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The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is April 2025)

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

FamilySearch – Institution and School Records

Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records

Researching Ancestors in Asylums

What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?

Poorhouse

Poor Farm

Orphanage

Orphan Train

Mental Hospital

Workhouse

Almshouse

Institutional School

Sanitarium

Asylums

Correctional institutions

Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.

Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Missouri Free Online Institutional Records

Andrew County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Shady Lawn Cemetery

Andrew Drumm Institute, Orphanage

Barton County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Benton County, Poplar Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery

Bollinger County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Buchanan County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Buchanan County, State Hospital Cemetery AKA Saint Joseph State Hospital

Callaway County, Fulton State Hospital Cemetery

Callaway County, Probate Court, Court Records, 1821-1886; Permanent Index of Estates, 1821-1938

Cape Girardeau, County Farm Cemetery AKA Cape Girardeau County Poor Farm

Chariton County, Infirmary Cemetery AKA Chariton County Poor Farm Cemetery

Clark County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Clay County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Cole County, Missouri State Penitentiary Cemetery (Defunct) AKA Prison Cemetery

Cole County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Cooper County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Cooper County, Missouri Boys Training School Cemetery

Cooper County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Crawford County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Dade County Poor Farm, 1885-1901: Overseers, Superintendents, Physicians, Expenditures

DeKalb County, Probate Records, 1878-1980

Dunkin County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Dunklin County, State Hospital Cemetery

Franklin County, First Union Cemetery AKA Old Franklin County Poor Farm

Franklin County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Franklin County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Gasconade County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Greene County, Alms House Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery

Harrison County, County Home Cemetery AKA County Poor Farm Cemetery

Henry County, County Farm Cemetery

Henry County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Clinton Poor Farm Cemetery

Institutions, 1900 Federal Census: Soundex

Iron County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Jackson County, Residents of Poor Farm: Extracted from Federal Census Entries for 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930

Jasper County, Fair Acres Cemetery AKA Jasper County Poor Farm Cemetery

Jasper County, Poor Farm Records 1875-1910 with Miscellaneous Data 1910-1917

Jefferson County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Johnson County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Lafayette County, Officers of Confederate Home Association

Lawrence County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Lincoln County, 1910 U.S. Census Listings of County Poor Asylum and Farm

Lincoln County, County Poor Farm Asylum, 1870-1930 U.S. Census Entries

Livingston County, Poor Farm Residents (1867-1900)

Maries County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Marion County, Poor Farm Cemetery

McDonald County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Missouri State Prison Prisoner Records Taken from 1900 Census

Missouri State Prison, Black Men Who Were Prisoners, 1879-1880

Missouri, Callaway County, Medical Records, 1855-1911

Missouri, Callaway County, Medical Records, 1855-1911

Missouri, Death Row Inmates

Missouri, Missouri State Penitentiary Records Archives

Missouri, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918

Morgan County, 1883 Wardens Log of Prisoners

New Madrid County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, Poor Farm Graveyard

Pemiscot County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Perry County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Phelps County, Confederate Home Register Cards

Phelps County, Missouri Veterans Home (St. James) Inmate Registers

Platte County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Platte County, Poor House Farm Cemetery

Polk County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Pulaski County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Ralls County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Randolph County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Ray County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Ray County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Saline County, Missouri State School Cemetery AKA Marshall Rehabilitation Center Cemetery

Saline County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery

Scott County, Poor Farm Cemetery

St. Francois County, Farmington State Hospital Cemetery #04

St. Louis County, German Protestant Orphans Home Cemetery

St. Louis County, Poor Farm Cemetery

St. Louis, German St. Vincent’s Orphan Society, Remembrance of the Diamond Jubilee, June 21, 1925: 1850-1925

St. Louis, St. Ann’s Hospital and Foundling Home and St. Mary’s Orphanage, Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

Texas County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Vernon County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Vernon County, Nevada State Hospital #03 Cemetery

Washington County, Potosi Poor Farm Cemetery

Wright County, Farm and Alms House

Wright County, Farm and Alms House Cemetery

For all Free Missouri Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Missouri, and then click on the category of interest.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

# contentMap.en
The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is April 2025)

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

FamilySearch – Institution and School Records

Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records

Researching Ancestors in Asylums

What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?

