Webster County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Webster County was named for Daniel Webster and is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Webster County Courthouse 701 Central Avenue Fort Dodge, IA 50501 Phone: 515-576-7115 Webster 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

 * Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Webster and Hamilton Counties, Iowa. Chicago, IL, USA: Lewis Publishing, 1888. Online at: HathiTrust; Ancestry ($).
 * A Biographical Record of Webster County, Iowa. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1902. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; HathiTrust.
 * Pioneer Residents of Webster County, Iowa. By Mrs Walter J Anderson. Fort Dodge, IA: self. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Webster County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * IAGenWeb, Van Buren County Biographies

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


 * FamilySearch Places

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

Court Records

 * (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1909 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Bruce Funeral Home in Fort Dodge
 * Carson-Stapp Funeral Homes in Dayton
 * Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Fort Dodge
 * Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Fort Dodge
 * Palmer and Swank Funeral Homes in Gowrie
 * Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Stratford

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * Centennial History of Webster County, Towns and Townships. Fort Dodge, IA: Times Job Printing Rooms, 1876. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * History of Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa. Chicago: The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1913. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. II - Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Webster County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Webster County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1950 Fire Insurance Maps for Webster County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1950.
 * IAGenWeb - Webster County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Webster County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Webster County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Webster County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Military Records
Multiple Wars Civil War
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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
 * 1863-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 1 index, images

Newspapers

 * 1949 — Fort Dodge Messenger And Chronicle at Ancestry.com ($) — Fort Dodge, Iowa

Obituaries

 * IAGenWeb Obits

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1855-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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

 * 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, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Ames Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Fort Dodge Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Ames Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Dayton Public Library 22 First Street NW PO Box 378 Dayton, IA 50530-0378 Phone: 515-547-2700 Email: [mailto:dpl@lvcta.com dpl@lvcta.com] Website Facebook Fort Dodge Public Library 424 Central Avenue Fort Dodge, IA 50501 Phone: 515-573-8167 Email: [mailto:fdplinfo@fortdodgeiowa.org fdplinfo@fortdodgeiowa.org] Website Facebook

Museums
The Fort Museum and Frontier Village 1 Museum Road Fort Dodge, IA 50501 Phone: 515-573-4231 Email: [mailto:fortmuseumfd@gmail.com fortmuseumfd@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Webster County Genealogical Society c/o Fort Dodge Public Library 424 Central Avenue Room 134 Fort Dodge, IA 50501 Phone: 515-302-9854 Email: [mailto:webcoiagenies@gmail.com webcoiagenies@gmail.com] Website Facebook Webster County Historical Society Box 543 Fort Dodge, IA 50501-0543 Email:[mailto:rjnatte@frontiernet.net rjnatte@frontiernet.net] Website

Websites

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