Fayette County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Fayette County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Fayette County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 21, 1837 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | West Union |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Fayette County Courthouse 114 North Vine Street P.O. Box 226 West Union, IA 52175 Phone:(563) 422-3687 Fayette County Website |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Marquis de Lafayette. The County has West Union as its seat and the County was created 1837. The County is located in the north east area of the state.[1]
Fayette County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1851 | 1880 | 1852 | 1855 | 1869 | 1847 |
Quick Reference Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1837--Fayette County was created 21 December 1837 from Dubuque County. it was attached to Clayton County prior to organiztoin 7 February 1859. County seat: West Union [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.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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 | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Allamakee • Black Hawk • Bremer • Buchanan • Chickasaw • Clayton • Delaware • Winnishiek
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1872 Courthouse was burned.
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.
Resources[edit | edit source]
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. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 825 | — |
| 1860 | 12,073 | 1363.4% |
| 1870 | 16,973 | 40.6% |
| 1880 | 22,258 | 31.1% |
| 1890 | 23,141 | 4.0% |
| 1900 | 29,845 | 29.0% |
| 1910 | 27,919 | −6.5% |
| 1920 | 29,251 | 4.8% |
| 1930 | 29,145 | −0.4% |
| 1940 | 29,151 | 0.0% |
| 1950 | 28,294 | −2.9% |
| 1960 | 28,581 | 1.0% |
| 1970 | 26,898 | −5.9% |
| 1980 | 25,488 | −5.2% |
| 1990 | 21,843 | −14.3% |
| 2000 | 22,008 | 0.8% |
| 2010 | 20,880 | −5.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
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 Records[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
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
Clermont
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Clermont, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Hope Lutheran Church, Westgate
- Records of the Hope Lutheran Church, Westgate, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Richfield
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Richfield, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
West Union
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, West Union, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Land and Property[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.
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Fayette 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.
- Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa at Ancestry.com ($)
- Fayette County Historical Society. Heritage of Fayette County, Iowa, 1996. West Union, Iowa] : Fayette County, IA Heritage Book Committee, c1996.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Peterman, Thomas Draper. Historical sketches of Fayette County, Iowa, in the 40's and 50's. [S.l. : s.n., 19--?].
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- The History of Fayette County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers, history of the northwest, history of Iowa, map of Fayette County. Chicago : Western Historical Co., 1878.
- Online at Internetarchive (Free)
- Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa : illustrated. Marceline, Mo. : Walsworth, [197-?].
- Vol 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Vol 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- 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 Fayette 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 Fayette County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
- - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company H
- - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Waterloo newspapers that may have included Fayette County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
- The Oelwein Daily Register. 1841-1848 Oelwein, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Probate Records[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 - Adair - Probate records.
Fayette County probate case files are scheduled to become available for free online at FamilySearch as images become available. For more information, click here.
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
Iowa, Fayette County Probate Case Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- 1851-1928 — Fayette County Probate Records at FamilySearch.org — browsable images only;
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.
Births[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
Marriages[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 ($) — index and images
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch - index
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — 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
Repositories[edit | edit source]
See also a List of Iowa Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
Archives, Libraries, and Museums[edit | edit source]
Courthouses [edit | edit source]
Fayette County Courthouse
114 North Vine Street
P.O. Box 226
West Union, IA 52175
(563) 422-3687
Fayette County
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
- Cedar Falls/Waterloo Iowa Family History Center 3006 Pleasant Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 United States; Phone: 319-266-6374; Location Map
Societies[edit | edit source]
Fayette County Historical & Genealogical Society
100 North Walnut Street
West Union, Iowa 52175
Telephone:563-422-5797
E-mail: fayettehistorical@gmail.com
Website
Oelwein Area Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 389
Oelwein, IA 50662-0389
E-mail: Oelwein_Area_Genealogical_Society@hotmail.com
Website
Places[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
- Alpha
- Arlington
- Auburn Township
- Banks Township
- Bethel Township
- Center Township
- Clermont
- Clermont Township
- Donnan
- Dover Township
- Eden Township
- Eldorado
- Elgin
- Fairbank
- Fairfield Township
- Fayette
- Fremont Township
- Harlan Township
- Hawkeye
- Illyria Township
- Maynard
- Oelwein
- Oran
- Oran Township
- Pleasant Valley
- Putnam Township
- Randalia
- Scott
- Scott Township
- Smithfield Township
- Union Township
- Wadena
- Waucoma
- Westfield Township
- West Union
- Windsor Township
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 |
| 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 |
| [1] [2][3] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| FamilySearch | Free | Iowa, Fayette County Probate Records, 1851-1928; browse images |
| 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 ($) |
| 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 | Fayette County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Fayette, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayette_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Fayette 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, "Fayette County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayette_County,_Iowa#Communities, accessed 5 September 2019.
