Audubon County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Audubon County was named for John James Audubon and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Audubon County Courthouse 318 Leroy St Audubon, IA 50025 Phone: 712-563-4275 Audubon County

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:

History Timeline

 * Audubon was attached to Cass and Black Hawk Counties prior to organization.

Biographies

 * Audubon County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb
 * Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. By W.S. Dunbar. 1889. Chicago: W.S. Dunbar. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; HathiTrust;Internet Archive; Indexed at: Ancestry ($)
 * Shelby and Audubon Counties, Iowa Biographical Dictionary at Ancestry ($)

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
List of Churches and Church Parishes Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Directories

 * 1903 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Kessler Funeral Homes in Audubon
 * Kessler Funeral Homes in Exira
 * Ohde Funeral Home in Kimballton

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1854-1987   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1855-1987   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * Andrews, H. F. History of Audubon County, Iowa its people, industries, and institutions; with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families.  B.F. Bowen Pub., Indianapolis, IN, 1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Dunbar, W.S., Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships. W.S. Dunbar, Chicago, IL, 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive; Ancestry — ($)
 * Hansen, Frederick J. The history of the Christian and Katherine Hansen family: of Brayton, Audubon County, Iowa and some of their ancestral generations. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Iowa: Audubon County Historical Society. Audubon and Audubon County Iowa : the Eden of the West. This is a combination of three older, fragile books: Audubon and Audubon County (1887), The History of Audubon County (1892), and The History of Exira (1891). 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, Audubon County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Audubon County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1886-1932 Fire Insurance Maps for Audubon County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1932.
 * Audubon County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Audubon County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Audubon County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Audubon County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- 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 Naturalizations Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1876-1906 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1906-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1906-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 1868-1951   at FamilySearch Catalog - 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 and images, ($)

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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

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 and images ($)

Divorce

 * 1907-1984 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Family History Centers
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Libraries
Audubon Public Library 401 N Park Pl Audubon, IA 50025 712-563-3301 Email: [mailto:gailr@metc.net gailr@metc.net] Website Exira Public Library 114 W Washington PO Box 368 Exira, IA 50076 712-268-5489 Email: [mailto:exiralib@metc.net exiralib@metc.net] Website

Museums
 Nathaniel Hamlin Park Highway 71 Audubon, IA 50025 712-563-2742 Email: [mailto:Aced@iowatelelcom.net Aced@iowatelelcom.net] Website

Societies
Audubon County Genealogical Society 505 Brayton St Audubon, IA 50025-1301 Email: [mailto:webmaster@auduboncounty.net webmaster@auduboncounty.net] Website Audubon County Historical Society 211 Tracy St Audubon, IA 50025 Email: [mailto:webmaster@auduboncounty.net webmaster@auduboncounty.net] Website

Websites

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