Van Buren County, Iowa Genealogy

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



Description
Van Buren County was named for Martin Van Buren and is located in southeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Van Buren County Courthouse Office Fourth & Dodge Keosauqua, IA 52565 Phone: 319-293-3108 Van Buren 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:

Bible Records

 * Van Buren County Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives

Biographies

 * History of Van Buren County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, &c, a Biographical Directory of Citizens. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company, 1878. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Jefferson and Van Buren Counties, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Lake City Publishing, 1890. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).


 * Van Buren 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

 * FamilySearch Places

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward(s) and Branch(s) Records Lutheran
 * Keosauqua
 * Van Buren
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Court Records

 * 1832-1852 (*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1837-1875 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1844-1847 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1928 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1857-1864 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1912 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1913-1933 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1836-1971 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1941 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua
 * Schmitz Funeral Homes in Farmington

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

Local Histories

 * History of Van Buren County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company, 1878. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Van Buren County. Iowa Writers Program of the Work Projects Administration. Farmington, Ia: T.L. Keith, 1940. Online at:'' FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Van Buren County Inventory of Historical Places. 1977. By Van Buren County Bicentennial Committee. Keosauqua, Iowa: Van Buren County Bicentennial Committee. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Van Buren County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Van Buren County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1927 Fire Insurance Maps for Van Buren County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1927.
 * IAGenWeb - Van Buren County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Van Buren County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * General Highway and Transportation Map, Van Buren County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Van Buren County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Van Buren County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

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

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

Civil War service men in Van Buren 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:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
 * - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B, D, G, and H
 * - 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H and I
 * - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1838-1901, 1904 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Obituaries

 * IAGenWeb, Van Buren County Obituaries

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1841-1929 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1843-1885 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1973 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1887 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1874-1952 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1876-1890 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1883-1939 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 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 ($)

Divorce

 * 1869-1912 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1890-1992 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Nauvoo Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Ottumwa Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Fairfield Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Keosauqua Public Library PO Box 160 608 1st Street Keosauqua, IA 52565 Phone: 319-293-3766 Email: [mailto:keolib@netins.net keolib@netins.net] Website

Museums
Villages of Van Buren Inc PO Box 9 809 First Street Keosauqua, IA 52565 Phone: 319-293-7111 Website

Societies
Van Buren County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 160 Keosauqua, IA 52565 Website Van Buren County Historical Society PO Box 236 Keosauqua, IA 52565 Phone: 319-293-9150 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
 * Van Buren County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Van Buren County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Van Buren County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Van Buren County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Van Buren 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.