Webster County, Iowa Genealogy

United States Iowa Webster County

Guide to Webster County Iowa genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Webster County, Iowa
Map
Location in the state of Iowa
Location of Iowa in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 15, 1851
County Seat	Fort Dodge
Courthouse

History

Parent County

1851--Webster County was created 15 January 1851 from Yell and Risley Counties. The named changed to Webster County 22 January 1853.  County seat: Fort Dodge

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

For a list of record loss in Iowa Counties see: Iowa Counties with Burned Courthouses

Places/Localities

Neighboring Counties

Boone | Calhoun | Greene | Hamilton | Humboldt | Pocahontas | Wright

Resources

Church

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.

Lutheran

Badger Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge

• Records of the Badger Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Callender

• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Callender, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Fort Dodge

• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Webster County

• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Webster County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Land

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.

Local Histories 

Local histories are available for Webster County, Iowa Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.

Maps

• Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa

Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Webster County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat
• FamilySearch. Do a Webster County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Probate

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.

Taxation

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.

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.

Societies and Libraries

See also a List of Iowa Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Family History 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

• Fort Dodge Iowa Family History Center 1426 N 32nd St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501 United States Location Map

Web Sites

• Webster County, IA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Iowa Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Iowa Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

 Family History Library Catalog

Webster County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.