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.

Description
Poweshiek County was named for Wabokieshiek, a Sauk medicine man, prophet and military leader. The county is located in southeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Poweshiek County Courthouse 302 East Main Street / P.O. Box 218 Montezuma, IA 50171 Phone: 641-623-5644 Poweshiek 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

 * 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 ($)

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
Lutheran
 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 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 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1907 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 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 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1886 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1921 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1875-1892 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1881-1957 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Funeral Homes

 * Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma
 * Kloster Funeral Home in Brooklyn
 * Smith Funeral Home and Crematory in Grinnell and Victor

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1848-1855   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1848-1903   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1855-1891   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1855-1934   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1855-1934  at FamilySearch —  How to Use this Collection; Index and images.
 * 1866-1976   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1874-1885   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

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

 * 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.
 * (*); 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.

Military Records
Multiple Wars Civil War
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * Poweshiek County IAGenWeb Military Page
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1846-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — some index, images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * Grinnell Herald Register. 1940, 1953, 1954. Grinnell, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Obituaries

 * Poweshiek County Obits, and IAGenWeb project

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1849-1906   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1850-1907   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1850-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images, Ancestry.com - images only ($)
 * 1856-1927   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1858-1886   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1861-1921   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1875-1892   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1881-1957   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images, Ancestry.com - images only ($)
 * 1895-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

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 ($)
 * 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

 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 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 and images ($)
 * Poweshiek County IAGenWeb Death Records

Divorce

 * 1893-1990 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Newton 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
Drake Community Library 930 Park Street Grinnell, IA 50112 Phone: 641-236-2661 Email: [mailto:library@grinnelliowa.gov 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: [mailto:grinnellhistoricalmuseum@gmail.com grinnellhistoricalmuseum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

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
 * – 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.