resident and based her research from a rare document collection archived at the University of St. Mary.
“Keep the Flag to the Front” is the story of the Eight Kansas Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, traveled 10,750 miles, participated in 17 battles and was the last Kansas regiment to be discharged after the war. McFarland has taught in the public school system for over 30 years has been a Civil War reenactor for more than 15 years.
REGISTRATION 9:00. THE PROGRAM IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC with REFRESHMENTS and DOOR PRIZES

Past KCGS President

VICTORIA - Schippers, Francis, 68, died May 2, 2009, at his home. He was born Sept. 18, 1940, in Hays. He was a U.S. Army veteran. He conducted tours of the Cathedral of The Plains and other area churches and was Chairperson for the Hays Oktoberfest for the last 40 years and chairperson for the Cancer Council of Ellis Co. Polkafest for the last 30 years. Survivors: brother, Gilbert "Gib" and wife, Rosalyn, Hays; sister, Eleanor Schippers, of the home. Service 10 A.M. Wednesday, St. Fidelis Catholic Church, Victoria. Visitation 3-9 P.M. Tuesday and 8:30-9:45 A.M. Wednesday at the mortuary. Memorial: Fort Hays State University Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Published in Wichita Eagle on 5/4/2009

KCGS Annual Conference - Register Before May 30

Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies Annual meeting and conference will be held on June 20, 2009 in Wichita, KS with Wichita Genealogical Society as co-host. Megan Smolenyak will present four lectures:Trace Your Roots with DNA, Welcome to Roots Television, Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones and Find That Obituary: Online Newspaper Research. Keep in touch for registration information but mark your calendar now.

Hodgeman County Genealogical Society

Hodgeman County Genealogical Society, located in Jetmore, Kansas, is pleased to announce their new web site where they plan to add records for use by Hodgeman County researchers. View the new site at: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/society/jetmore/index.htm