Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy

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County Courthouse
Des Moines County Courthouse 513 N. Main St. PO Box 277 Burlington, Iowa 52601 (319) 753-8221

Parent County
1834--Des Moines County was created 1 October 1834, when Des Moines County Congress passed an act attaching the Black Hawk Purchase to the Territory of Michigan in June of 1834 prior to that it was part of Wisconsin. The following September the Legislature of Michigan divided this land purchase into two counties, Dubuque and Des Moines. The dividing boundary was a line running west from the lower end of Rock Island. At this time County courts were established with Des Moines County Court placed in the city of Burlington. Des Moines was named after the Des Moines River. County seat: Burlington

Record Loss
1873 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Places/Localities
Cities: Burlington | Danville | Dodgeville | Mediapolis | Middletown | West Burlington

Historical Postoffices: Linton

Unincorporated Towns: Augusta | Latty | Sperry


 * Townships and Villages:

Ghost Towns of Des Moines County
Ghost towns are settlements, towns, and villages whose thriving little communities dried up for various reasons. Some are now part of other townships, some have just faded away. Here are their names, the years they were functioning, and the Townships they were a part of.

Neighboring Counties
Henry County (west)| Lee County (south) | Louisa County (north) | Henderson County, Illinois (east) | Mercer County, Illinois (northeast)

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in townships, cities, and farms located throughout Des Moines County that have been transcribed. Additional information on their locations is at Des Moines County Cemeteries Map. More information can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library based in Salt Lake City, Utah and can be requested and viewed at Family History Centers throughout the world.

Transcriptions for some of these cemeteries can be found at:


 * FindAGrave.com
 * Interment.net cemetery records.
 * Iowa Gravestone Photo Project
 * Saving Graves
 * Tombstone Transcription Project
 * Des Moines County Cemeteries

Census

 * Census Finder
 * Census index for Des Moines County, transcribed for the years of 1836, 1836 Territorial Census, 1838, 1840, 1850, 1852, 1860.

Church

 * Church records, 1855-1917. Text in German.This church was also known as the German Methodist Church.Contains records for the churches of Flint Creek, Temmytown/Tamytown, Bluffs, Pleasant Grove, Union, Bethel, Sperry, Kline.Includes marriages; baptisms; membership lists; burials, 1856, 1865-1916; meeting minutes; finances; conference reports.
 * Record book, 1866-1903 Contains baptisms, burials, marriages, membership lists, and sermons.Dr. McClintock was pastor to churches at Mt. Pleasant, 1866-1870; Burlington, 1871-1896; and Sioux City, 1896-1903.

Court
The Des Moines Courthouse is located in the town of Burlington.

Land

 * Iowa Archives Land Office Records

Local Histories

 * History of Des Moines County, Iowa index, 105 bios online.
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa index, 519 bios online.
 * Biographical Review of Des Moines County, Iowa index, 8 bios online.
 * History of Des Moines County, Iowa index, 8 bios online.

Maps

 * David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
 * 1904 Des Moines County Iowa Atlas

Newspapers

 * The Hawkeye
 * The Mediapolis News

For more information about the history of newspapers in Des Moines County see the Burlington Library Genealogy Site.

Births
Iowa law did not require birth records be maintained by civil authorities until 1880. For records of these early births, try delayed births, church records, and death records.

Birth records kept by the District Court, 1880-1904; 1906-1934, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa and 1880-1931 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Marriage Records
Some early Marriages Of Des Moines County 1837 to 1850 have been transcribed and published.

Des Moines County Marriage Records, from 1880-1904; 1906-1935 have been microfilmed and can be found at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa. Index to marriage records, 1921-1977; marriage records, 1835-1930 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Death Records
Deaths records are held by the District Court, 1835-1930, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa and 1880-1921 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Societies and Libraries

 * State Historical Society of Iowa Address: 600 East Locust Des Moines IA 50319
 * Des Moines County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 493 Burlington, IA 52601 Internet: Des Moines County Genealogical Society
 * Burlington Public Library  210 Court Street Burlington, IA 52601-1647 Phone: (319)753-1647 Fax: (319)753-5316 Internet: Burlington Iowa Public Library Genealogy Sources

For more information about Societies in Iowa see the Iowa Societies page.

Web Sites

 * Des Moines County, Iowa Biographies Project
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Genealogy Trails Genealogy Group
 * Genealogy Helps at the Burlington Library
 * Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)