Henry County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Henry 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
Henry County was named for Henry Dodge and is located in southeastern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse
Henry County Courthouse
100 E Washington Street
Mount Pleasant IA 52641
Phone: 319-385-3150 or 319-385-2632
Henry County Iowa
Henry 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 | 1836 | 1836 | 1836 | 1836 | 1836 | 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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Henry County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
- Vital Records of Henry County Iowa from Bible, Church, Cemetery(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Biographies
- Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa: Containing Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of Many of the Prominent Citizens. Chicago, IL: Hobart Publishing Co., 1906. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa: Containing Full Page Portraits and BiographicalSsketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens. Chicago, IL: Acme Publishing Company, 1888. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
- Henry County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
- Henry County, IAGenWeb Bios Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
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 | 8,707 | — |
| 1860 | 18,701 | 114.8% |
| 1870 | 21,463 | 14.8% |
| 1880 | 20,986 | −2.2% |
| 1890 | 18,895 | −10.0% |
| 1900 | 20,022 | 6.0% |
| 1910 | 18,640 | −6.9% |
| 1920 | 18,298 | −1.8% |
| 1930 | 17,660 | −3.5% |
| 1940 | 17,994 | 1.9% |
| 1950 | 18,708 | 4.0% |
| 1960 | 18,187 | −2.8% |
| 1970 | 18,114 | −0.4% |
| 1980 | 18,890 | 4.3% |
| 1990 | 19,226 | 1.8% |
| 2000 | 20,336 | 5.8% |
| 2010 | 20,145 | −0.9% |
| 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
- FamilySearch Places
- Henry County, IAGenWeb Church Records
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Court Records
- 1837-1888 District court records, 1837-1888(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1838-1850 Judgement for costs, 1838-1850(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1853-1857 County Court record, 1853-1857(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories
- 1859-1860 Henry County, Iowa Directory(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1894-1900 Directory of Henry County, Iowa(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1911-1912 Directory of Henry County Iowa, 1911-1912. George T. Mason. Mount Pleasant, IA: The News, Printers and Binders. FamilySearch Digital Library
- 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
- Beatty and Peterseim Funeral and Momument Services in Wayland
- Elliott Funeral Chapel in New London
- Honts Funeral Home in Winfield
- Kimzey Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant
- Murphy Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant
- Powell Funeral Homes in Mount Pleasant
- Snyder and Hollenburgh Funeral and Cremation Homes in Winfield
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
- 1837-1905 Transfer books, 1837-1904; index, 1867-1905 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1837-1944 Land deeds, 1837-1907; indexes, 1837-1944 ; town lot deeds and indexes, 1855-1921 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1841-1859 Abstract of original entries, 1841-1859, in Henry County at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1848-1905 Town lot deeds, 1848-1905 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1851-1919 Mortgage indexes, 1851-1919 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1853-1908 Homestead book, 1853-1908 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1884-1928 Miscellaneous record, 1884-1928; index, 1884-1932 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & 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 Henry County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- The History of Henry County. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company, 1879. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
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, Henry County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1870 Sectional Map of Iowa, Henry Co., 1870(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- 1875-2007 Henry County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1886-1942 Fire Insurance Maps for Henry County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1942.
- General Highway and Transportation Map, Henry County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- 1895 Atlas, Henry County, Iowa, 1895(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Henry County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- Henry County Maps at IAGenWeb.
- Iowa Digital Library, Henry County at Iowa University Libraries.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Henry County at State Library of Iowa.
- 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
- Henry County IAGenWeb Military History
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 Henry 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 E
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company F
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies D, F and I
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies B, C, H and J
- - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies A and H
Naturalization and Citizenship
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1839-1952 Naturalization Records and Declarations of Intention, 1839-1952; index, 1841-1939(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1944-1955 The Mount Pleasant News. 1944-55. Mount Pleasant, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- 1947 Mt Pleasant News. 1947. Mt Pleasant, Iowa, United States Of America. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1837-1842 Wills, 1837-1842, vol. A(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1843-1855 Record of Probate Proceedings and Wills, 1843-1855(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1847-1868 Probate Records, 1847-1868(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1858-1915 Will Record, 1858-1915(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1861-1936 Register of Wills Deposited with Clerk of Circuit Court, Henry County, Iowa, 1861-1936(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1862-1896 Record of Heirs and Estates of Decedents, Heir List, 1862-1896(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1869-1928 Probate Dockets, 1869-1928(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1869-1930 Probate Record, 1869-1930; Index, 1869-1908(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1888-1964 Probate Deposits, 1888-1964(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1920-1937 Index to Probate Papers Disposed of, 1920-1937 and Earlier Years(*); 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
- 1907-1992 Record of Divorces, 1907-1992(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Henry 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
- Burlington Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Fairfield Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Muscatine Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Nauvoo Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Burlington Public Library - Iowa - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Henry County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
J. Raymond Chadwick Library
107 W. Broad Street
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
319-385-6316
Phone: 800-582-2383
Email: reference@iw.edu
Website
Museums
Henry County Heritage Trust
403 West Madison Street
P.O. Box 333
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
319-385-4983
Website
The Henderson Lewelling House
401 South Main Street
Salem, IA 52649
Phone: 319-258-2000
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Henry County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Winfield Historical Society & Museum
114 South Locust Street
Winfield, IA 52659
Website
Websites
- Henry County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Henry County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Henry County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Henry 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
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Henry, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_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 on 11 April 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, "Henry County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_County,_Iowa, accessed 10 September 2019.