State Historical Society of Iowa

Welcome to the State Historical Society of Iowa

State Historical Society of Iowa The State Historical Society of Iowa mission is to create and foster an interest in Iowa History genealogy and to aid others in researching their family history. The State Historical Society of Iowa, formerly known as Iowa Historical Society or Iowa State Department of History and Archives has two centers. One is in Des Moines, the other in Iowa City. The Centers have many similar collections, and they share a website and a catalog.

State Historical Society of Iowa (Des Moines) 600 E. Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50319 Phone: 515-281-6200 Fax: 515-282-0502 Email: history.research@iowa.gov Open Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 9:00am-4:30pm Thursday: 9:00am-4:30pm Friday: 9:00am-4:30pm Saturday: 9:00am-4:30pm Group Visits: welcomed Website: Iowa History

State Historical Society of Iowa (Iowa City) 402 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: 319-335-3916 Fax: 319-335-3935 Email: history.research@iowa.gov Open Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 9:00am-4:30pm Thursday: 9:00am-4:30pm Friday: 9:00am-4:30pm Saturday: 9:00am-4:30pm Group Visits: welcomed Website: Iowa History

Building Info and Hours

Biggest collection of county records on microfilm, including book, manuscripts, and periodicals—the starting place for Iowa genealogists.

Holiday Schedule

Closed official state holidays.

Holiday 2020 Schedule: Days Closed

• Saturday, May 23
• Saturday, Sep 5
• Friday, Nov 14
• Thursday-Saturday, Nov 25-28
• Saturday, Dec 26
• Saturday, Jan 2

Additional Days Open

Tours

Group visits are welcome to come.

Tips

• Upon arrival, sign the daily visitor registration log.
• Store your coat, purse, briefcase, fanny pack, equipment case or other similar items in one of the lockers provided. Lockers take two quarters that are automatically refunded when you return the key. Clear plastic bags for storing personal items are provided.
• All personal notes and equipment are subject to search when you leave the center.
• Bring a pencil. Pens or markers of any type are not permitted in the center. Pencils are provided.
• Food or beverages are not allowed in the Research Center and smoking is prohibited on the State Capitol Complex. A break area and vending machines are located in the lobby.
• Collections in the closed stack area may be retrieved by filling out a call slip for each item at the main desk.
• Photocopy service is provided for materials under the care of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Copies of maps, manuscripts, photographs and state archives materials are available unless prohibited by copyright or curatorial restrictions.
• Maps, manuscripts, photographs and state archives materials are unavailable on Saturdays unless requested by noon on the preceding Friday.
• You may use an audio recorder, laptop, tablet or camera. Please check with the staff to ensure your equipment doesn't inconvenience others.
• The staff will re-shelve materials, please leave materials on the provided carts when you are finished.
• All collections must stay in the research center and cannot be checked out or taken to another area of the building.
• Collections from the other State Historical Society Research Center are sometimes available through loans.

The Special Collections rooms of the facilities include manuscript records of the state, government records, photographs, newspapers, and more. They also have family histories in book and manuscript form.

Hardware/Equipment and Collection

Des Moines Center:

• 4 computers (internet access), 1 printer, 1 photo copier, 13 overhead microfilm readers, 1 microfiche readers and 2 microfiche reader/microfilm scanner.

There are about 80,000 books, lots of microfilm and newspapers, 5,000 ft. of manuscripts and 20,000 ft. of State Archives material.

Iowa City Center:

• 8 computers (internet access), 2 printers, 2 photo copiers, 8 overhead microfilm readers, 3 microfiche readers 3 microfiche reader/microfilm scanner (1 to capture PDF files of frames) and 2 OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) computer terminals for access to WWW and InfoHawk online catalog.

There are over 160,000 books and pamphlets; 10,000 bound volumes of newspapers, and thousands of microfilm reels along with over 5,000 ft. of manuscripts or primary sources.

Interlibrary Loans

The State Historical Society of Iowa Research Centers lends microfilm of newspapers, census records and other materials listed below to your local library. Other collections, including books and printed materials, are only available at the Research Centers, however materials may be sent to the center that is most convenient for you.

How to Make a Request

Identify which Research Center holds the microfilm you wish to borrow. Visit your local library to make an interlibrary loan request. Ensure that the library submits the request using the American Library Association (ALA) approved form and includes a return-shipping label. Send the request form to the appropriate Research Center.

