Marshall County, Iowa Genealogy

United States

Iowa

Marshall County

Guide to Marshall 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: Marshalltown Organized: October 1, 1849 Parent County(s): Non-County Area 7 Neighboring Counties Grundy • Hardin • Jasper • Poweshiek • Story • Tama See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Marshall County was named for John Marshall and is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse

Marshall County Courthouse
1 E Main St
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Phone: 641-754-1603
Marshall County Website

Marshall 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	1850	1880	1850	1850	1850	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 7, January 13, 1846 Organized Date: October 1, 1849. County seat: Marshalltown 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
Albion Clemons Ferguson Gilman Haverhill	Laurel Le Grand Liscomb Marshalltown	Melbourne Rhodes St. Anthony State Center
Unincorporated communities
Bangor Dunbar	LaMoille	Quarry
Census-designated places
Green Mountain
Townships
Bangor Eden Greencastle Iowa Jefferson Le Grand	Liberty Liscomb Logan Marietta Marion Marshall	Minerva State Center Taylor Timber Creek Vienna Washington

Resources

Bible Records

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

• Marshall County Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives

Biographies

• Portrait and Biographical Record of Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, Iowa: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the Counties. 1894. Chicago, IL: Biographical Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).

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

• 1800-1975 Iowa, Marshall County, Marshalltown, Riverside Cemetery Burial Records, ca.1800-ca.1975 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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	338	—
1860	6,015	1679.6%
1870	17,576	192.2%
1880	23,752	35.1%
1890	25,842	8.8%
1900	29,991	16.1%
1910	30,279	1.0%
1920	32,630	7.8%
1930	33,727	3.4%
1940	35,406	5.0%
1950	35,611	0.6%
1960	37,984	6.7%
1970	41,076	8.1%
1980	41,652	1.4%
1990	38,276	−8.1%
2000	39,311	2.7%
2010	40,648	3.4%
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.

• 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

• 1854-1862 District Court Record, Vol. A-B, 1854-1862(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1869-1872 Circuit Court Journal, Vol. 1, 1869-1872(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1873-1886 Complete Record, 1873-1886(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1878-1937 Iowa, Marshall County, District Court Records, 1878-1937(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Iowa, Marshall County, Circuit Court Records(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

• Anderson Funeral Home in Marshalltown
  
• Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown
  

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

• 1850-1953 Land records, 1850-1953; index, 1850-1909 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1866-1949 Transfer books, 1866-1949 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
• 1887-1916 Miscellaneous records, 1887-1916 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 Marshall County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.

• Description and History of Marshall County, Iowa, 1862. By Taylor and Barnhart. Marshalltown, IA: Taylor Barnhart, 1862. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
• History of Marshall County, Iowa. By Nettie Sanford. Clinton, IA: Leslie, McAllaster & Company Printers and Binders, 1867. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
• The History of Marshall County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Co., 1878. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
• Past and Present of Marshall County, Iowa. By William Battin and F. A. Moscrip. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen, 1912. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, 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.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Marshall County at Ancestry ($) - index.
• 1875-2007 Marshall County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
• 1886-1934 Fire Insurance Maps for Marshall County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1934.
• Atlas of Marshall County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
• Atlas of Marshall County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• IAGenWeb - Marshall County.
• Iowa Digital Library, Marshall County at Iowa University Libraries.
• Marshall County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
• Marshall County Township Plat Book at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Marshall 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 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 Marshall 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:

- 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B

- 4th Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery

- 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D

- 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B

- 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H

- 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K

- 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G

World War I

• Marshall County in the World War, 1917-1918: a Pictorial History of the Community's Participation in all Wartime Activities. By Joseph A. Whitacre and W.J. Moore. Marshall, IA: Marshall Printing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1850-1950 Naturalization Index, 1850-1950(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —Index, images
• 1854-1862 District Court Record, vol. A-B, 1854-1862(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1856-1955 Naturalization Records, 1856-1955(*); 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 ($)
• 1858 Marshall County Time. 1858. Marshall, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
• 1890-1923 Evening Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa) Chronicling America. Chronicling America was missing the last 4 months of 1912. A copy of the obituary may be obtained from the Marshalltown Public Library's microfilm.

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 ($)
• 1851-1943 Probate Records, 1851-1943(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1852-1928 Will Record, 1852-1928(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1853-1948 Iowa, Marshall County, Probate Court Records(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1853-1975 Probate Records, 1853-1905; Indexes, 1868-1975(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1856-1896 Minute Book, 1856-1896(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1857-1873 Probate Appearance Docket, 1857-1873(*); Circuit 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

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

• 1897-1945 Divorce Records, 1897-1945(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Marshall 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

• Ames Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Ames Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Frances Rhoades Williams Research Library
503 West Main Street
PO Box 1224
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Phone: 641-752-6664
Email: info@marshallhistory.org
Website

Gutekunst Public Library
309 2nd Street SE
P.O. Box 603
State Center, IA 50247
Phone: 641-483-2741
Email: maraedler.lib@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Societies

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

Historical Society of Marshall County
202 E. Church Street
PO Box 1224
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Phone: 641-752-6664
Email: info@marshallhistory.org
Website

Websites

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