Black Hawk County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Black Hawk County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Black Hawk County was named for Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The county is located in east-central Iowa.[4]
County Courthouse
Black Hawk County Courthouse
316 East 5th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703-4774
Phone: 319-833-3000
Black Hawk County Website
Black Hawk County, Iowa Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1854 | 1880 | 1853 | 1853 | 1880 | 1847 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
- Black Hawk County was attached to Buchanan, Benton, and Delaware Counties.
Resources
Bible Records
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Black Hawk County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
Biographies
- Historical and Biographical Record of Black Hawk County Iowa. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1886. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. By John C Hartman, Ed. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1915. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
- History of Black Hawk County, Iowa and Representative Citizens. By Isaiah Van Metre. Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Publishing Co., 1904. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Books.
- Black Hawk County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
Iowa recorded not only federal, but state censuses for several in-between years as well. For more information, see the very informative Iowa Census article.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 135 | — |
| 1860 | 8,244 | 6006.7% |
| 1870 | 21,706 | 163.3% |
| 1880 | 23,913 | 10.2% |
| 1890 | 24,219 | 1.3% |
| 1900 | 32,399 | 33.8% |
| 1910 | 44,865 | 38.5% |
| 1920 | 56,570 | 26.1% |
| 1930 | 69,146 | 22.2% |
| 1940 | 79,946 | 15.6% |
| 1950 | 100,448 | 25.6% |
| 1960 | 122,482 | 21.9% |
| 1970 | 132,916 | 8.5% |
| 1980 | 137,961 | 3.8% |
| 1990 | 123,798 | −10.3% |
| 2000 | 128,012 | 3.4% |
| 2010 | 131,090 | 2.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1885 Iowa State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1895 Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905 Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (individual cards, not family context)
- 1915 Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1925 Iowa State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
Court Records
- 1853-1866 Judge's Warrant Book, 1853-1866(*); County Court Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1854-1861 Minutes, v. A, 1854-1861(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1868-1874 Justice's Docket, 1868-1874(*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories
- 1910 Atlas of Black Hawk County, Iowa : Farmer's Directory, Historical Sketches, Reminiscences of Early Settlers, Portraits of Citizens(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1957 Cedar Falls (Black Hawk County, Iowa) City Directory : Including Black Hawk County(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1957 Waterloo (Black Hawk County, Iowa) City Directory : Including Black Hawk County, Also the Yellow Pages With a Special Advertising Section and a Complete Classified List(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Cedar Falls
- Greer Funeral Home Inc in Waterloo
- Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service in Waterloo
- Locke Funeral Services in Waterloo
- Parrott and Wood Chapel of Memories Funeral Home and Crematory in Waterloo
- Richardson Funeral and Cremation Services in Cedar Falls
- Sanders Funeral Service in Waterloo
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. They include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, transactions were usually recorded and housed at the county courthouse.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1852-1947 Record abstracts : 1852-1947(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1853-1908 Deed records, 1853-1908(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1854-1988 Transfer books, lands, 1854-1988(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1855-1901 Town lot deeds, 1855-1901; index, 1855-1885(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1859 Abstract of original entries in Black Hawk County, Iowa, from the land office, Dubuque, in 1859(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1865-1929 Tax sale deeds, 1865-1929(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1866-1909 Transfer books, town lots, 1866-1909(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1870-1986 Homestead records, 1870-1986(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1907-1933 Affidavit records, 1907-1933(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Black Hawk County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its People. By John C Hartman, Ed. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1915. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II - HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- The History of Black Hawk County. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Black Hawk County, Iowa and Representative Citizens. By Isaiah Van Metre. Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Publishing Co., 1904. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Historical and Biographical Record of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: The Inter-state Publishing Company, 1886.. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Historical Record of Cedar Falls, the Garden City of Iowa Containing a brief history of Iowa, of Black Hawk County. By Peter Melendy. Cedar Falls, IA: Peter Melendy, 1893. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Maps and Gazetteers
County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For online maps and collections in libraries and societies, see Iowa Maps. Historical maps may be especially useful.
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Black Hawk County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875 Township Map of 1875 Black Hawk County, Iowa at My Genealogy Hound.
- 1875-2007 Black Hawk County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1885-1962 Fire Insurance Maps for Black Hawk County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1962.
- Atlas of Black Hawk County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Black Hawk Countyat IAGenWeb.
- Black Hawk County at Iowa Digital Library.
- Black Hawk County at The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections.
- Illustrated Atlas of Black Hawk County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
Multiple Wars
- 1835-1998 Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
- 1862-1910 Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Civil War
- 1861-1949 Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Civil War service men in Black Hawk County 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 here:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company G
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
World War I
- 1917-1918 Iowa, Black Hawk County, Waterloo, World War I Pledge Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1855-1936 Naturalization Records, 1855-1936(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Black Hawk County, Iowa, Naturalization Index Card File(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1860-1908 Cedar Falls Gazette (Cedar Falls, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1871-1872, 1878-1880, 1885-1889, 1893 La Porte City Progress (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1882-1885 La Porte City Review (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1894-1896, 1919, 1921-1925, 1927-1938, 1941-1949, 1951-1977 Progress Review (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1928, 1944-1951, 1954 Waterloo Daily Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1938-1940 La Porte City Progress Review (La Port City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1945, 1947 1949-1951 Waterloo Sunday Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
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.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1853-1951 Probate Records, 1853-1951(*) District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Iowa tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. Iowa's unique Old Age Assistance tax gives names, addresses and birth years. There may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1934-1958 Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded by civil officials on registers, certificates, and other documents. Copies or extracts may be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office. See also Iowa Vital Records.
Birth
- 1850-1939 Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1880-1935 Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1921-1942 Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1921-1947 Iowa, Birth and Stillbirth Records, 1921-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images, coverage may vary
Marriage
- 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 ($)
- 1838-1934 Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1941-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Death
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- 1850-1990 Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
- 1880-1992 Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1888-1904 Iowa, Death Records, 1888-1904 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images, coverage may vary
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1904-1951 Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Black Hawk County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Cedar Falls/Waterloo Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
- African American Museum Of Iowa - an affiliate library
- Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Black Hawk County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Evansdale Public Library
123 N Evans Rd
Evansdale, IA 50707
Phone: 319-232-5367
Email: eplib@mchsi.com
Website
Hudson Public Library
401 Fifth St
P.O. Box 480
Hudson, IA 50643
Phone: 319-988-4217
Email: staff@hudson.lib.ia.us
Website
Waterloo Public Library
415 Commercial St
Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone: 319-291-4480
Email: askus@waterloopubliclibrary.org
Website
Museums
Cedar Falls Historical Society Museums
308 West 3rd Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: 319-266-5149
Email: cfhistory@cfu.net
Website
Grout Museum District
503 South St
Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone: 319-234-6357
Email: info@gmdistrict.org
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Black Hawk County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Cedar Falls Historical Society
308 West 3rd Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: 319-266-5149
Email: cfhistory@cfu.net
Website
Websites
- Black Hawk County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Black Hawk County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Black Hawk County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Black Hawk County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
- State Historical Society of Iowa — select from research collection topics
- State Library of Iowa — electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection — digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 4/16/2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed (date here).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Black Hawk, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed (4/16/2021).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Black Hawk County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa, accessed 22 August 2019.