Kansas

GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

# Kansas – Guthrie Genealogy # Kansas

Territory opened to settlement: May 30, 1854 Statehood: January 29, 1861

Kansas was the flashpoint of the national debate over slavery (“Bleeding Kansas”), drawing thousands of settlers from the East, Midwest, and South between 1854 and 1861. Many Guthrie families arrived as homesteaders, farmers, or participants in the free-state/pro-slavery conflicts. Post-Civil War migration continued, with Guthries appearing in counties across the state in the 1860s–1880s. Early records are territorial (1854–1861), then state and county-based. Land was largely public-domain, so federal land patents, state censuses (1855 onward), and Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) collections are especially valuable.

KANSAS ONLINE GENEALOGY RECORDS KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (KSHS) – ARCHIVES & GENEALOGY (includes Kansas Memory digital collections, newspapers, territorial records, and state censuses) LIST of KANSAS COUNTIES, FORMATION DATES, and MAPS

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS in KANSAS: Several established Guthrie Family Groups (GFG) have documented branches or individual migrations into Kansas, often post-1854 for homesteading or after the Civil War. Examples include:

  • GFG2A – Branch F (John Guthrie & Abigail Coe line): Connection via the Guthrie Mound / Guthrie Mountain incident (see below). John R. Guthrie (hanged 1860 in Bourbon County) has an unknown but noted family link in blog research.
  • GFG5 lines (various branches): Multiple descendants appear in territorial and state censuses. Examples: Eleanor Thurston Guthrie (1801 TN–1878 KS) settled in Miami County; Eveline Guthrie and family in Coffey County (Avon Township, 1860 census); Anna Maria Guthrie (c1820 PA–1897 KS) died in Benton, Butler County (potential GFG2A link via DNA/census).
  • Other migrations: Edward W. Guthrie (Scotland-born) and family in Rooks County (Rush Township, 1880 census); William Levi Stansell (Guthrey-related via marriage) settled in Nemaha County; scattered probates and marriages in Chase, Lyon, Neosho, and Sedgwick Counties.

Many lines remain ungrouped or require further Y-DNA/autosomal confirmation. Kansas attracted Guthries from Pennsylvania, Virginia/Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa. Post-1870 homestead rushes (e.g., Rooks, Decatur, Pratt Counties) drew additional families.

NOTABLE GUTHRIE PLACE: GUTHRIE MOUND / GUTHRIE MOUNTAIN, BOURBON COUNTY In the turbulent pre-statehood years, John R. Guthrie was hanged on February 5, 1860, on a small mound in the northwest corner of Bourbon County (on the Little Osage River, 1.5 miles south of Mapleton). The site—known ever since as Guthrie Mound or Guthrie Mountain—stemmed from free-state vs. pro-slavery violence. Accounts vary on whether it was a legal execution or vigilante lynching; contemporary reports describe Guthrie as an anti-slavery horse thief amid the border wars. The mound remains a local landmark and is documented in Kansas Historical Society collections and oral histories (e.g., Charles E. Cory’s 1932 account). No confirmed link to a specific GFG has been established, but it is tracked under GFG2A Branch F research.

SAMPLE KANSAS RECORDS WITH GUTHRIE ENTRIES Kansas records are more scattered than colonial states because systematic vital registration began later. Key sources include county courthouses, KSHS microfilm, FamilySearch, and GenWeb transcriptions. Here are verified examples:

Marriage Records (excerpts from county indexes):

  • Lyon County: O.C. Guthrie married O.E. Julian, March 14, 1892 (Book F, p. 177).
  • Other counties (Neosho, Chase, Sedgwick, etc.) show additional Guthrie marriages 1880s–1940s; full indexes available via Flint Hills Genealogical Society or KSGenWeb.

Probate & Guardianship Records (Chase County example, 1859–1939 index):

  • Julia F. Guthrie (deceased of Atchison, KS; d. June 16, 1932) – Probate Packet 1651, filed March 1, 1939.
  • Gilbert L. Guthrie (son, Atchison, KS) – same packet.
  • William F. Guthrie (son, Youngstown, OH) – same packet. (Full packets may contain wills, heir lists, or guardianships; microfilm at KSHS or FamilySearch.)

Census & Territorial Records Kansas state censuses (1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925) are fully digitized on FamilySearch and Ancestry and frequently list Guthries in farming households. Federal censuses from 1860 onward show steady presence in eastern counties first, then western expansion.

Land & Homestead Records As a public-land state, many Guthries filed under the Homestead Act (1862) or Pre-emption. Search Bureau of Land Management (BLM) GLO records or KSHS land patents for Guthrie grantees.

KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY RESOURCES

  • Kansas Memory (kansasmemory.org): Digitized photographs, letters, newspapers, maps, and territorial documents. Search “Guthrie” for potential hits on individuals, towns, or events.
  • Archives Catalog: Government records, personal papers, business ledgers, and unpublished manuscripts.
  • Newspaper Database: Over 100 years of Kansas papers (many 1854–1922 online). Excellent for obituaries, marriage notices, and “Bleeding Kansas” context.
  • Vital records guidance: Pre-1911 births/deaths often at county level or church; state office holds post-1911. KSHS microfilm includes many county records.

FamilySearch Wiki – Kansas page lists additional collections: births/christenings 1811–1940 (index/images), marriages, deaths, military, and city directories.

RESEARCH TIPS & NUANCES FOR GUTHRIE LINES IN KANSAS

  • Edge cases: Pre-1861 records may be under original territorial county names (many 1855 counties were later renamed or split—e.g., Dorn County became Neosho). Use Newberry Library’s interactive county formation maps.
  • Migration patterns: Many Guthries came via Missouri or Iowa routes; check “Kansas Settlers 1854–1879” indexes on Ancestry. Post-Civil War homesteaders often appear in 1870+ censuses with birthplaces in KY, PA, IL, or OH.
  • DNA & grouping: Kansas Guthries frequently test into GFG2A, GFG5, or remain ungrouped. Autosomal matches to Butler/Miami/Rooks County lines can help cluster families.
  • Needed data: If you have access to KSHS or local societies (e.g., Chase County, Lyon County, Butler County historical societies), check un-digitized probate packets, township histories, or cemetery books for 1850s–1880s Guthries. Share any finds!
  • Related considerations: African-American or Native American Guthries (via Wyandot connections like Abelard Guthrie’s circle) may appear in separate records. Also watch for spelling variants: Guthery, Guthrey, Guttory, etc.

SOURCES (selected):

  • Kansas State Historical Society collections and publications.
  • FamilySearch Kansas Online Genealogy Records wiki.
  • KSGenWeb county pages and transcribed indexes (Lyon, Chase, Neosho, etc.).
  • Blog-internal GFG pages and “Given Names” series for Anna Maria Guthrie, etc.
  • Historical accounts of Guthrie Mound (Cory, 1932; Ronald Lee Cobb).
  • Wikipedia/List of Kansas counties; Newberry Library county boundary maps.

Additional primary sources (probate packets, land deeds, censuses) cited inline above or available via the linked archives.

Leave a Reply Have Guthrie ancestors in Kansas? Found a record, photo, or story from a specific county? Share details or links below—your contributions help connect more branches!