Dallas County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Dallas County was named for George Mifflin Dallas and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Dallas County Iowa Courthouse 801 Court St, Rm 203 P.O. Box 38 Adel, IA 50003 Phone: 515-993-5816 Dallas 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:

Bible Records

 * Highley Family Bible at Bible Records

Biographies

 * The History of Dallas County, Iowa...Containing Biographical Directory. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Publishing Co., 1879. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust;.
 * Past and Present of Dallas County, Iowa: Together with Biographical Sketches. By R.F. Wood. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1907. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
 * Dallas County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

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

Cemeteries

 * 1846-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and 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

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

Court Records

 * 1855-1860 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1855-1913 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1891 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1861-1886 (*); Commission of Insane at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1888 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1873-1897 (*); Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Iles Funeral Homes in Dallas Center and West Des Moines
 * Johnson Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Dexter and Redfield

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1848-1905   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * 1850-1936   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * 1851-1858   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1867-1913   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * 1867-1930   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Hastie's History of Dallas County, Iowa. By Eugene N Hastie. Des Moines, IA: Wallace-Homstead Co., 1938. Online at:  FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust;.
 * The History of Dallas County, Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Publishing Co., 1879. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust;.
 * History of Quaker Divide: Struggles and Accomplishments of Settlers. By Darius B Cook. Dexter, Iowa: Dexter Sentinel, 1914.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust;.
 * Past and Present of Dallas County, Iowa. By R.F. Wood. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1907. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust;.
 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Dallas County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Dallas County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1888-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Dallas County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1888 and 1933.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Dallas County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Dallas County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Dallas County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Dallas 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

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

Civil War service men in Dallas 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:
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1873-1915 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 3 indexes, images

Newspapers

 * 1874-1889 The Perry Chief. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1876-2000 The Newspaper Archives of Altoona Public Library at Digital Archives of the Altoona Public Library
 * 1883-1885 Perry Pilot. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1886-1915 The Perry Advertiser. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1892-1893 The Reporter. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1893-1914 The Bulletin. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1895-1896 The Perry Bulletin. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1895-1964 The Perry Daily Chief. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898-1910 The Chief Reporter. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1914-1957 Chief Advertiser. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1970-2007 The Newspaper Archives of Johnston at Digital Archives of the Johnston Historical Society

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1851-1911 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1858-1933 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1860-1978 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1862-1886 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1863-1923 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1867-1930 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1869-1965 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * (*); 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

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

 * 1907-1970 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Ames Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Des Moines Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Indianola Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Danish Immigrant Museum - an affiliate library
 * Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Adel Public Library 303 S 10th Street Adel, IA 50003 Phone: 515-351-2993 Email: [mailto:Librarian@adel.lib.ia.us Librarian@adel.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook Roy R. Estle Memorial Library 1308 Walnut Street Dallas Center, IA 50063 Phone: 515-992-3185 Website Facebook

Museums
Adel Historical Museum 1129 Main Street P.O. Box 248 Adel, IA 50003 Phone: 515-993-4525 Website Dallas County Forest Park Museum And Arboretum 14581 K Avenue Perry, IA 50220 Phone: 515-465-3577 Email: [mailto:conservation@co.dallas.ia.us conservation@co.dallas.ia.us] Website

Websites

 * Dallas County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Dallas County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Dallas County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Dallas County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Dallas County at LDSGenealogy - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * 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.