Government
Government records are generated at multiple levels. Most are produced at the federal, state, and local government level. Every ten years the federal government collects census information; however, in the past, many state and local governments recorded census data.
The St. Louis Genealogical Society has compiled this information for you. Society volunteers will continue to search for more data. Please support our efforts with your membership.
Federal and State Records
Census
St. Louis has census records from before statehood, and the mortality censuses from the 1850 and 1860 federal censuses help paint a picture of mid-nineteenth century life. Learn more on the Census page.
Immigration
After the Louisiana Purchase, American citizens from the east and south poured into St. Louis. Soon German immigrants joined the community. Some docked on the east coast, migrating to St. Louis via the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River. However, many St. Louis immigrants sailed from the old country to New Orleans and then traveled up the Mississippi River by steamboat.
The Ernst Moritz Arndt was a ship that carried German immigrants into New Orleans on 30 November 1853. A list of passengers is here.
A year later, the Johannes arrived in New Orleans. A list of those passengers is here.
St. Louis became the Gateway to the West. Some of the immigrants stayed in St. Louis for the rest of their lives, while others continued west along the Missouri River.
Military
There was a military presence in St. Louis from its inception as a village on the banks of the Mississippi River, through the American Revolution, and into the War of 1812. Later, St. Louis (and Missouri) soldiers fought in many other wars and served in peacetime organizations.
A short list of St. Louis County pensioners from mostly unspecified wars appears on the St. Louis County Pensioners—1883 page.
War of 1812
Many St. Louis citizens served in the War of 1812, either as residents of the Louisiana Territory or the Missouri Territory. In the mid-to late 1800s, many War of 1812 veterans moved to St. Louis and throughout the state of Missouri to redeem their bounty land certificates from that war. St. Louis Genealogical Society has published two volumes describing Missouri’s extensive role in the War of 1812. Learn more about Missourians during this time on this page and you can purchase the books in our secure online store.
Charter members of the St. Louis Pioneer Chapter, National Society United Daughters of 1812
Mexican War
Men from St. Louis fought in the Mexican War, which took place in the 1840s. Information about the veterans who served is on the following pages:
St. Louis Legion—Mexican War Veterans
Origin of the St. Louis Legions
Civil War
Missouri was a border state during the Civil War with many families and friends divided between loyalty to the Union and allegiance to the South. As a result, the state was the site of many battles and a large turnout of enlistees and recruits for the military.
During this time, it was possible for a man to avoid service in the military by providing someone to take his place. StLGS member Gordon Seyffert compiled a database of such substitutes and the men they replaced in Missouri’s First Congressional District in North St. Louis and St. Louis County for the period 1863–1865, combining data from several sets of records now located at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Kansas City, Missouri. This report contains more than 3,400 names, including those of African American men recently accepted into the military. The Fall 2009 St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly journal contains an article that provides background on the conditions at the time and then describes the records that were used to produce this database. Find the list of Civil War substitutes here. Find the same list as a PDF file here.
Muster Roll of Company C of the Eleventh Infantry, Missouri Militia, 16 July 1863 to 16 April 1864
Confederate (CSA) Company E, 2nd Missouri Cavalry.
National Guard
A wide variety of men, most but not all born in St. Louis, served in the National Guard, 1st Reg. Infantry, from 1901 through 1908. You can find that database here.
Post Offices
By 1818, two years before Missouri became a state, the small town of St. Louis had a post office. From that time forward, postal workers had a presence in St. Louis. Because they have always been a part of the federal government, records of early postmasters, histories of early post offices, and many other important bits of post office history are held at the National Archives (NARA).
To find out what is available and where it is located at NARA, go to the National Archives website for Post Office Records.
The U.S. Postal Service website has more about their history.
Did you know there was a postal museum connected to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.? You can learn more about it on their website.
In St. Louis in 1905, letter carriers came from many places. A list of these men is on the St. Louis, Missouri, Letter Carriers, 1905 page.
World War I
Men from Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska served in Company M, 354th Infantry, mustering at Camp Funston, Kansas, in 1917. You can see the list here.
The need for recruits for World War I was vital, and the government required all eligible men to appear in person at a local draft board three times during 1917 and 1918 to register for a draft. These cards are digitized and available online. A list of all the draft boards in St. Louis is here.
Local Records
Coroner
The coroner’s office investigates all unnatural deaths, homicides, suicides, and accidents. There was a coroner’s office in St. Louis from 1845 to 1876, with all unnatural deaths processed at this location. Those records are available at the office of the St. Louis medical examiner at 1300 Clark Street. The Missouri Digital Heritage Coroners’ Inquest Database is an index of coroners’ records from several Missouri counties, including the City of St. Louis.
After 1876, when St. Louis County split from the city, there were two coroners’ offices. To expedite your search, you need to determine the place of death, either the city or county. Coroners’ records are public. However, today, both St. Louis city and county have medical examiners, and their records are considered private and available only to next of kin.
Today, both St. Louis city and county have medical examiners, and their records are considered private and available only to next of kin. The St. Louis City coroners’ microfilmed records start in 1846 and continue to 1900. Photocopies of records after 1900 are available from the office.
From 1845 to 1876, all city and county records are in one location. After 1876, they include only the city records. St. Louis County records starting in 1877 are not on the internet or microfilmed. Contact the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office, 6059 North Hanley Road, to obtain a copy of these records.
Courts
The court system in St. Louis began well before statehood and consisted of many courts that no longer exist. For a comprehensive list of the courts and the dates during which they functioned, see the Courts of St. Louis page.
Fire and Police
St. Louis City and County have fire and police departments that go back into the nineteenth century, beginning as volunteer services and becoming important government agencies in their respective locations. Learn more about these departments on the Fire and Police page.
Land and Property
Deed records for St. Louis are available at the Recorder of Deeds Office in City Hall. These records, dating from 1804 to 1876, cover St. Louis before its split from St. Louis County. St. Louis City records are also available from 1877 to current day at City Hall. St. Louis County records, starting in 1877, to the current day, are available at the Recorder of Deeds office in Clayton, Missouri.
The earliest land grants in St. Louis were prior to statehood when the area was governed by the Spanish and the French.
Learn more about French and Spanish land grants on these pages:
French and Spanish Land Grants
Oscar Collett indexed early St. Louis deeds. During the French and Spanish days, prior to 1803, most citizens had the right to buy and sell property. After 1804, only adult white males were allowed to trade property. Unfortunately, Collett’s index does not include transactions by women, children, or people of color.
Click here for contact information for local government agencies with genealogical information.
Last modified: 12-Aug-2025 12:59