Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Des Moines County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Des Moines County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | October 1, 1834 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Burlington |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | 513 N. Main St. PO Box 277 Burlington, Iowa 52601 Phone: (319) 753-8221 Des Moines County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Parent County
- 5 Boundary Changes
- 6 Places/Localities
- 7 Resources
- 8 Societies and Libraries
- 9 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Des Moines River. The County has Burlington as its seat and the County was created 1834. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
Des Moines County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1835 | 1880 | 1835 | 1837 | 1835 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Des Moines County Courthouse
513 N. Main St.
PO Box 277
Burlington, Iowa 52601
(319) 753-8221
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1834--Des Moines County was created 1 October 1834, when Des Moines County Congress passed an act attaching the Black Hawk Purchase to the Territory of Michigan in June of 1834 prior to that it was part of Wisconsin. The following September the Legislature of Michigan divided this land purchase into two counties, Dubuque and Des Moines. The dividing boundary was a line running west from the lower end of Rock Island. At this time County courts were established with Des Moines County Court placed in the city of Burlington. Des Moines was named after the Des Moines River. County seat: Burlington [3]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1873 Courthouse burned and some records were destroyed.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Populated places: For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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Ghost Towns of Des Moines County[edit | edit source]
Ghost towns are settlements, towns, and villages whose thriving little communities dried up for various reasons. Some are now part of other townships, some have just faded away. Here are their names, the years they were functioning, and the Townships they were a part of.
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Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Henry • Lee • Louisa • Henderson County, Illinois • Mercer County, Illinois
Resources[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Des Moines County, Iowa Biographical Dictionary at Ancestry.com ($)
- Biographical review of Des Moines County, Iowa : containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent cit at Ancestry.com ($)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| IAGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| IAGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| Iowa Gravestones | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Iowa Cemeteries for more information. | ||
There are many cemeteries in townships, cities, and farms located throughout Des Moines County that have been transcribed. Additional information on their locations is at Des Moines County Cemeteries Map. More information can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library based in Salt Lake City, Utah and can be requested and viewed at Family History Centers throughout the world.
Transcriptions for some of these cemeteries can be found at:
- FindAGrave.com
- Interment.net cemetery records.
- Iowa Gravestone Photo Project
- Saving Graves
- Tombstone Transcription Project
- Des Moines County Cemeteries
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 12,988 | — |
| 1860 | 19,611 | 51.0% |
| 1870 | 27,256 | 39.0% |
| 1880 | 33,099 | 21.4% |
| 1890 | 35,324 | 6.7% |
| 1900 | 35,989 | 1.9% |
| 1910 | 36,145 | 0.4% |
| 1920 | 35,520 | −1.7% |
| 1930 | 38,162 | 7.4% |
| 1940 | 36,804 | −3.6% |
| 1950 | 42,056 | 14.3% |
| 1960 | 44,605 | 6.1% |
| 1970 | 46,982 | 5.3% |
| 1980 | 46,203 | −1.7% |
| 1990 | 42,614 | −7.8% |
| 2000 | 42,351 | −0.6% |
| 2010 | 40,325 | −4.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article.
- Census Finder
- Census index for Des Moines County, transcribed for the years of 1836, 1836 Territorial Census, 1838, 1840, 1850, 1852, 1860.
- The first census of the original counties of Dubuque and Demoine (Iowa) taken in July, 1836 at Ancestry.com ($)
State Census
- 1895 - Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1905 - Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1915 - Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1925 - Iowa State Census. 1925 at FamilySearch — index and images
Church[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- Record book, 1866-1903 [5]Contains baptisms, burials, marriages, membership lists, and sermons.Dr. McClintock was pastor to churches at Mt. Pleasant, 1866-1870; Burlington, 1871-1896; and Sioux City, 1896-1903.
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Des Moines County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Methodist[edit | edit source]
- Church records, 1855-1917. [6]Text in German.This church was also known as the German Methodist Church.Contains records for the churches of Flint Creek, Temmytown/Tamytown, Bluffs, Pleasant Grove, Union, Bethel, Sperry, Kline.Includes marriages; baptisms; membership lists; burials, 1856, 1865-1916; meeting minutes; finances; conference reports.
Court[edit | edit source]
The Des Moines Courthouse is located in the town of Burlington.
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Des Moines, Iowa Directory, 1889-91 at Ancestry.com ($)
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
- Biographical review of Des Moines County, Iowa : containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent cit at Ancestry.com ($)
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for additional information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.
- [htthttp://iagenweb.org/desmoines/History/%7EHistory.htm History of Des Moines County, Iowa ][7]index, 105 bios online.
