Marshall County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Marshall County was named for John Marshall and is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Marshall County Courthouse 1 E Main St Marshalltown, IA 50158 Phone: 641-754-1603 Marshall 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

 * Marshall County Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives

Biographies

 * Portrait and Biographical Record of Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, Iowa: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the Counties. 1894. Chicago, IL: Biographical Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).


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

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1975 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and 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

 * 1854-1862 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1869-1872 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1873-1886 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1878-1937 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images

Funeral Homes

 * Anderson Funeral Home in Marshalltown
 * Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1953   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1866-1949   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1887-1916   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Description and History of Marshall County, Iowa, 1862. By Taylor and Barnhart. Marshalltown, IA: Taylor Barnhart, 1862. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Marshall County, Iowa. By Nettie Sanford. Clinton, IA: Leslie, McAllaster & Company Printers and Binders, 1867. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
 * The History of Marshall County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Co., 1878. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Past and Present of Marshall County, Iowa. By William Battin and F. A. Moscrip. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen, 1912. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Marshall County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Marshall County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1886-1934 Fire Insurance Maps for Marshall County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1934.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Atlas of Marshall County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Marshall County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Marshall County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Marshall County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * Marshall County Township Plat Book at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Marshall 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

Civil War service men in Marshall 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 Cavalry, Company B
 * - 4th Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery
 * - 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G

 World War I 
 * Marshall County in the World War, 1917-1918: a Pictorial History of the Community's Participation in all Wartime Activities. By Joseph A. Whitacre and W.J. Moore. Marshall, IA: Marshall Printing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1950 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —Index, images
 * 1854-1862 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1856-1955 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1858 Marshall County Time. 1858. Marshall, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1890-1923 Evening Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa) Chronicling America
 * Chronicling America was missing the last 4 months of 1912 of the above newspaper. This was found by browsing the newspaper for the issued year of 1912. I was able to get a copy of the obituary from the Marshalltown Public Library's microfilm copy.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1851-1943 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1852-1928 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1853-1948 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1853-1975 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1856-1896 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1857-1873 (*); Circuit 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 ($)

Divorce

 * 1897-1945 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Ames Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Ames Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Frances Rhoades Williams Research Library 503 West Main Street PO Box 1224 Marshalltown, IA 50158 Phone: 641-752-6664 Email: [mailto:info@marshallhistory.org info@marshallhistory.org] Website Gutekunst Public Library 309 2nd Street SE P.O. Box 603 State Center, IA 50247 Phone: 641-483-2741 Email: [mailto:maraedler.lib@gmail.com maraedler.lib@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Historical Society of Marshall County 202 E. Church Street PO Box 1224 Marshalltown, IA 50158 Phone: 641-752-6664 Email: [mailto:info@marshallhistory.org info@marshallhistory.org] Website

Websites

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