Union County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Union County was named for the "Union" of states that the people wanted to preserve and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 300 North Pine, Suite 6 Creston, IA 50801 Phone: 641-782-7315 Union 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

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

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

Court Records

 * 1907-1932 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — indexes & images


 * 1909-1990 {{FSC|489037|item|disp=Change of Name Records, 1909-1990}(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * Creston, Iowa Directory, 1889 at Ancestry ($)

Funeral Homes

 * Coen-Beaty-Pearson Funeral Home in Creston
 * Pearson Family Funeral Service and Cremation Center in Creston
 * Powers Funeral Home in Afton and Creston

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * History of Union County, Iowa From the Earliest Historic Times to 1908. 1908. by George A. Ide. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Book.


 * Illustrated Centennial Sketches, Map and Directory of Union County, Iowa. 1876. Creston, IA: C.J. Colby. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.


 * Mount Pisgah: History of a Temporary Settlement of the "Mormons" While on Their Westward Journey. 1916. By Andrew Jenson. Salt Lake City, UT: The Deseret News Press. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Union County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Union County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1932 Fire Insurance Maps for Union County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1932.
 * IAGenWeb - Union County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Union County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Union County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Union County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Union County for European settlers included:
 * Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

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

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

Civil War service men in Union 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:
 * - 29th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — Part index, images
 * 1930-1936 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1854-1935 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1854-1969 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1875-1935 (*); Clerk of the Circuit 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

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

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

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 ($)

Divorce

 * 1906-1973 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Des Moines Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Indianola Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Osceola Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Red Rock Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Gibson Memorial Library 200 West Howard Street Creston, IA 50801 Phone: 641-782-2277 Email: [mailto:crestonlibrary310@gmail.com crestonlibrary310@gmail.com] Website Union Public Library 406 Commercial Street P.O. Box 146 Union, IA 50258 Phone: 641-486-5561 Email: [mailto:director@union.lib.ia.us director@union.lib.ia.us] Website

Societies
Union County Genealogical Society Matilda Gibson Memorial Library 200 W. Howard Street Creston, IA 50801 Email: [mailto:webmaster@unioncgs.org webmaster@unioncgs.org] Website

Websites

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