Fayette County, Iowa Genealogy

United States Iowa Fayette County

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

Fayette County, Iowa
Map
Location in the state of Iowa
Location of Iowa in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	December 21, 1837
County Seat	West Union
Courthouse
Address	Fayette County Courthouse 114 North Vine Street P.O. Box 226 West Union, IA 52175  Phone:(563) 422-3687 Fayette County Website

Quick Reference Facts

Parent County

1837--Fayette County was created 21 December 1837 from Dubuque County. it was attached to Clayton County prior to organiztoin 7 February 1859.  County seat:  West Union

Neighboring Counties

Allamakee | Black Hawk | Bremer | Buchanan | Chickasaw | Clayton | Delaware | Winnishiek

Record Loss

1872 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:

• Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
• Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Resources

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.

Lutheran

Clermont

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

Hope Lutheran Church, Westgate

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

Richfield

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

West Union

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

Land and Property

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.

History

Local histories are available for Fayette 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

Newspapers

• NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Waterloo newspapers that may have included Fayette County residents. This database is free at some libraries.

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.

Fayette County probate case files are scheduled to become available for free online at FamilySearch as images become available. For more information, click here.

   A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

   Iowa, Fayette County Probate Case Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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.

Repositories

Courthouses  

Fayette County Courthouse
114 North Vine Street
P.O. Box 226
West Union, IA 52175 
(563) 422-3687 
  Fayette County 
 

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

• Fayette Iowa Family History Center 600 Water St, Fayette IA 52142 United States Location Map

Web Sites

• Family History Library Catalog
• Fayette County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)