Poweshiek County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Poweshiek County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Poweshiek County was named for Wabokieshiek, a Sauk medicine man, prophet and military leader. The county is located in southeastern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse
Poweshiek County Courthouse
302 East Main Street / P.O. Box 218
Montezuma, IA 50171
Phone: 641-623-5644
Poweshiek County Website
Poweshiek County, Iowa Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1860 | 1880 | 1880 | 1843 | 1860 | 1847 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
|
Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Poweshiek County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
Biographies
- The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, &c., Biographical Sketches of its Citizens. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical, 1880. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement. 2 volumes. Chicago, IL: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1911. Online at: Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
- Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa counties, Iowa: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens. Chicago, IL: Chapman Brothers, 1893. Online at: Internet Archive.
- Poweshiek County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
- Poweshiek County Bios an IAGenWeb Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
Iowa recorded not only federal, but state censuses for several in-between years as well. For more information, see the very informative Iowa Census article.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 615 | — |
| 1860 | 5,668 | 821.6% |
| 1870 | 15,581 | 174.9% |
| 1880 | 18,936 | 21.5% |
| 1890 | 18,394 | −2.9% |
| 1900 | 19,414 | 5.5% |
| 1910 | 19,589 | 0.9% |
| 1920 | 19,910 | 1.6% |
| 1930 | 18,727 | −5.9% |
| 1940 | 18,758 | 0.2% |
| 1950 | 19,344 | 3.1% |
| 1960 | 19,300 | −0.2% |
| 1970 | 18,803 | −2.6% |
| 1980 | 19,306 | 2.7% |
| 1990 | 19,033 | −1.4% |
| 2000 | 18,815 | −1.1% |
| 2010 | 18,914 | 0.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1885 Iowa State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1895 Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1905 Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images (individual cards, not family context)
- 1915 Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1925 Iowa State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- FamilySearch Places
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Court Records
Online Court Records and Indexes
- 1849-1977 Probate Records, 1849-1906 ; Probate Indexes, 1849-1977(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1850-1907 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Probate Case Files, 1850-1907(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1850-1954 Iowa, Poweshiek County Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1850-1954 Poweshiek County, Iowa, U.S., Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954 at Ancestry — images only ($)
- 1856-1927 Iowa, Poweshiek County, District Court Records, 1856-1927(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1858-1886 Register of Estate Claims, 1858-1886(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1861-1921 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Circuit Court Records, 1861-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1875-1892 List of Heirs and Description of Real Estate, Vol. 1, 1875-1892(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1881-1957 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Probate Records, 1881-1957(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma
- Kloster Funeral Home in Brooklyn
- Smith Funeral Home and Crematory in Grinnell and Victor
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
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.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1848-1855 Original entries in Poweshiek County, 1848-1855, from the United States Land Office, Fort Des Moines in 1859 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1848-1903 Deeds, 1848-1903 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1855-1891 Town lot land records, 1855-1891; Index to town lots, 1855-1892 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1855-1934 Iowa, Poweshiek County land records, 1855-1934 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1855-1934 Iowa, Poweshiek County Land Records, 1855-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images.
- 1866-1976 Iowa, Poweshiek County, land records, 1866-1976 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1874-1885 Homestead record, 1874-1885 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Poweshiek County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical, 1880. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement. 2 volumes. Chicago, IL: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1911. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
- A Historical Sketch of Chester Township, Poweshiek County, Iowa, July 1881. By G.H. White. Grinnell, IA: Cravath & Shaw, Steam Printers, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Maps and Gazetteers
County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For online maps and collections in libraries and societies, see Iowa Maps. Historical maps may be especially useful.
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Poweshiek County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Poweshiek County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1883-1943 Fire Insurance Maps for Poweshiek County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1943.
- Poweshiek County IAGenWeb Maps.
- Iowa Digital Library, Poweshiek County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Poweshiek County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- Standard Atlas of Poweshiek County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Poweshiek County at State Library of Iowa.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.
Migration
Military Records
Multiple Wars
- 1835-1998 Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
- Poweshiek County IAGenWeb Military Page
Civil War
- 1861-1949 Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1862-1910 Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War service men in Poweshiek County 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 here:
- - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 28th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C and H
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company B
Naturalization and Citizenship
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1846-1930 Naturalization Records, 1846-1930; Index, 1860-1930(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — some index, images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Grinnell Herald Register. 1940, 1953, 1954. Grinnell, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
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.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1849-1906 Probate Records, 1849-1906 ; Probate Indexes, 1849-1977 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1850-1907 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Probate Case Files, 1850-1907 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1850-1954 Iowa, Poweshiek County Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images, Ancestry.com - images only ($)
- 1856-1927 Iowa, Poweshiek County, District Court Records, 1856-1927 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1858-1886 Register of Estate Claims, 1858-1886 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1861-1921 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Circuit Court Records, 1861-1921 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1875-1892 List of Heirs and Description of Real Estate, vol. 1, 1875-1892 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1881-1957 Iowa, Poweshiek County, Probate Records, 1881-1957 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
- 1850-1954 Iowa, Poweshiek County Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images, Ancestry.com - images only ($)
- 1895-1941 Iowa, Poweshiek County, School Records, 1895-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
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.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1934-1958 Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
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.
Birth
- 1850-1939 Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1880-1935 Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1921-1942 Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage
- 1518-1996 Iowa, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1809-1992 Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1836-1926 Iowa, Marriages, 1836 - 1926 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1838-1934 Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1941-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Death
- 1845-1987 Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- 1850-1990 Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
- 1880-1992 Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1904-1951 Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- Poweshiek County IAGenWeb Death Records
Divorce
- 1893-1990 Divorce Records, 1893-1990(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Poweshiek County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch 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
- Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Oskaloosa Iowa FamilySearch Center
- Red Rock Iowa FamilySearch Center
- African American Museum Of Iowa - an affiliate library
- Genealogical Society of Linn County Iowa dba Cedar Rapids Area Genealogy Library - an affiliate library
- Iowa City Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Poweshiek County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Drake Community Library
930 Park Street
Grinnell, IA 50112
Phone: 641-236-2661
Email: library@grinnelliowa.gov
Website
Museums
Poweshiek County Museum
201 South Third Street
Montezuma, IA 50171
Phone: 641-623-3322
Website
Grinnell Historical Museum
P.O. Box 254
Grinnell, IA 50112
Phone: 641-236-7827
Email: grinnellhistoricalmuseum@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Societies
Listed below are societies in Poweshiek County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Poweshiek County Historical and Genealogical Society
200 South Third Street
P.O. Box 280
Montezuma, IA 5017
Phone: 641-623-3322
Website
Websites
- Poweshiek County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Poweshiek County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Poweshiek County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Poweshiek County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
- State Historical Society of Iowa — select from research collection topics
- State Library of Iowa — electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection — digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Poweshiek, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poweshiek_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Poweshiek County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poweshiek_County,_Iowa, accessed 23 October 2019.