Jefferson County Library - Genealogy

Jefferson County Library - Genealogy The Della Lang Local History and Genealogy Room of the Jefferson County Library-Northwest Branch. https://linktr.ee/jclgenealogy

📚Book recommendation with a bit of truth mixed with historical fiction!If you've visited the Genealogy Room or attended ...
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!

If you've looked at enough death certificates, the term "la grippe" may already be familiar, but did you know that it wa...
01/24/2026

If you've looked at enough death certificates, the term "la grippe" may already be familiar, but did you know that it was another term for influenza?

In the following local newspaper article (pre-influenza epidemic), a physician warns of this winter illness and urges precaution during snowy weather. Stay warm, safe, and healthy!

The Jefferson Republic, Friday, January 15, 1904, page 3

Precautions to Evade Grip.
"The so-called evidences of grip which usually appear every winter," said a well-known physician, "are more imaginary than real. Although this troublesome disease has never yet reached the dimensions of an epidemic, it shows a marked increase immediately after a fall of snow. This is entirely due to peculiar atmospheric conditions which follow a snowfall, and which affect the bronchial system in such a way as to bring about the unpleasant grip. After an unusually severe snow storm, a number of years ago, I had as many as eighty calls a day, all pure cases of the grip. It is the day after the snowfall that one must take the necessary precautions to evade the disease."
---
Image: MO death record of William Henry Beatte, whose cause of death was lobar pneumonia with a contributory illness of la grippe.
Source: Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1974; Mo State Archives digital collection.

Family history researchers, I have a question for you! Which side of the family tree did you start with first -- materna...
01/22/2026

Family history researchers, I have a question for you!
Which side of the family tree did you start with first -- maternal or paternal? We all have reasons for beginning our genealogy journey with one side or the other, and I'm curious which one led you down the rabbit hole of research.

[black and white digitized photograph of Amelia Delbruegge Vornberg with a cow and old log structure, circa 1910s -- 2000.018.387 JCL digital archives]

On this day in 1919, Prohibition was ratified by the states, officially going into effect one year and one day later, on...
01/16/2026

On this day in 1919, Prohibition was ratified by the states, officially going into effect one year and one day later, on January 17, 1920, and lasting 13 years. But that didn't stop the new Biltmore Club from offering the most exclusive gambling, dining, dancing, and drinking establishment, opening its doors in 1929.

As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Sunday, September 1, 1929, page 3), "With all the glitter of a Hollywood premiere, the Biltmore Country Club, on Gravois road south of Fenton, celebrated its opening last night. From the ornamental iron gates which barred the entrance, 600 feet up a steep slope to the rambling frame clubhouse, no swimming pool or golf course was visible, although the whole ten-acre tract was bathed in a glow of floodlights. The reason was that it isn't that kind of a country club. Limousines purred up to the gates and stopped. Membership cards were thrust out for the scrutiny of attendants in chauffeurs' attire, and members filed into the reception room of the most elaborate combination night club and gambling establishment around St. Louis."

You can read the entire article under the pictured headline on Newspapers.com through the library's website for free, using your JCL library card.
Images of the invitation to the "Formal Opening of the Biltmore Country Club" from the JCL Genealogy & Local History Room archives, viewable in our digital archives at jeffcolib.catalogaccess.com.

In honor of the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District celebrating 75 years of serving the community, here is an image from...
12/20/2025

In honor of the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District celebrating 75 years of serving the community, here is an image from our digital archives that shows the Cedar Hill Community Fire Association circa 1950, with volunteers gathered around the new 1950 Ford Pumper. The Cedar Hill Hotel can be seen in the background.
According to an article entitled "Cedar Hill Fire Protection District" by Bill Haggard, "The Cedar Hill Community Fire Association was the start of fire protection on August 7, 1950, for the communities of Cedar Hill, Byrnesville, Dittmer, Grubville, Oermann, and Morse Mill." The first Fire Chief was Adolph Bauer.

We do not have exact identification of those pictured, but some associated surnames may be: Radeacker, May, Kitchin, Stotz, Lintzsinger, Grupe, Bohle, Lynn, Bauer, and Butler.

Catalog record 2013.002.001
Ronald Short Collection
A similar image can be found in the Ron Mueller Collection: 2009.010.031

Our Genealogy Room elf is back for Winter with lots of new books! Here's a list of titles new to our shelves this month:...
12/10/2025

Our Genealogy Room elf is back for Winter with lots of new books! Here's a list of titles new to our shelves this month:

MISSOURI:
GR 920 LIFE v.3
Lifetimes of Memories, Voices of Barry County v. 3 by Barry County Museum (2008)

GR 917.78 ANGUS
Down the Wire Road in the Missouri Ozarks and Beyond by Fern Angus (revised 2004 edition)

GR 977.8694 PERRY V. 43
Perry County Heritage by Perry County Historical Society (2025)

GR 971.892 WAYNE
Wayne County, Missouri: Roots Run Deep by Historic Greenville Museum and Community Center (2021)

