Clayton County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for John M. Clayton. The County has Elkader as its seat and the County was created 1837. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clayton County Courthouse 111 High St. SE Elkrader, IA 52043

(319) 245-2204

History
Clayton County home page

Parent County
1837--Clayton County was created 21 December 1837 from Dubuque County. County seat: Elkader

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

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:

Neighboring Counties
Allamakee • Buchanan •  Delaware •  Dubuque •  Fayette •  Winneshiek •  Crawford County, Wisconsin •  Grant County, Wisconsin

Biography

 * Portrait and biographical record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties, Iowa : containing biographical sketches of prominent a at Ancestry.com ($)

Census
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article. State Census
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Lutheran
Clayton County


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Clayton County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Elkader


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Elkader, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Luana


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Luana, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Littleport


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Littleport, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

St. John's Lutheran Church


 * Records of the St. John's Lutheran Church, Clayton County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

St. Sebald Lutheran Church


 * Records of the St. Sebald Lutheran Church, Strawberry Point, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Strawberry Point


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Strawberry Point, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Local Histories

 * Price, Realto E. History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families. Chicago, Illinois : Robert O. Law, 1916.
 * Vol 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * Vol 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
 * History of Clayton County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens. Chicago : Inter-state Publishing Co., 1882.
 * Online at FFamilySearch (Free)
 * Portrait and biographical record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties, Iowa : containing biographical sketches of prominent a at Ancestry.com ($)

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Iowa

Military

 * 1835-1998 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1949 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1862-1910 - at FamilySearch — index

Civil War

 * - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
 * - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies B, D and G
 * - 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies D and E
 * - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A
 * - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company K :- 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B :- 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D :- 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G :- 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D :- 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E :- 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C :- 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A :- 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B :- 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1859-1990 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.


 * North Iowa Times. 1956 McGregor, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1758 - 1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

 * 1934-1958 - at FamilySearch — index

Births

 * 1850-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1921-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriages

 * 1518-1996 - Iowa, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1838-1934 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Deaths

 * 1850-1990 - at FamilySearch - index
 * 1880-1992 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1904-1951 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Clayton County Genealogical Society PO Box 846 Elkader, IA 52043-0846 E-mail: [mailto:jholt@southslope.net jholt@southslope.net] Facebook