Marion County, Iowa Genealogy

United States

Iowa

Marion County

Guide to Marion County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Iowa Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Knoxville Organized: August 4, 1845 Parent County(s): Non-County Area 3 Neighboring Counties Jasper • Lucas • Mahaska • Monroe • Polk • Warren See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

Francis Marion

County Information

Description

Marion county was named for Francis Marion and is located in south-central Iowa.

County Courthouse

Marion County Courthouse
214 E Main St
Knoxville, IA 50138
Phone: 641-828-2207
Marion County Website

Marion 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1846	1880	1854	1846	1845	1847
* Statewide registration started for births in July 1880 and for deaths January 1891. General compliance by 1924.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Created from Non-County Area 3, August 4, 1845. County seat: Knoxville Iowa Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Iowa Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Iowa county boundary changes

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:

Cities
Bussey Hamilton Harvey	Knoxville Marysville Melcher-Dallas	Pella Pleasantville Swan
Unincorporated communities
Attica Cloud Columbia	Flagler Otley	Pershing Tracy
Townships
Clay Dallas Franklin Indiana	Knoxville Lake Prairie Liberty Pleasant Grove	Red Rock Summit Union Washington

Resources

Bible Records

Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Marion County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.

Biographies

• The History of Marion County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc; Biographical Sketches of its Citizens, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company; Birdsall, Williams & Co., 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
• Down on the Ridge: Reminiscences of the Old Days in Coalport and Down on the Ridge, Marion County, Iowa. By Alfred B. McCown. 1909. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

• Marion County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
  

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Marion County, Iowa online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave IA Tombstone Transcription Project IAGenWeb Iowa Gravestone Photo Project USGenWeb Archives WPA 1930's Graves Registration Survey Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths (cemetery records), incomplete
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Iowa Cemeteries for more information.

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	5,482	—
1860	16,813	206.7%
1870	24,436	45.3%
1880	25,111	2.8%
1890	23,058	−8.2%
1900	24,159	4.8%
1910	22,995	−4.8%
1920	24,957	8.5%
1930	25,727	3.1%
1940	27,019	5.0%
1950	25,930	−4.0%
1960	25,886	−0.2%
1970	26,352	1.8%
1980	29,669	12.6%
1990	30,001	1.1%
2000	32,052	6.8%
2010	33,309	3.9%
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

Lutheran

• 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Court Records

• 1851-1858 Minutes, 1851-1858(*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1857-1886 Court Records, 1857-1886(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1866-1882 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1866-1882(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1877-1937 Affidavit Index, 1877-1937(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1881-1908 Miscellaneous Records, 1881-1901; Index, 1895-1908(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1907-1989 Name Change Records, 1907-1989(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

• 1937 Atlas and Rural Directory of Marion County, Iowa(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

• Bertrand Funeral Homes and Monuments in Knoxville and Pleasantville
  
• Garden Chapel Funeral Home in Pella
  
• Gilbert-Boman Funeral Home in Bussey
• Pierschbacher Funeral Homes in Melcher-Dallas
  
• Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella
  
• Williams Funeral Home in Knoxville
  
• Winfield Funeral Home in Knoxville
  

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

• 1846-1858 Original entries, 1846-1858 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1846-1920 Deed records, 1846-1920; indexes, 1848-1912 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1855-1901 Town lot deeds, 1855-1901; index, 1847-1908 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1859-1932 Tax deeds and sales, 1859-1932 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1864-1902 Land transfer records, 1864-1902 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1866-1923 Town lot transfer records, 1866-1923 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1881-1959 Sheriff's deed records, v. 1-2, 1881-1959 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 Marion 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 Marion County, Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company; Birdsall, Williams & Co., 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
• History of Marion County, Iowa and its people. By John W. Wright. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1915. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive ; Vols. I & II - HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
• Pioneers of Marion County, Consisting of a General History of the County from its Early Settlement to the Present Date. 1872. by William M. Donnel. Des Moines, IA: Republican Steam Printing House. 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.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Marion County at Ancestry ($) - index.
• 1875-2007 Marion County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
• 1883-1913 Fire Insurance Maps for Marion County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1913.
• Atlas and Rural Directory of Marion County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
• IAGenWeb - Marion County.
• Iowa Digital Library, Marion County at Iowa University Libraries.
• Marion County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
• The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Marion County at State Library of Iowa.
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Military Records

Multiple Wars

• 1835-1998 Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 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 Marion 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:

- 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B

- 8th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E

- 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G and K

- 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G and H

- 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G

- 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A

Naturalization and Citizenship

Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1847-1930 Naturalization Records, 1847-1930; indexes, 1847-1856(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —indexes, images
• 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1866-1882 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1866-1882(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1896-1920 Naturalization Index, 1896-1920(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1855, 1930, and 1955 Knoxville Journal. 1855, 1930, and 1955. Knoxville, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
• 1876-2000 The Newspaper Archives of Altoona Public Library
• 1970-2007 The Newspaper Archives of Johnston Historical Society Archive

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 ($)
• 1836-1965 Guardianship, Divorce, Probate & Miscellaneous Cases, 1836-1965; Index, 1873-1925(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1845-1977 Probate Records, 1845-1910; Index, 1845-1977(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1846-1920 Deed Records, 1846-1920; Indexes, 1848-1912(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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

• 1836-1965 Guardianship, Divorce, Probate & Miscellaneous Cases, 1836-1965; Index, 1873-1925(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1883-1928 Divorce Records, 1883-1928(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Marion 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

• Indianola Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Oskaloosa Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Ottumwa Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Red Rock Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Marion County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.

The Knoxville Public Library
213 East Montgomery
Knoxville, IA 50138
Phone: 641-828-0585
Email: knoxlib@knoxville.lib.ia.us
Website
Facebook

Pella Public Library
603 Main Street
Pella, IA 50219
Phone: 641-628-4268
Email: pplcirc@cityofpella.com
Website
Facebook

Museums

Marion County Historical Village
Marion County Park
306 Willets Drive
Knoxville, IA 50138
Phone: 641-891-4124
Email: dcarlson@mchsi.com
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Marion County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.

Marion County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 385
Knoxville, IA 50138-0385
Website

Marion County Historical Society
P.O. Box 21
Knoxville, IA 50138
Website

Websites

• Marion County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
• Marion County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
• Marion County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
• Marion 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.