Poorhouse

Poor Farm

Orphanage

Orphan Train

Mental Hospital

Workhouse

Almshouse

Institutional School

Sanitarium

Asylums

Correctional institutions

Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.

Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Missouri Free Online Institutional Records

Andrew County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Shady Lawn Cemetery

Andrew Drumm Institute, Orphanage

Barton County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Benton County, Poplar Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery

Bollinger County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Buchanan County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Buchanan County, State Hospital Cemetery AKA Saint Joseph State Hospital

Callaway County, Fulton State Hospital Cemetery

Callaway County, Probate Court, Court Records, 1821-1886; Permanent Index of Estates, 1821-1938

Cape Girardeau, County Farm Cemetery AKA Cape Girardeau County Poor Farm

Chariton County, Infirmary Cemetery AKA Chariton County Poor Farm Cemetery

Clark County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Clay County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Cole County, Missouri State Penitentiary Cemetery (Defunct) AKA Prison Cemetery

Cole County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Cooper County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Cooper County, Missouri Boys Training School Cemetery

Cooper County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Crawford County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Dade County Poor Farm, 1885-1901: Overseers, Superintendents, Physicians, Expenditures

DeKalb County, Probate Records, 1878-1980

Dunkin County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Dunklin County, State Hospital Cemetery

Franklin County, First Union Cemetery AKA Old Franklin County Poor Farm

Franklin County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Franklin County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Gasconade County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Greene County, Alms House Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery

Harrison County, County Home Cemetery AKA County Poor Farm Cemetery

Henry County, County Farm Cemetery

Henry County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Clinton Poor Farm Cemetery

Institutions, 1900 Federal Census: Soundex

Iron County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Jackson County, Residents of Poor Farm: Extracted from Federal Census Entries for 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930

Jasper County, Fair Acres Cemetery AKA Jasper County Poor Farm Cemetery

Jasper County, Poor Farm Records 1875-1910 with Miscellaneous Data 1910-1917

Jefferson County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Johnson County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Lafayette County, Officers of Confederate Home Association

Lawrence County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Lincoln County, 1910 U.S. Census Listings of County Poor Asylum and Farm

Lincoln County, County Poor Farm Asylum, 1870-1930 U.S. Census Entries

Livingston County, Poor Farm Residents (1867-1900)

Maries County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Marion County, Poor Farm Cemetery

McDonald County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Missouri State Prison Prisoner Records Taken from 1900 Census

Missouri State Prison, Black Men Who Were Prisoners, 1879-1880

Missouri, Callaway County, Medical Records, 1855-1911

Missouri, Callaway County, Medical Records, 1855-1911

Missouri, Death Row Inmates

Missouri, Missouri State Penitentiary Records Archives

Missouri, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918

Morgan County, 1883 Wardens Log of Prisoners

New Madrid County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Newton County, Poor Farm Graveyard

Pemiscot County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Perry County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Phelps County, Confederate Home Register Cards

Phelps County, Missouri Veterans Home (St. James) Inmate Registers

Platte County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Platte County, Poor House Farm Cemetery

Polk County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Pulaski County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Ralls County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Randolph County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Ray County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Ray County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Saline County, Missouri State School Cemetery AKA Marshall Rehabilitation Center Cemetery

Saline County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery

Scott County, Poor Farm Cemetery

St. Francois County, Farmington State Hospital Cemetery #04

St. Louis County, German Protestant Orphans Home Cemetery

St. Louis County, Poor Farm Cemetery

St. Louis, German St. Vincent’s Orphan Society, Remembrance of the Diamond Jubilee, June 21, 1925: 1850-1925

St. Louis, St. Ann’s Hospital and Foundling Home and St. Mary’s Orphanage, Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

Texas County, Poor Farm Cemetery

Vernon County, County Poor Farm Cemetery

Vernon County, Nevada State Hospital #03 Cemetery

Washington County, Potosi Poor Farm Cemetery

Wright County, Farm and Alms House

Wright County, Farm and Alms House Cemetery

For all Free Missouri Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Missouri, and then click on the category of interest.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

# preview.content
[sc name="intro_april_2025" ][/sc]

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

FamilySearch – Institution and School Records

Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor […]

# summary
[sc name="intro_april_2025" ][/sc]

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

FamilySearch – Institution and School Records

Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor […]

# summaryMap.en
[sc name="intro_april_2025" ][/sc]

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

FamilySearch – Institution and School Records

Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor […]