HISTORY
York County was named by the Legislature of 1855, long before any settlers. In April 1870 the county was organized with a population of 840. Prior to 1870 York county was attached to Seward county.
COURTHOUSE
York county courthouse is located at 510 Lincoln Ave, York. County office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Individual office hours may vary.
County Assessor: Will allow in person research. Records of land owners and valuations from 1946. Earlier records located at NSHS (History Nebraska).
County Court: Closed over noon hour. Records begin Aug. 1, 1870 and include probates, wills, guardians, divorces and conservators.
Clerk of District Court: Court records and case files, foreclosures, and jury lists. Naturalization records are located at NSHS (History Nebraska).
County Clerk (Register of Deeds): Records include deeds and mortgages 1876 to present, plat maps, miscellaneous records, marriages, supervisors' proceedings, Lincoln Creek Cemetery Records and School census 1905-1913, 1920-1984.
PLACE NAMES
1. Aikens Mill, later changed to Plainfield
2. Arborville, 1872-1943, still has cemetery and church
3. Benedict, 1887 to present
4. Bluevale, 1895-1901
5. Blue Valley, 1870-1895, then changed to Bluevale
6. Bradshaw, previously known as Lenox, 1880-present
7. Charleston, 1887-1943
8. Creswell, 1873-1888
9. Dana 1874-1888
10. Danby 1877-1888
11. Derby, former elevator siding
12. Eureka, 1876-1887
13. Farris, 1872-1873
14. Gresham, previously named Poston, 1887-present
15. Henderson, named in honor of David Henderson (pioneer settler), 1888-present
16. Houston, named in honor of Joseph Houston (pioneer settler), 1881-1928
17. Indian Creek, 1873-1888
18. Knox, elevator siding and station located 5 miles south of York
19. Lawrence, proposed town 1855, never got beyond platting stage
20. Lenox, previously Plainfield, 1879-1880, then changed to Bradshaw
21. Lisbon, 1879
22. Long Hope, 1874-1883
23. Lushton, 1887-present
24. McCool Junction, previously Niota, 1888-present
25. McFadden, 1868-1884
26. Mapps, elevator siding 5 miles north of York
27. New York, 1880-1884 was just north of York until town absorbed it
28. Niota, 1877-1884 then changed to McCool Junction
29. Palo, 1872
30. Plainfield, 1873-1879, changed to Lenox, still has cemetery
31. Pleasant Home, moved from Polk county 1877-1888
32. Porcupine Bluffs, stage stop near Hamilton county line 1863
33. Red Lion, 1884-1888
34. Seeley, 1874-1881
35. Thayer, 1870-present
36. Waco, changed from Westerfield 1879-present
37. Westerfield, 1872-1879
38. Wickliffe 1872-1873
39. York, 1869-present
LIBRARIES
Kilgore Memorial Library
520 N Nebraska Ave
York, NE 68467
402-363-2620
http://libraries.ne.gov/york/
* Kilgore Memorial Library is a Family Search Affiliate Library
MUSEUMS
Anna Palmer Museum
211 E 7th St
York, NE 68467
402-362-1844
Wessels Living History Farm
5520 S Lincoln Ave
York, NE 68467
402-710-0682
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park
720 Rd B
Henderson, NE 68371
402-723-5694
CEMETERIES
Cemeteries should be on Findagrave and/or Billion Graves. Many transcriptions are located at the York Historical Office, Exeter Public Library and NSHS (History Nebraska).
1. Arborville Cemetery
2. Brabham Cemetery (abandoned)
3. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
4. Bethel Cemetery
5. Zion Lutheran Cemetery (records at the church in Waco)
6. St. Paul's Lutheran (records at York Co. Hist. Soc.)
7. St. Peter's Lutheran (records at church in Gresham)
8. Cedar Lawn Cemetery (Gresham village cemetery)
9. Unmarked burial plot, located section 31 Stewart Township
10. Palo Cemetery
11. Plainfield Cemetery
12. Lincoln Creek Cemetery
13. Bethesda Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
14. Rosemond Cemetery
15. Unmarked burial plot located section 8 Waco township
16. Waco Cemetery
17. Council Cemetery
18. Bethesda Mennonite Cemetery, records at church in Henderson
19. Greenwood Cemetery (York City cemetery), electronic directory at cemetery
20. St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery, records at church in York
21. Vernon Cemetery
22. St. John's Lutheran, records at church in Waco
23. Ebenezer Cemetery, records at church in Waco
24. Evangelical Mennonite Cemetery, records at church in Henderson
25. Buller Mennonite Cemetery, Henderson
26. Lushton Cemetery
27. McCool Junction Cemetery
28. Greenwood Cemetery
29. Hecht Family Cemetery
30. Bussard or Holoch Cemetery
31. Gilmore Cemetery
32. Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
33. Blue Valley Cemetery
34. Cashler or Union Cemetery
35. Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery (east of Gresham in Seward county)
36. Mennonite Brethren Cemetery (in Hamilton county)
CHURCHES
1. Arborville Congregational, Bradshaw, organized 1876, records include baptisms 1917-present, marriages 1902-present, death only in church minutes 1901-present. Records 1876-1976 on microfilm at NSHS (History Nebraska)
2. Arborville Methodist, 1876-1910, records located at Methodist Historical Center in Lincoln
3. Benedict United Methodist Church, organized 1889 as Methodist Episcopal, records from 1893, early records incomplete
4. Benedict First Presbyterian Church, 1885-1906, records located at Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Zion Evangelical Lutheran in Benedict, 1881-present, records from 1902 to present
6. Bradshaw Congregational Church, 1880-1890, building destroyed by tornado, records not located
7. Methodist Episcopal, now United Methodist of Bradshaw, 1871-present, records start 1877, combined with United Brethren to form United Methodist in 1973
8. Pleasant Hill Baptist, later Bradshaw Baptist, 1880-1891, records not located
9. Bradshaw Church of Christ, 1885-?, records not located
10. Charleston Church of Christ, 1889-1912, records not located
11. Charleston Methodist Episcopal, 1887-1937, records may be combined with McCool Junction at First United Methodist in York
12. Gresham Immanuel Lutheran, 1873-1976, records at NSHS (History Nebraska) and at Lutheran District Archives in Seward. School records located at Lutheran District Archives.
