Kossuth County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Kossuth County was named for Lajos Kossuth and is located in northern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Kossuth County Courthouse 114 W State St # 10 Algona, IA 50511 Phone: 515-295-3240 Kossuth 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

 * History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa: Together with Sketches of Their Cities, Villages and Townships. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1884. Online at: HathiTrust.
 * History of Kossuth, Hancock and Winnebago Counties, Iowa: Together With Sketches of Their Cities, Villages and Townships; Biographies of Representative Citizens. Springfield, Illinois Union Pub. Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust.


 * Kossuth County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

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

Court Records

 * 1869-1877 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1935 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images

Funeral Homes

 * Harris Funeral Home in West Bend
 * Lenz Funeral Home in Algona, Burt and Wend Bend
 * Oakrest Funeral Services in Algona, Bancroft, Lu Verne, Titonka, Wesley and Whittemore

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1994   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * History of Kossuth County, Iowa... From Earliest Times to Midsummer of 1912. By Benjamin F. Reed. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke, 1913.  Online at:  Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; HathiTrust.
 * History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1884. Online at: HathiTrust.
 * History of Kossuth, Hancock and Winnebago Counties, Iowa. Springfield, Illinois Union Pub. Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Kossuth County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1904-2007 Kossuth County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1892-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Kossuth County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1892 and 1933.
 * 1946 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Kossuth County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Kossuth County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Kossuth County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Kossuth 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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1864-1932 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 2 indexes, images

Newspapers

 * 1951-1958 Kossuth County Advance. 1951-58. Algona, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1956 West Bend Journal. 1956. West Bend, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1958-1960 Algona Kossuth County Advance. 1958-60. Algona, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1856-1947 (*); 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Fort Dodge Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Mason City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Waseca County Historical - Minnesota - an affiliate library

Libraries
West Bend Public Library 316 S Broadway Avenue P.O. Box 46 West Bend, IA 50597 Phone: 515-887-6411 Email: [mailto:wbplib@ncn.net wbplib@ncn.net] Website

Museums
Kossuth County Historical Society Museum 122 S. Dodge Street Algona, IA 50511 Phone: 515-320-0834 Email: [mailto:kossuthhistoricalsociety@gmail.com kossuthhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Kossuth County Iowa Genealogical Society c/o Algona Public Library 210 North Phillips Street Algona, IA 50511 Phone: 515-320-2091 Email: [mailto:kossgensoc@gmail.com kossgensoc@gmail.com] Facebook Kossuth County Historical Society 122 S. Dodge Street Algona, IA 50511 Phone: 515-320-0834 Email: [mailto:kossuthhistoricalsociety@gmail.com kossuthhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website

Websites

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