Searching Beyond Saint Louis: Family History Research in St. Louis, Missouri

I am a proud St. Louisan, born and bred. I love it here, right in the middle of the United States. We have the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Blues, and most of our tourist attractions are free to visit. Sure, we have our problems like most cities, but the people here are generally friendly and there's plenty to see and do.

My mom's family came from Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri. My grandparents, Chester and Lucille Aden, needed the economic opportunities a bigger town would provide, so they moved here in the early 1960s. My mom got a job at Ralston Purina Company, where she met my dad, Rich Kienlen. His family had been here much longer. In fact, some of his ancestors were here at the city's founding.

I spend a lot of my genealogical research time online and have even taken a few trips to other places. For some strange reason, though, I tend to neglect the great research opportunities I have right here in my own backyard.

One of my favorite places to go is the Missouri Historical Society

Library and Research Center. Link

Not only do they have a wonderful archival collection, the facility is absolutely beautiful. If you happen to have early French ancestors from St. Louis, this is a treasure trove. It's even better if you know French or Spanish, since most of the Colonial St. Louis collection is not in English. The collection is searchable on their website. Some is digital, but most is not. They have some helpful finding aids.

(Auction book from the sale of my ancestor's property in 1801. My photo. His name was Hyacinthe St. Cyr, and was of French descent. His name was either written like this or

as Jacinto under Spanish rule. If you are researching your early French ancestors in St. Louis, remember to look for Spanish forms of spelling them too.)

St. Louis County Library Headquarters Link is another great place to visit in St. Louis. Not only do they hold the National Genealogical Society Book Collection, the staff in the History and Genealogy Department are amazing. You may try to accuse me of being biased because my daughter is one of them, but honestly the combined wealth of knowledge these men and women have is very valuable to anyone researching not only their Missouri ancestors but also around the country and even the world. The staff members write PastPorts, a free newsletter, just about every month, and you can sign up for it on their website. Be sure to review past issues for lots of great tips. These library employees are not your normal librarians. They truly have a specialized skill set and are happy to share what they know to help you become a better researcher.

There are a lot of other places in and around St. Louis to research. There is a branch of the Missouri State Archives located in the Carnahan Courthouse on Market Street. They have an archival collection I haven't really tapped into yet. Link

The Old Courthouse, now part of the Gateway Arch National Park, has a small library and a microfilm collection that I haven't had the chance to check out. Link

(Old Courthouse, St. Louis, 2017. My photo.)

The St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri St. Louis is also there waiting for me to visit. Link I was there many years ago, and I believe they have information specific to the riverboats.

The City of St. Louis and also St. Louis County each have court and land records, although the city court records are pretty inaccessible. You can request them, though, and they'll mail you records. (Note: For those of you who don't know, the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County split in "the great divorce" of 1876.) The Recorder of Deeds office in the city has an archives with a great collection and helpful staff. Link

(Inside City Hall, St. Louis, Missouri)

The Central Library, part of the St. Louis Public Library system (in the city, not the St. Louis County Library I mentioned before - again, "the great divorce") has some unique things too, Link but the book collection in the county is better.