Interlibrary Loan State Historical Society of Iowa 600 E Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50319-0290 (515) 281-6200

Interlibrary Loan State Historical Society of Iowa 402 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA 52240-1806 (319) 335-3916

Inter-library loans rentals from other states to Historical Society of Iowa

State	Cost Fee	State	Cost Fee
Alabama	Data not available	Montana	$10.00 ea (up to 5)
Alaska	$10.00 ea (up to 5)	Nebraska	Data not available
Arizona	Free for 2 rolls	Nevada	Data not available
Arkansas	Does Not Send	New Hampshire	Data not available
California	Free for 12 rolls	New Jersey	Does Not Send
Colorado	Data not available	New Mexico	Free for 3 rolls
Connecticut	Data not available	New York	$20.00 ea (up to 5)
Delaware	Data not available	North Carolina	Data not available
Florida	Data not available	North Dakota	$4.00 ea (up to 5)
Georgia	$15.00 ea (up to 5)	Ohio	$5.00 ea (up to 5)
Hawaii	Data Not Available	Oklahoma	Does Not Send
Idaho	$10.00 ea (up to 5)	Oregon	Free for one
Illinois	$5 for 5 rolls	Pennsylvania	Data Not Available
Indiana	$10.00 for one	Montana	Data Not Available
Iowa	home	South Carolina	Data Not Available
Kansas	Does Not Send	South Dakota	$8.00 ea (up to 4)
Kentucky	Does Not Send	Tennessee	Does Not Send
Louisiana	Data Not Available	Texas	Free for one
Maine	Data Not Available	Utah	Data Not Available
Maryland	Data Not Available	Vermont	Data Not Available
Massachusetts	Data Not Available	Virginia	Free for 5 Rolls
Michigan	Data Not Available	Washington	Free for 5 Rolls
Minnesota	$3 ea + 2.50 postage (up to 6)	West Virginia	Does Not Send
Mississippi	Data Not Available	Wisconsin	$20.00 ea (up to 6)
Missouri	$15.00 for one	Wyoming	Data Not Available
		D of C	Data Not available

Microfiche:

DM Center

Books:

General history books for Iowa and other states; city directories; plat maps; cemetery surveys; biographies and memoirs; school yearbooks; selected government documents; and extensive genealogy resources are available in the libraries; periodicals.

Censuses:

Iowa Federal and State Censuses are available for 1840, 1850, 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1885, 1900, 1910, 1915, 1920 and 1930. Special schedules: Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records for selected years in the libraries’ reading rooms.

Iowa Mortality Schedules are available for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. GenealogyBank, Ancestry.com

Iowa State Census, Special Censuses 1836-1860 Ancestry.com

Iowa State Census 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 Family Search, Ancestry.com

United States Census 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 Family Search, Ancestry.com

Other Materials

Photo Collections - about a half million from daguerreotype to digital. A webpage has been created on the Flickr's photo-sharing site to showcase some representative portions of the holding.

Newspapers - from hundreds of communities from all of Iowa’s 99 counties from 1836 to the present. The collection features several foreign language and special interest newspapers published in Iowa.

County government records - including marriage, birth and death records, naturalization papers and land deeds. Microfilm copies of many of these county records are available in the libraries’ reading rooms.

Manuscript, Audio-Visual and Map Collections - including collections of personal papers; records of organizations an extensive photograph collections; and maps.

Census materials - Both state and federal from 1840 through 1930. Special schedules: Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records for selected years.

Digital Collections - Maps, children's diaries, photographs, and more.

Statewide Searchable Databases

• Civil War Roster and Index
• Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
• Iowa Online Genealogy Records
• Des Moines Register Newspaper Obituary Index

Additional obituaries continue to be added on a regular basis.

Publications of State Historical Society of Iowa

Annals of Iowa (pubilshed currently) Goldfinch back issues only Iowa Journal of History back issues only

Palimpsest back issues only Iowa Heritage Illustrated (formerly Palimpsest)

About Us

The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, archives & historical libraries, preservation office, and eight historic sites. These bureaus preserve and provide access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future.

Further reading at Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs or Phone: (515) 281-6200 Des Moines, (319) 335-3916 Iowa City.