United States 
Iowa Decatur County
Guide to Decatur County Iowa genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Decatur County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | January 13, 1846 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Leon |
| Courthouse | |
County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse
207 Main Street
Leon, IA 50144-1647
(515) 446-4331
History
The county is named after U.S. naval officer Stephen Decatur (1779-1820).[1]
Parent County
1846--Decatur County was created 13 January 1846 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Davis County prior to organization 6 March 1850.
County seat: Leon [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
March 31, 1874 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. For a list of record loss in Iowa Counties see: Iowa Counties with Burned Courthouses
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
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Clarke • Lucas • Ringgold • Union • Wayne • Harrison County, Missouri • Mercer County, Missouri
Resources
Cemeteries
Census
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article.
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.
LDS Ward and Branch Records
- Garden Grove
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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
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
- Decatur County, IA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Iowa Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Iowa Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Family History Library Catalog
- Decatur County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References
- ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee", 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).