Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy
United States 
Iowa Van Buren County
Guide to Van Buren County Iowa genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Van Buren County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 7, 1836 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Keosaugua |
| Courthouse | |
County Courthouse
History
The county is named after President Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) who served as United States Vice President at the time of the county's formation.[1]
Parent County
1836--Van Buren County was created 7 December 1836 from Des Moines County. County seat: Keosauqua [2]
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
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Davis | Henry | Lee | Jefferson | Wapello | Clark County, Missouri | Scotland County, Missouri
Resources
Cemeteries
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.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records
- Keosauqua
- Van Buren
Lutheran
- Records of the Zion Lutheran Church, Douds, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court
Land
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. They include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, transactions were usually recorded and housed at the county courthouse.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.
Maps
Migration
Early migration routes to and from Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy for European settlers included:
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[3]
Military
Civil War
Regiments. Service men in Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Companies B, D, G and H
- - 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
- - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies H and I
- - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
Newspapers
NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
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
Web Sites
- Van Buren County, IA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Iowa Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Iowa Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Family History Library Catalog
- Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Van Buren County IAGenWeb Project
- Van Buren County IA Gravestone Photo Project
- WPA Graves Registration Survey for Van Buren County Iowa
References
- ↑ "Martin Van Buren," Wikipedia.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).