Bootheel
The recorder's real-estate index reaches back to 1845
Butler County's Recorder of Deeds says its general index is maintained back to 1845, with computerized real-estate records starting in 1970.
Butler County’s land-record trail reaches deep into the courthouse years. The Recorder of Deeds general index includes abstracts of deeds, deeds of trust, and miscellaneous documents under a grantor-grantee system, with reference back to 1845.
That does not make every search a quick online lookup. Computerized real-estate records start in 1970, so older work may require the recorder’s office, book-and-page references, or a title professional.
For a homeowner, buyer, family researcher, or local-history reader, the starting year is the useful clue. The recorder is the right counter for recorded documents. The assessor is the right counter for valuation and parcel questions. Mixing the two can waste a courthouse trip in Poplar Bluff.
Where to see it
- Butler County Recorder of Deeds
Use the recorder page for land-record index dates, records access, and current office details.
References
More from Butler County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: July 16, 2026.