Buchanan County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Buchanan County was named for James Buchanan and is located in east-central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Buchanan County Courthouse 210 5th Avenue NE, Suite B Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-334-2196 Buchanan County Website

Clerk of the District Court has birth and death Records from 1880; marriage records from 1848; divorce, probate, and clerk records from 1845.

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:

Bible Records

 * Buchanan County Iowa Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives — transcriptions
 * Family Bibles at Buchanan County IAGenWeb - transcriptions

Biographies

 * History of Buchanan County, Iowa: with illustrations and biographical sketches. Cleveland, OH: William Bro. Pub., 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Buchanan County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

Cemeteries

 * 1796-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Census Records
State Census
 * 1852 1852 State Special Census of Iowa, Buchanan County at IAGenWeb
 * 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
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Churches of Buchanan County at IAGenWeb
 * FamilySearch Places

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

Directories

 * 1886 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Reiff Family Center in Independence and Winthrop
 * White Funeral Home in Independence, Jesup and Quasqueton

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1847-1939   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1848-1905   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its People, Vol. 1 & 2. By Harry Church and Katharyn Joella Chappell. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Pub., 1914. Online at: Vol. I -  FamilySearch Digital Library,  Internet Archive; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($);.
 * History of Buchanan County, Iowa. Cleveland, OH: William Bro. Pub., 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.
 * Brief History of Buchanan County at IAGenWeb

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Buchanan County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Buchanan County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1920 Fire Insurance Maps for Buchanan County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1920.
 * 1910 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Buchanan County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Buchanan County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Buchanan County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Buchanan 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
 * Buchanan County Military Page at IAGenWeb

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

Civil War service men in Buchanan 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:
 * - 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company G
 * - 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies C and H
 * - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D

World War I 
 * Iowa Buchanan County, Record of soldiers in World War I, 1919-1939; index, World War I to present

World War II
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing for Buchanan County, Iowa at USGenWeb Archives

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1852-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 1 index, images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1947, 1955, 1962, 1966 Bulletin Journal (Independence, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1957 Winthrop News (Winthrop, Iowa) at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * Historical Iowa Newspapers at NewspaperArchive ($)
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Obituaries

 * 1796-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Buchanan County, Iowa Obituaries at IAGenWeb

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1848-1905 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1850-1863 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1851-1953 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1857-1928 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1866-1945 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1910 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1890-1925 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

School Records

 * Buchanan County Schools 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 and images, ($)

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1862 Buchanan County Tax Roll 1862 at IAGenWeb
 * 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1848-1858 Buchanan County, Iowa Marriages Book 1 1848-1858 at IAGenWeb
 * 1854-1910 Buchanan County, Iowa Marriages 1854-1910 at I Dream of Genealogy
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 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, ($)

Family History Centers

 * Belle Plaine Iowa Family History Center
 * Cedar Falls/Waterloo Iowa Family History Center
 * Dubuque Iowa Family History Center
 * Marshalltown Iowa Family History Center
 * African American Museum Of Iowa - an affiliate library
 * Genealogical Society of Linn County, Iowa - an affiliate library

Libraries
Independence Public Library 805 1st Street East Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-334-2470 Email: [mailto:indylib@indytel.com indylib@indytel.com] Website Oelwein Public Library 201 E Charles Oelwein, IA 50662 Phone: 319-283-1515 Email: [mailto:oelwein@oelwein.lib.ia.us oelwein@oelwein.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
Buchanan County Historical Society Museums P.O. Box 321 Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-334-4616 Email: [mailto:bchs.lkh@gmail.com bchs.lkh@gmail.com] Website  Winthrop Historical Center P.O. Box 144 Winthrop, IA 50682 Phone: 319-935-3317 Email: [mailto:history@cityofwinthrop.com history@cityofwinthrop.com] Website

Societies
Buchanan County Genealogical Society 103 4th Avenue SE Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-334-9333 Email: [mailto:buchanancoia@yahoo.com buchanancoia@yahoo.com] Website Buchanan County Iowa Historical Society P.O. Box 321 Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-334-4616 Email: [mailto:bchs.lkh@gmail.com bchs.lkh@gmail.com] Website Fairbank Historical Society P.O. Box 325 Fairbank, IA 50629 Email: [mailto:Fairbankhs@gmail.com Fairbankhs@gmail.com] 319-269-6795 Website  Littleton and Chatham Historical Society 1503 River Road Blvd Independence, IA 50644 Phone: 319-415-1175 Email: [mailto:tonybengston@yahoo.com tonybengston@yahoo.com] Website

Websites

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