Emmet County, Iowa Genealogy

Guide to Emmet County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Emmet County was named for Robert Emmet and is located in northwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Emmet County Website 609 1st Avenue North Estherville, Iowa 51334 Phone: 712-362-6099 Emmet County Website

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:

Biographies

 * Emmet County History and Biographies of Families living in the County Prior to 1946. Shawnee Mission, KS: Inter-Collegiate Press, 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa . Chicago, IL: The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1917. Online at:  Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Libary, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.


 * Emmet County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * Emmet County Biographies, IAGenWeb Project

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Census Records
State Census
 * 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images (individual cards, not family context)
 * 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * FamilySearch Places
 * Emmet County Early Churches at IAGenWeb

Lutheran
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Court Records

 * 1859-1913 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1906-1986 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Emmet County Various Directories at IAGenWeb

Emigration and Immigration
Emmet County Danish Immigrants at IAGenWeb

Funeral Homes

 * Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home and Crematory in Armstrong and Estherville

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1876-1904   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1876-1961   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1877-1907  at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1884-1941   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Emmet County History and Biographies of Families living in the County Prior to 1946. Shawnee Mission, KS: Inter-Collegiate Press, 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa . Chicago, IL: The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1917. Online at:  Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Libary, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Emmet County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1904-2007 Emmet County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1897-1920 Fire Insurance Maps for Emmet County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1897 and 1920.
 * Emmet County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * Emmet County Maps at IAGenWeb
 * Iowa Digital Library, Emmet County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Emmet County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Emmet County Military Tributes at IAGenWeb

Civil War
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Obituaries
Emmet County Obituaries, IAGenWeb Project

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1877-1986 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Emmet County School Records at IAGenWeb

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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 & images ($)
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Emmet County Birth Records at IAGenWeb

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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Emmet County Marriages at IAGenWeb

Death

 * 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Mason City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Waseca County Historical - an affiliate library

Libraries
Estherville Public Library 613 Central Avenue Estherville, IA 51334 Phone: 712-362-7731 Email: [mailto:info@estherville.lib.ia.us info@estherville.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook

Museums
Emmet County Historical Society Museum 1720 3rd Avenue South Estherville, IA 51334 Phone: 712-362-2750 Facebook

Societies
Emmett County Genealogical Society, IAGenWeb Project c/o Estherville Public Library 613 Central Avenue Estherville, IA 51334-2294 Website The Emmet County Historical Society 1720 3rd Avenue South P.O. Box 101 Estherville, IA 51334-0101 Phone: 712-362-2750 Facebook

Websites

 * Emmet County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Emmet County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Emmet County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Emmet 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
 * – 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.