13. Gresham Presbyterian, 1887-present, previously called Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church, records at the church
14. Gresham United Brethren Church, 1900-1928, records not located
15. St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Gresham, 1909-present, records for church and cemetery at church, school 1914-1918 no records
16. Gresham Methodist Episcopal Church, 1887-?, records 1901-1962 at Methodist Historical Center in Lincoln
17. Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, 1874-present, records start 1875, centennial history, cemetery, and school 1904-1943 at church office
18. Mennonite Brethren Church in Henderson, 1878-present, records start 1879, church and cemetery records at church
19. Ebenezer Mennonite Brethren Church, Henderson, 1882-present, records at church office
20. Henderson Methodist, lapsed, no dates known, records not located
21. Calvary Bible Church, Henderson, 1969-present, records from 1970
22. Lushton Methodist, 1909-1984, records 1911-1984
23. Lushton United Brethren, 1879-? then merged with Lushton Methodist, records not located
24. Lushton Methodist Episcopal, 1908-1933, records may be at East Avenue Methodist in York
25. First Evangelical Lutheran in McCool, 1900-present, records and history book at church
26. United Brethren at McCool, organized 1880 as Pursel Chapel, moved into town and renamed Bethel, lapsed date unknown, records not located
27. St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McCool, 1907-present, records at church
28. First Baptist Church of McCool, 1878-1912, records not located
29. United Methodist Church of McCool, 1894-? Mission of First United Methodist, York, records are there
30. Thayer Presbyterian, 1902-1957, microfilm of records at NSHS (History Nebraska) in Lincoln
31. Methodist Episcopal Church in Thayer, 1889-1918, records may be at East Ave Methodist Church in York
32. Zion Lutheran Church in Waco, 1901-present, cemetery and church records at church office, school 1904-present records not available
33. Waco United Brethren Church, 1904-1914, records not located
34. Pleasant Hill Methodist in Waco, 1894-1915, records at Waco Methodist Church
35. Waco United Brethren, 1887-?, merged with United Methodist unknown, records may be there
36. United Methodist Church of Waco, 1882-present, records at church
37. Methodist Protestant Church of Waco 1875-1904, records not located
38. Church of Christ of Waco 1873-1935, records not located
39. Second Christian Church of Waco, 1900-?, records not located
40. Bethel Lutheran Church of Waco, 1979-present
41. Peace Lutheran Church of Waco, 1908-present, records at church, school 1946-1958 no records
YORK
42. First United Presbyterian of York, 1871-present, short centennial history available at church
43. First Universalists Church of York, 1880s-1890s, records not located
44. First United Methodist Church of York, 1871-present, church has those records plus some Methodist and United Brethren churches which have lapsed (McCool Junction, Persel Chapel, Bethel U. B. and Fairview)
45. East Avenue United Methodist Church, organized 1887 as First United Brethren in Christ, changed to Evangelical United Brethren in 1946, then in 1968 changed to East Avenue United Methodist. Church has all those records, plus Palo U. B., Thayer, Green's Chapel (Polk County) and Keckley Chapel.
46. Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in York, organized 1903, records 1904-present
48. Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist, 1904-1936, records not located
49. Jehovah's Witness, 1930's to present, no records
50. First Baptist Church of York, organized 1873, merged with Congregational in 1936.
51. Congregational Church of York, organized 1915, merged with Baptists in 1936
52. Baptist-Congregational Church of York (also called United Church of Christ) organized 1936 by merger, have records of both churches since inception (1873 and 1915 respectively)
53. Emmanuel Evangelical Church of York, organized 1903, lapsed 1932, records not located
54. Church of God, York, organized 1928, have records from 1928
55. First Church of Christ Scientist, York, organized 1897, lapsed 1979, records may be at archives in Boston
56. Holy Trinity Episcopal of York, organized 1881, records from 1926, previous records at Episcopal Diocese in Omaha
57. Grace Reformed Emmanuel Church, organized 1891, lapsed 1933, records not located
58. Swedish Evangelical Free Church, organized 1883, lapsed, records not located
59. First Christian Church, organized 1883, records 1876 to 1969 at NSHS (History Nebraska) in Lincoln, film 181
60. St. Joseph's Catholic Church, organized 1873, records from 1873. St. Joseph's Cemetery records at church office. St. Joseph's School (formerly St. Ursula's Academy) records 1890 to present at school library
61. East Hill Church of Christ, organized 1956, records from 1968 (generally presently affiliated with York College)
62. Church of the Nazarene of York, organized 1913, records from 1930-present
63. Faith Lutheran Church of York, organized 1963, records from 1963-present
64. Seventh Day Adventist, organized 1949, records from 1949-present
65. Full Gospel Assembly of God, organized 1936, lapsed date unknown, records not located
66. Arbor Drive Community Church (associated with Converge Worldwide/Baptist General Conference), organized 1959, assume church has records from 1959 to present.
67. Arborville
