Johnson County, Iowa Genealogy
(Redirected from Johnson County, Iowa)
Guide to Johnson County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Johnson County was named for Richard Mentor Johnson and is located in southeastern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Johnson County Courthouse
417 South Clinton Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Phone: 319-356-6060
Johnson County Website
Johnson County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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 |
| 1882 | 1839 | 1880 | 1839 | 1839 | 1839 | 1847 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Johnson County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- History of Johnson County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, and its Townships, Cities and Villages from 1836 to 1882, Together with Biographical Sketches. Online at: FamilySearch Catalog — images, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa History. By Clarence Ray Aurner. Cedar Rapids, IA: Western Historical Press, 1912-1913. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa Counties, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Chapman Bros., 1893. Online at: FamilySearch Catalog — images, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Johnson County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
- Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Iowa recorded not only federal, but state censuses for several in-between years as well. For more information, see the very informative Iowa Census article.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 4,472 | — |
| 1860 | 17,573 | 293.0% |
| 1870 | 24,898 | 41.7% |
| 1880 | 25,429 | 2.1% |
| 1890 | 23,082 | −9.2% |
| 1900 | 24,817 | 7.5% |
| 1910 | 25,914 | 4.4% |
| 1920 | 26,462 | 2.1% |
| 1930 | 30,276 | 14.4% |
| 1940 | 33,191 | 9.6% |
| 1950 | 45,756 | 37.9% |
| 1960 | 53,663 | 17.3% |
| 1970 | 72,127 | 34.4% |
| 1980 | 81,717 | 13.3% |
| 1990 | 96,119 | 17.6% |
| 2000 | 111,006 | 15.5% |
| 2010 | 130,882 | 17.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1885 Iowa State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1895 Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905 Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (individual cards, not family context)
- 1915 Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1925 Iowa State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- FamilySearch Places
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1839-1943 Court Records, 1839-1943; Indexes 1842-1934(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1878-1879 Directory of Johnson County, Iowa(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1900 Atlas of Johnson County, Iowa : Farmer's Directory(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Iowa City, Iowa Semi-Centennial Directory, 1840-90 at Ancestry ($)
- 1932 Smith's Directory of Iowa City and Johnson County, for 1932 at FamilySearch Digital Library. Also at: Internet Archive.
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
- The Iowa, Little Histories of North American Indians, No. 2. 1911. William Harvey Miner. Cedar Rapids, IA: The Torch Press. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Brosh Chapel in Solon
- Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation in Iowa City
- Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch
- Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service in Coralville and Iowa City
- Snyder and Hollenburgh Funeral and Cremation Homes in Lone Tree
- Sorden-Lewis Funeral Home in Lone Tree
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
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
- 1839-1906 Deeds, 1839-1906; index, 1839-1905 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1840-1853 Assessor's book, 1840-1853 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1840-1859 Original entries, 1840-1859 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1840-1891 Mortgage index, 1840-1891 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1842-1846 Early county officers and land transfers, 1842-1846 at FamilySearch Catalog -images
- 1849-1870 Johnson Co., Iowa, early land entries of the Amish in Sharon and Washington townships, 1849-1870 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1872-1877 Bill of sale record, vol. 5, 1872-1877 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Constitution and Records of the Claim Association of Johnson County, Iowa. 1894. Benjamin F. Shambaugh. Iowa City, IA: The State Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Johnson 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 Johnson County, Iowa. Online at: FamilySearch Catalog — images, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Johnson County History, Iowa. By Jessie M. Parker. Iowa City, IA: Johnson County Superintendent of Schools, The Work Project Administration, 1941. Online at: Ancestry.com ($).
- Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa History. By Clarence Ray Aurner. Cedar Rapids, IA: Western Historical Press, 1912-1913. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Sketch of Johnson County, Iowa With a Review of Its Early History and Subsequent Development. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
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.
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Johnson County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1870-2007 Johnson County 1870-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1883-1937 Fire Insurance Maps for Johnson County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1937.
- Atlas of Johnson County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Combination Atlas Map of Johnson County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- IAGenWeb - Johnson County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Johnson County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Johnson County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- Novak's New Map of Johnson County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Johnson County at State Library of Iowa.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
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 Johnson 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 F
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company B
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company H
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company I and M
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A, B, F, G, H, I, and K
- - 24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 28th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
- - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G
World War I[edit | edit source]
- Johnson County, Iowa, soldiers and sailors in the service of the United States in the Great War 1917-1918[Iowa City, Iowa : [Iowa City Daily Citizen], 1919?]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1855-1954 Naturalization Records, 1855-1954(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1839-1943 Court Records, 1839-1943; Indexes 1842-1934(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 1 index, images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1874-1876 Iowa City Volksfreund. 1874-76. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1891-1906 The Iowa Citizen. 1891-94, 1903, and 1905-06. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1892-1901 The Daily Citizen. 1892-93 and 1901. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1892-1919 The Iowa City Citizen. 1892, 1908-11, and 1916-19 Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1894 State Press. 1894. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1894 Daily State Press. 1894. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1899-1971 Daily Iowa State Press. 1899-1902, 1904, and 1971. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1903 Iowa State Press. 1903. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1904-1915 Iowa City Daily Press. 1904-15 Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1916 Iowa City Daily Citizen. 1916. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1920-1973 Iowa City Press Citizen. 1920-27, 1938-41, 1946-48, 1950-53, 1955, 1960, and 1968-73. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1926 Lone Tree Reporter. 1926. Johnson, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1939-1955 The Daily Iowan. 1939, 1947, and 1955. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1948-1955 The Iowa Quest. 1948-55. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- Daily Iowan Newspaper Collection -- access to digitized versions of The Daily Iowan and its predecessors: the University Reporter (1868-81), the Vidette (1879-81), the Vidette-Reporter (1881-1901) and the University Mirror (1881). The newspaper editions are full text searchable.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
- Reports of Annual Reunion of the Old Settlers' Association yearbooks, 1866-1925, Johnson County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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 ($)
- 1839-1943 Court Records, 1839-1943; Indexes 1842-1934(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1847-1919 Probate Records, 1847-1919(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1851-1914 Probate Records, 1851-1914(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1852-1912 Wills, 1852-1912(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- Johnson County, Iowa, Probate Index(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- 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[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 ($)
- 1838-1934 Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1941-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 1851-1914 Probate Records, 1851-1914(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1851-1953 Divorce Records, 1851-1953(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Johnson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
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 Rapids Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Iowa City Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Muscatine Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Iowa City Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Johnson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Iowa City Public Library
123 South Linn Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Phone: 319-356-5200
Email: https://www.icpl.org/services/ask
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Historical Society Museum
200 E. 9th Street
Suite 101
Coralville, IA 52241
Phone: 319-569-4502
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Johnson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Iowa City Genealogical Society (Johnson County)
P.O. Box 822
Iowa City, IA 52244-0822
Email: cindylee53@aol.com
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Johnson County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Johnson County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Johnson County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Johnson 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 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, "Johnson, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_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.
- ↑ 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, "Johnson County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_County,_Iowa, accessed 29 September 2019.