The Register of Deeds office has an index of all instruments recorded against a specific piece of property in Stafford County. If you do not know the exact legal description, there are alphabetical index books to deeds that may be searched by names. However, in Kansas, if a person inherits an interest in real estate, there will not necessarily be a deed recorded in this office. Probate cases would need to be searched in the office of the Clerk of the District Court.

Copies may be made of all documents at $0.50 per page.

In addition to the records in the Stafford County Courthouse, our county has three other genealogical resources sites.

Stafford County Historical & Genealogical Society and Stafford County Museum
The physical address is 110 S. Main, Stafford, Kansas 67578, and their mailing address is P.O. Box 249, Stafford, Kansas 67578. The telephone number is 620-234-5664. The museum is open from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

Museum library is open from 1 p.m. through 3 p.m. the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month and by appointment during the week from 9:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.

Email for the Curator is: mjhathaway61@earthlink.net

Resources at the museum include Stafford County cemetery records, obituaries of county residents, Stafford County and Town history books (some available for purchase), Stafford County census records, and a large collection of genealogy books and publications.

Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library
This is a combined city-school library located in St. John. The address is 406 N. Monroe, St. John, Kansas 67576. The phone number is 620-549-3227. Regular hours during the school term are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and closed on Sundays and most holidays. Summer hours are Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Saturday, Sunday and most holidays.

The following newspapers are available on microfilm at this library:

Stafford County News: May 24, 1888
The Sun: Jan. 20, 1885 through June 19, 1888
County Capital: Jan. 21, 1887 through Nov. 14, 1935
Seward Independent: Aug. 18, 1887 through July 31, 1890
St. John Advance: April 10, 1888 through June 29, 1893
St. John Weekly News: July 26, 1888 through Oct. 30, 1890
St. John News (successor to The Sun and St. John Advance): July 26, 1888 through current
Wichita Independent: Nov. 17, 1888 through July 1, 1889
Stafford County Rustler: Feb. 14, 1889 through May 22, 1890
Hudson Herald: June 29, 1915 through Dec. 28, 1944
St. John Capital: Feb. 2, 1954 through Jan. 31, 1967

The library has an alphabetical card file containing individual death, birth, and marriage announcements as appeared in the St. John News. These files are from the late 1880s through 1940. The alphabetical card contains the date the obituary, birth announcement, or marriage notice appeared in the paper. You may then look at the microfilm for that issue to find the particular notice. For marriages it is beneficial to know both the maiden and married names. PLEASE NOTE: This card file contains only those deaths, births, and marriages that appeared in the St. John News. This is not a complete listing of deaths, births, marriages in Stafford County. The library staff may assist with genealogical research.

Nora E. Larabee Memorial Library
This library is located at 108 N. Union St., Stafford, Kansas 67578. The phone number is 620-234-5762. The library hours are Monday 2 p.m. through 6 p.m.; Tuesday 2 p.m. through 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. through 9 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m. through 12 p.m., 2 p.m. through 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. through 9 p.m.; Thursday 2 p.m. through 6 p.m.; Friday 2 p.m. through 6 p.m.; and Saturday 2 p.m. through 6 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays and holidays.