Adair County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Adair County was named for John Adair and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Adair County Courthouse 400 Public Square Ste. 5 Greenfield, IA 50849 Phone: 641-743-2546 Adair County Website Clerk of the District Court has birth and death records from 1880, marriage records from 1870, divorce, probate and clerk records from 1852.

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

 * Adair County Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives

Biographies

 * History of Guthrie and Adair counties, Iowa. Springfield, IL: Continental Historical Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
 * History of the Adair County, Iowa, and its People. By Lucian Moody Kilburn. Chicago, IL: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; index at IAGenWeb Vol 2.
 * Adair County, Iowa Biographies Project at Rootsweb.

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

 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records

List of Churches and Church Parishes Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Court Records
For more information about the courts in Iowa see the Iowa Court Records page.


 * 1907-1924 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — Affidavits concerning land transactions.

Funeral Homes

 * Johnson Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Stuart
 * Mullen Funeral Home in Adair
 * Schmidt Family Funeral Homes in Adair
 * Steen Funeral Homes in Greenfield and Fontanelle

Genealogies

 * Ancestral lineage, Mildred Olive Bates McCann: Adair County, Iowa, Prince George County, Virginia; with index at Ancestry ($)

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1854-1929 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - images & indexes
 * 1855-1918 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1855-1920 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - images & indexes
 * 1873-1954 (*); County Treasurer 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

 * History of Guthrie and Adair counties, Iowa. Springfield, IL: Continental Historical Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library,  Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($);.
 * History of the Adair County, Iowa, and its People. By Lucian Moody Kilburn. Chicago, IL: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1915. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library;  . Index at IAGenWeb.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1883-1915 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Adair County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1915.
 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Adair County at Ancestry ($) - index
 * 1901 Adair County 1901 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Adair County at Iowa University Libraries
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Adair County at State Library of Iowa
 * Maps at IAGenWeb
 * : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county.(*) Online at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns - How to Use FS Places

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

Military Records
For more information about the military in Adair see the Iowa Military Records page. 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
 * 1887-1952 at FamilySearch Catalog - images

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

Civil War service men in Adair 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 I
 * - 29th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1858-1904 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * Adair News at Newspapers.com ($)
 * Historical Iowa Newspapers at NewspaperArchive ($)

Obituaries

 * 1907-1959 Adair County, Iowa obituaries, 1907-1959(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Other Records

 * Adair County History in Photos at IAGenWeb Project

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1854-1926 (*) District Court; at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1857-1965 (*) District Court; at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1902 (*) District Court; at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1979 (*) District Court; at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1868-1886 (*) Circuit Court; at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 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 & images
 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1854-1900 Adair County, Iowa marriages, 1854-1900 at FamilySearch.
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 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, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Divorce

 * 1917-1919 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Council Bluffs Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Des Moines Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Osceola Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Museum of Danish America - an affiliate library

Libraries
Adair Public Library 310 Audubon Adair, IA 50002-0276 Phone: 641-742-3323 Website Casey Public Library P.O. Box 178 Casey, IA 500048 Phone: 641-746-2670 Email: [mailto:caseylib@netins.net caseylib@netins.net] Website Greenfield Public Library 202 S First St P.O. Box 328 Greenfield, IA 50849 Phone: 641-743-6120 Email: [mailto:greenpl@iowatelecom.net greenpl@iowatelecom.net] Website

Museums
Adair County Historical Museum 2393 S Lakeview Dr Greenfield, IA 50849 Phone: 641-743-2232 Facebook

Societies
Adair County Anquestors Genealogy Society c/o Greenfield Public Library P.O. Box 328 Greenfield, IA 50849-0328 Website Adair County Iowa Historical Society 2393 S Lakeview Dr Greenfield, IA 50849 Phone: 641-743-2232 Facebook

Websites

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