GR 977.851 MEMORABI
Memorabilia of Cooper County Volume 1 compiled by Mary Wiemholt (1990)

GR 977.876 GLANCE
Glance Back in Time by Barry County Genealogical & Historical Society (2002)

GR 977.8386 PICTURE
Picture Cave: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mississippian Cosmos by Carol Diaz-Granados, James R. Duncan, and F. Kent Reilly III (2015)

GR 977.8 AMICK
Beyond the Moreau: A Historical Journey Through Mid-Missouri by Jeremy Paul Amick (2025)

GR 133.1 RAY
Kansas City Hauntings: History and Mystery of the Paris of the Plains by Becky Ray (2020)

GR 977.866 LIRLEY
Sudden Deaths in St. Louis: Coroner Bias in the Gilded Age by Sarah E. Lirley (2024)

GR 977.866 MOYNIHAN
South Broadway Athletic Club: St. Louis’s Home for Boxing, Wrestling, and Cheap Beer Since 1899 by Miriam Moynihan and Ryan Buckley (2025)

GENERAL:
GR 978.02 SCHLI
Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey by Lillian Schlissel (2004)

GR 971.0041 PERRIN
Seeking an Acadian Nation: The 1930 Diary of an Evangeline Girl by Warren A Perrin and Mary B. Perrin (2019)

GR 929.2097 WULF
Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf (2025)

ANCESTRAL REGIONS:
GR 438.2 WITTERS
Witter’s German-English Primer and New First German Reader for Public Schools, produced and distributed by Indiana German Heritage Society (1987 revised edition)

FAMILY HISTORIES:
GR 929.2097 SWEENEY
O’Leary + LaHaye Cornelius and Adeline: An Irish Family from French Village, Missouri 1850-2003 by Jo Wagenhauser Sweeney and Kathleen Hutchins Casey (2004)

GR 929.2097 SLAUGHTE
History of a Missouri Farm Family: The O. V. Slaughters 1700-1944 by Stephen S. Slaughter (1978)

US STATES:
GR 979.1 ARIZONA V. 1 AND 2
Arizona, the Grand Canyon State: A History of Arizona Volumes 1 and 2 compiled by Florence Wachholtz (1975)

GR 979.1 HISTORY
History of Arizona Territory Showing its Resources and Advantages by Wallace W Elliott & Co. (2008 reprint)
GR 974.48 EDWARDS
Plymouth County, Massachusetts Freeperson Families in 1790 by Mary Blauss Edwards (2024)

12/09/2025

Curious about how libraries can help with your research? Here's a helpful article from Family Tree Magazine:

https://tinyurl.com/5cbu9wre

Jefferson County RecordThursday, December 24, 1953 page 6"The Maples" TavernOwned and operated by the Klotz and Brown f...
12/04/2025

Jefferson County Record
Thursday, December 24, 1953 page 6

"The Maples" Tavern
Owned and operated by the Klotz and Brown families. Location was previously known as Spring Chicken Inn, in House Springs.

!! This program has been canceled. Meet the authors and learn about this iconic piece of St. Louis history on Tuesday, N...
11/14/2025

!! This program has been canceled.

Meet the authors and learn about this iconic piece of St. Louis history on Tuesday, November 18th!
Authors Miriam Moynihan and Ryan Buckley will be at the Northwest Branch to share an engaging look at their book on the South Broadway Athletic Club, a St. Louis institution with a remarkable legacy spanning over 125 years.
Founded in 1899 by five men in South St. Louis, the SBAC quickly became a hub for boxing, wrestling, and community life. From its early days producing Olympic medalists and Golden Gloves champions to hosting lively social events that drew generations of families, the club has remained a cornerstone of the Soulard neighborhood.
Through vivid stories and rare historical images, Moynihan and Buckley trace the evolution of the club—from its first matches on Geyer Avenue to its modern-day revival—capturing both the grit of the ring and the spirit of camaraderie that has sustained the SBAC for more than a century.
Discover how this historic athletic club continues to inspire pride, resilience, and community connection in St. Louis.

We had a beary good time with everyone at the JCL-Northwest Branch Fall Festival today! If you joined in on the fun, mus...
11/09/2025

We had a beary good time with everyone at the JCL-Northwest Branch Fall Festival today! If you joined in on the fun, music, storytelling, games, and crafts, share your photos with us!

Don’t be afraid to take a peek into the past…👻 🎃This pensive clown at the High Ridge Community Center for the Meramec Co...
10/27/2025

Don’t be afraid to take a peek into the past…👻 🎃
This pensive clown at the High Ridge Community Center for the Meramec Community Press Halloween contest is just one of many treasures you’ll find in our Digital Archives.

Browse spooky snapshots and community memories all year long: https://jeffcolib.catalogaccess.com/

[2012.001.034 Photograph of a clown at High Ridge Community Center for the Meramec Community Press Halloween contest. The clown pictured is Bro. Patrick Donoghue, according to writing on the back of the photograph.]

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63049

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