Registration of births and deaths began as early as 1863 in some areas of Missouri. Although county clerks were required to register births and deaths in Missouri from 1883 through 1893, the law was not enforced and as a result some counties actually recorded very few births or deaths during this period. Since the state did not have complete compliance until 1911, other sources such as church, military, cemetery, tax, and probate records and newspapers are the researcher's main tools in establishing dates of birth and death. This volume is the first in a series devoted to these alternate sources of vital records. Birth and death records from sources in sixty-eight counties are presented in alphabetical order. A surname index refers the reader to maiden names and French "dit" names. The following counties are covered: Andrew, Atchinson, Audrain, Barry, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Christian, Clay, Cole, Crawford, Dallas, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Newton, Osage, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, St. Charles, St. Claire, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, Taney, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wright.