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa [8]index, 519 bios online. and at Ancestry.com ($)
- Biographical Review of Des Moines County, Iowa [9]index, 8 bios online.
- History of Des Moines County, Iowa [10]index, 8 bios online. and at Ancestry.com ($)
- The History of Des Moines County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, .... Chicago: Western Historical, 1879.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
Merrill, J. W. Yellow Spring and Huron. Mediapolis, Iowa : Merrill, 1897.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
- 1904 Des Moines County Iowa Atlas
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1835-1998 - Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1949 - Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1862-1910 - Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — index
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Companies D and E
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company K
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies D, E and G
- - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
- - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies F and G
- - 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
- - Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company K
:- 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
:- 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
:- 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
:- 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company D
:- 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company E
:- 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
:- 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
:- 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
:- 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry,
:- 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
:- 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
:- 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G
:- 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
:- 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- Moines+county+Iowa+Newspapers&qt=results_page WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- The Hawkeye *The Mediapolis News *NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Burlington newspapers dating back to the mid 1800's that covered local news on Des Moines County residents. This database is free at some libraries. For more information about the history of newspapers in Des Moines County see the Burlington Library Genealogy Site.
- The Burlington Weekly Hawkeye. 1857, 1862-1865, 1875, 1876,1880, 1882 Burlington, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Burlington Hawk Eye. 1849-1851, 1874, 1876-1880 Burlington, IA, USA.Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Weekly Hawk Eye And Telegraph. 1855-1861, 1883 Burlington, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Weekly Hawk Eye. 1858-1861, 1883 Burlington, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Hawk Eye. 1843-1845, 1976 Burlington, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Burlington Tri Weekly Hawk Eye. 1854, 1855 Burlington, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1758 - 1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Iowa - Des Moines - Probate records.
Taxation[edit | edit source]
- 1934-1958 - Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — index
Iowa tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also How to order Iowa Vital Records or order electronically online.
Birth Records[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1939 - Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1921-1942 - Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
Iowa law did not require birth records be maintained by civil authorities until 1880. For records of these early births, try delayed births, church records, and death records.
Birth records kept by the District Court, 1880-1904; 1906-1934, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa and 1880-1931 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- 1518-1996 - Iowa, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1809-1992 Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1836-1926 Iowa, Marriages, 1836 - 1926 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1838-1934 - Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Some early Marriages Of Des Moines County 1837 to 1850 have been transcribed and published.
Des Moines County Marriage Records, from 1880-1904; 1906-1935 have been microfilmed and can be found at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa. Index to marriage records, 1921-1977; marriage records, 1835-1930 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Death Records[edit | edit source]
- 1835-1930 - Death records are held by the District Court, 1835-1930, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa and 1880-1921 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch - index
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1904-1951 - Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Des Moines County Genealogical Society
P O Box 493
Burlington IA 52601
Telephone:319-572-9290 8am to 4pm CST
E-mail: dmcgs@dmcgs.org
Website
Des Moines County Historical Society
501 N Fourth Street
Burlington IA 52601
Telephone:319-752-0419
E-mail: tellmemore@dmchs.org
Website
Burlington Public Library
210 Court Street
Burlington, IA 52601-1647
Phone: 319-753-1647
Website
For more information about Societies in Iowa see the Iowa Societies page.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "des moines county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "des moines county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb Project | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| genealogytrails.com -Des Moines County page | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| [2] [3][4] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| CyndisList | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| Des Moines County (ldsgenealogy.com) | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| StateofUS.com | Free | family history resources and government records |
Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records | |
| FamilySearch Catalog | Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box. |
| WorldCat | To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog. |
| Allen County Public Library | located in Indiana They are heavily involved in digitizing. |
| GeneaBloggers | enter "Iowa" in search box to see list and links to Iowa blogs | |
| list of groups from "Iowa Genealogy" search | ||
| genealogy.com | IA Genealogy Forum | |
| ancestry.com | Des Moines County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Des Moines, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines_County,_Iowa.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Des Moines County, Iowa. Page 230-238 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 222-225.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Des Moines County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines_County%2C_Iowa#Communities, accessed 3 September 2019.
- ↑ McClintock, John C. Record book, 1866-1903. FHL US/CAN Film 956371 Item 4
- ↑ St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church (Burlington, Iowa) (Main ,Author), German Methodist Church (Burlington, Iowa) Church records, 1855-1917 US/CAN Film 956373
- ↑ Chicago: Western Hist. Co., 1879.
- ↑ Chicago: Acme Publishing, 1888.
- ↑ Hobart Pub. Co., 1905.
- ↑ ed. by Augustine M. Antrobus. 2 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1915.
