Boone County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Boone county was named for Nathan Boone and is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Boone County Courthouse 201 State St Boone, IA 50036 Phone: 515-433-0561 Boone 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:

History Timeline

 * The county was attached to Polk and Linn Counties.

Biographies

 * A Biographical Record of Boone County, Iowa. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1902. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
 * Boone County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Biographies and Family Histories
 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Bios Boards

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

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

Cemeteries

 * FamilySearch Digital Library, Cemeteries of Boone County, Iowa, by Boone County Genealogical Society, 1991.

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
 * 1895 1895 Iowa census, Boone County, Iowa. Boone County Genealogical Society.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 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
 * IAGenWeb Boone County Churches
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Directories

 * Boone, Iowa Directory, 1885-86 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Directories

Funeral Homes

 * Iles Funeral Homes Sundberg Kirkpatrick in Madrid

Genealogies

 * The Simon Yeager (1811) family and associated Hoffman families of Boone County, Iowa. 1987. Eldon P. Cartwright. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1924   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1855-1915   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1865-1938   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1888-1912   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

 * History of Boone County Iowa. By N.E. Goldthwait, Ed. Chicago, Illinois: Pioneer Publishing, 1914. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library,  Internet Archive; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. I & II - HathiTrust;.
 * The History of Boone County, A History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc. Des Moines: Union Historical Company, 1880. Online at: Internet Archive;

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Boone County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Boone County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1916 Fire Insurance Maps for Boone County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1916.
 * Boone County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Maps.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Boone County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Plat Book of Boone County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Boone 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
 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Military

Civil War
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Iowa. G.A.R. state encampment, June 5, 6, and 7, 1906, Boone, Iowa. 1898. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Civil War service men in Boone 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:
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies D and K
 * - 32nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1867-1910 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1870-1912 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1800-2021 Historical Iowa Newspapers at NewspaperArchive ($) This database is free at some libraries.
 * 1876-2000 Newspaper Archives at Altoona Public Library Archives, Polk County
 * 1896 Boone Svenska Herald (Boone, Iowa) Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1935-1941, 1943-1950 The Ogden Reporter, (Ogden, Iowa) Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1970-2007 Newspaper Archives at Johnston Historical Society Archive, Polk County

IAGenWeb, Boone County Obituaries

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1865-1870 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1865-1941 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1866-1887 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1866-1930 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * IAGenWeb, Boone County Schools

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 ($)
 * 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
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1850-1921 IAGenWeb, Boone County Births

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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1850-1900 IAGenWeb, Boone County Marriages
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 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($)
 * 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1939 IAGenWeb, Boone County Death Records
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 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
 * Des Moines Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Fort Dodge Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Ericson Public Library 702 Greene St Boone, IA 50036 Phone: 515-432-3727 Email: [mailto:ericson@boone.lib.ia.us ericson@boone.lib.ia.us] Website Woodward Public Library 118 S Main Box 510 Woodward, IA 50276 Phone: 515-438-2636 Email: [mailto:wpldirector@minburncomm.net wpldirector@minburncomm.net] Website

Museums
Madrid Historical Society & Museum 124 S State St Madrid, IA 50156 Phone: 515-795-3249 Email: [mailto:madridmuseum@windstream.net madridmuseum@windstream.net] Website Boone History Center 602 Story St P.O. Box 172 Boone, IA 50036 Phone: 515-432-1907 Email: [mailto:info@bchsiowa.org info@bchsiowa.org] Website

Societies
Boone County Iowa Genealogical Society P.O. Box 453 Boone, IA 50036 Website Boone County Iowa Historical Society 602 Story St Boone, IA 50036 Phone: 515-432-1907 Email: [mailto:director@boonecountyhistory.org director@boonecountyhistory.org] Website Madrid Historical Society 109 W Second St PO Box 105 Madrid, IA 50156 Phone: 515-795-3249 Email: [mailto:madridmuseum@windstream.net madridmuseum@windstream.net] Website

Websites

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