Fremont County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Fremont 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
Fremont County was named for John C. Fremont and is located in southwestern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse
Fremont County Courthouse
506 Filmore Street
P O Box 295
Sidney, IA 51652-0295
Phone: 712-374-2232
Email: jmcallister@co.fremont.ia.us
Fremont County Website
Fremont 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 | 1848 | 1880 | 1850 | 1849 | 1880 | 1847 |
Record Loss
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1863 and 1888 The Courthouse was damaged by fire and some records were lost. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Fremont County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
Biographies
- A Biographical History of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa. Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1901. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Fremont County, Iowa: Containing ... a Biographical Directory of Many of Its leading Citizens. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Historical Company, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
- Locust Grove Landmarks, 1871-1971. Locust Grove Township History Committee. Shenandoah, IA: World Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Fremont County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
- Biographies and Family History Stories
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
Iowa recorded not only federal, but state censuses for several in-between years as well. For more information, see the very informative Iowa Census article.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 1,244 | — |
| 1860 | 5,074 | 307.9% |
| 1870 | 11,174 | 120.2% |
| 1880 | 17,652 | 58.0% |
| 1890 | 16,842 | −4.6% |
| 1900 | 18,546 | 10.1% |
| 1910 | 15,623 | −15.8% |
| 1920 | 15,447 | −1.1% |
| 1930 | 15,533 | 0.6% |
| 1940 | 14,645 | −5.7% |
| 1950 | 12,323 | −15.9% |
| 1960 | 10,282 | −16.6% |
| 1970 | 9,282 | −9.7% |
| 1980 | 9,401 | 1.3% |
| 1990 | 8,226 | −12.5% |
| 2000 | 8,010 | −2.6% |
| 2010 | 7,441 | −7.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1885 Iowa State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1895 Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905 Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (individual cards, not family context)
- 1915 Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1925 Iowa State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- Fremont County Churches at IAGenWeb
- FamilySearch Places
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Plum Hollow
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)
Court Records
Directories
- 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
- Gude Funeral Homes in Hamburg and Riverton
- Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home in Shenandoah
- Marshall Funeral Chapels in Sidney and Tabor
- Nishna Valley Funeral and Cremation Service in Shenandoah
Genealogies
- Forneys Five Records of Genealogy of Benners, Clappers, Ettlemans, Forneys and Studys. 1931. Charles William Forney. Boone, IA: Standard Printing Co. Online at: Hathitrust
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
- 1849-1855 Transcribed records, 1849-1855 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1849-1906 Deeds, 1849-1906 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1851-1865 Original entries, 1851-1865, Town of Sidney, 1851-1854 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1854-1917 Town lot deeds, 1854-1917 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1864-1917 Transfer book, town lots, 1864-1917 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1867-1935 Tax sale deed record, 1867-1935 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1891-1987 Homestead record, 1891-1987; index 1849-1855 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- Atlas of Fremont County, Iowa : containing maps of the townships of the county : maps of state, United States and world : farmers directory, analysis of the system of U.S. land surveys. Anderson Publishing Company, Des Moines, IA., 1920. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Fremont 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 Fremont County, Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Historical Company, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
- Locust Grove Landmarks, 1871-1971. Locust Grove Township History Committee. Shenandoah, IA: World Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Fremont County, Local Historical Stories
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, Fremont County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Fremont County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1886-1930 Fire Insurance Maps for Fremont County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1930.
- Atlas of Fremont County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Fremont County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- IAGenWeb - Fremont County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Fremont County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Standard Historical Atlas of Mills and Fremont Counties, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Fremont County at State Library of Iowa.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.
Migration
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Early migration routes to and from Fremont County, Iowa Genealogy for European settlers included:
- Missouri River
- Oregon Trail 1830s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon[8]
- California Trail 1846 from western Missouri to northern California[9]
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[10]
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
- Military Page at IAGenWeb
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 Fremont 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:
- - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 29th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
Naturalization and Citizenship
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1863-1930 Naturalization Records, 1863-1930(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — indexes, images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1950-1972 The Hamburg Reporter. 1950-1962, 1965, 1966, 1968-1972. Hamburg, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- Fremont County Newspapers at IAGenWeb
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1876-1926 Probate Records, 1876-1926(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - 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 ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Iowa tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. Iowa's unique Old Age Assistance tax gives names, addresses and birth years. There may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1934-1958 Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded by civil officials on registers, certificates, and other documents. Copies or extracts may be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office. See also Iowa Vital Records.
Birth
- 1850-1939 Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1921-1942 Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1880-1935 Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1921-1947 Iowa, Birth and Stillbirth Records, 1921-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images, coverage may vary
Marriage
- 1518-1996 Iowa, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 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 Fremont 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
- Nebraska City Nebraska FamilySearch Center
- Shenandoah Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Malvern Public Library - an affiliate library
- Plattsmouth Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Fremont County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Shenandoah Public Library
201 S Elm Street
Shenandoah, IA 51601
Phone: 712-246-2315
Email: libraryq@shenandoahiowa.net
Website
Facebook
Lakin Library
725 Main Street
P.O. Box 27
Tabor, IA 51653-0027
Phone: 712-629-2735
Email: dawn.miller@tabor.lib.ia.us
Website
Facebook
Museums
Historical Society Museum
800 W Sheridan Avenue
Shenandoah, IA 51601
Phone: 712-246-1669
Website
Facebook
Societies
Listed below are societies in Fremont County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Fremont County Historical Society
P.O. Box 671
801 Indiana
Sidney, IA 51652-0671
Phone: 712-374-3248
Email: fremontcountyhistorical@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Tabor Historical Society
P.O. Box 584
Tabor, IA 51653-0584
Phone: 712-313-0102
Website
Websites
- Fremont County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Fremont County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Fremont 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
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed July 26, 2021.
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed July 26, 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Fremont County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_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.
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed July 26, 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, "Fremont County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_County%2C_Iowa, accessed 7 September 2019.
- ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in Oregon National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/oreg/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in California National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).