Story County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Story 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
Story County was named for Joseph Story and is located in central Iowa.[2]
County Courthouse
Story County Courthouse
1315 South B Avenue
Nevada, IA 50201
Phone: 515-382-7410
Story County Website
Story 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 | 1854 | 1880 | 1854 | 1853 | 1854 | 1847 |
Record Loss
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1864 Fire burned the courthouse on January 1.[4] 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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Story County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
- Jacob Olinger and Barbary Downey Bible Record at RootsWeb.com
Biographies
- Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Story County, Iowa Chicago, IL: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1890. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Story County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
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. | %± |
| 1860 | 4,051 | — |
| 1870 | 11,651 | 187.6% |
| 1880 | 16,906 | 45.1% |
| 1890 | 18,127 | 7.2% |
| 1900 | 23,159 | 27.8% |
| 1910 | 24,083 | 4.0% |
| 1920 | 26,185 | 8.7% |
| 1930 | 31,141 | 18.9% |
| 1940 | 33,434 | 7.4% |
| 1950 | 44,294 | 32.5% |
| 1960 | 49,327 | 11.4% |
| 1970 | 62,783 | 27.3% |
| 1980 | 72,326 | 15.2% |
| 1990 | 74,252 | 2.7% |
| 2000 | 79,981 | 7.7% |
| 2010 | 89,542 | 12.0% |
| 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
- Joint Registers of the Lutheran and Reformed Congregations, Frederick S. Weiser FamilySearch Catalog
- Pastor's Record, 1839-1873 (Rev. Jacob Ziegler) FamilySearch Catalog
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records
- Ames
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Trinity Lutheran [1]
Reformed Church
- Reformed Church
- Arendt's Church - see Zion Reformed Church
- Bender's Reformed Church 1780-1902 (the church merged with Biglerville Reformed Church in 1926) FamilySearch Catalog
- Zion Reformed Church [2]
Court Records
- 1876-1925 Miscellaneous Record, 1876-1937 ; Index, 1876-1925(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1902 Atlas of Story County, Iowa : Containing Maps of Cities, Villages and Townships of the County; Farmer's Directory, Business Directory(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 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
- Adams Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Ames
- Fredregill Funeral and Cremation Care in Zearing
- Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care in Ames
- Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home and Crematory in Maxwell and Nevada
- Stevens Memorial Chapel in Ames
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
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Story County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- A History of Story County, Iowa: ... From the Earliest Settlement to the Present. By William G. Allen. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Printing Company, 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
- History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement. By W.O. Payne. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. Online at: Vol. I - Internet Archive; Vol. II - 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, Story County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Story County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1886-1934 Fire Insurance Maps for Story County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1934.
- Atlas of Story County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- IAGenWeb - Story County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Story County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Souvenir Atlas of Story County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Story County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Story 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
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 Story 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 E
- - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
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
- 1863-1906 Index to Naturalization Records, ca. 1863-1906(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index images
- 1865-1917 Naturalization Records, 1865-1917(*); 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 ($)
- 1863-2014 Nevada Newspapers, Story County
- 1876-2000 Altoona Public Library Archives, Polk County (1876-2000)
- 1877-2017 Ames Newspapers, Story County
- 1887-2013 Story City Newspapers, Story County (1887-2013)
- 1895-1975 Roland Historical Society Archives, Story County
- 1928-1929 Ames Daily Tribune and Evening Times at Ancestry.com ($) — Ames, Iowa, United States Of America
- 1944-45, 1948-51, and 1953-56 Ames Daily Tribune at Ancestry.com ($) — Ames, IA, USA
- 1955 Story City Herald at Ancestry.com ($) — Story City, IA, USA
- Story County Newspapers etc
- 1970-2007 Johnston Historical Society Archive, Polk County (1970-2007)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1855-1947 Probate Records, 1855-1947(*); 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
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Story 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
- Des Moines Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Ames Public Library - an affiliate library
- Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Story County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Ames Public Library
515 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 239-5646
Contact Us
Nevada Public Library
631 K Avenue
Nevada, IA 50201
Phone: 515-382-2628
Email: npl@nevada.lib.ia.us
Website
Maxwell Public Library
109 Main Street
Maxwell, IA 50161
Phone: 515-387-8780
Website
Roland Public Library
221 N Main Street
Roland, IA 50236
Phone: 515-388-4086
Email: rolandlib@globalccs.net
Website
Museums
Ames History Museum
416 Douglas Ave #101
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-232-2148
Email: info@ameshistory.org
Website
Research Wiki Article
Iowa State University Museums
1805 Center Drive
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: 515-294-3342
Website
Maxwell Museum
c/o The Community Historical Society
City Hall
107 Main Street
Maxwell, IA 50161
Phone: 515-387-8655
Website
Museums of Story City
619 Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 104
Story City, IA 50248
Phone: 515-460-1749
Email: storycityhistory@gmail.com
Website
Roland Museum
104 Poplar Street
Roland, IA 50236
Email: rolandiowamuseum@gmail.com
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Story County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Story County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 692
Ames, IA 50010
Email: storygenes@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Nevada Community Historical Society
624 J Avenue
Nevada, IA 50201-0213
Phone: 515-382-6684
Email: admin@nevadaiowahistory.org
Website
Ames Historical Society
416 Douglas #101
P.O. Box 821
Ames, IA 50010
Email: info@ameshistory.org
Website
Cambridge Historical Association
Cambridge, IA
Phone: 515-220-4478
Email: cha@huxcomm.net
Facebook
Gilbert Historical Society
209 Main Street
P.O. Box 33
Gilbert, IA 50105
Email: macpepsi_2000@yahoo.com
Facebook
Slater Historical Association
318 First Avenue
Box 487
Slater, IA 50244
Phone: 515-228-3832 or 515-480-9789
Email: slaterhist@huxcomm.net
Website
Websites
- 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
- Story County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Story County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Story County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Story County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
- Story County at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
- 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 28, 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Story, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_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.
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_County_Courthouse_(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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Story County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_County,_Iowa, accessed 31 October 2019.