Iowa, United States Genealogy


 * This article is about the mid-western state of the United States. For other uses, see Iowa (disambiguation).

Iowa's rivers provided transportation routes bringing European traders, trappers and explorers like the Frenchmen, Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673. Prior to this exploration the land was occupied by the Fox, Ioway, Potawatomi, Oto, Missouri, Sauk, and Sioux Native Americans. The Louisiana Purchase gave the U.S. control of Iowa in 1803. The Black Hawk Purchase in 1833 brought the first official American village. Iowa was populated with settlers pioneering in from Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. When Iowa became a State in 1846, its capital was Iowa City. Iowa’s current borders were drawn in 1857 when Des Moines in Polk county became home of the new State Capital.

Featured Content
Archives Division of the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines primarily collects manuscript records of the state, including government, land, and military records; while the Historical Society of Iowa Library in Iowa City has manuscript records as well as numerous published sources, censuses, and newspapers. Read more...

Research Tools

 * Find which county a town is in, what town a cemetery is in, even where a postoffice or building is by using the United States Geographical Survey's Geographical Names Information System.
 * Clickable Map of Iowa Counties -- Iowa Gen Web,  Click on County to get to Gen Web County Page
 * David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
 * The IAGenWeb Project has a wealth of information at Iowa's GenWeb Project, it is a part of the larger USGenWeb Project. The USGenWeb Project provides internet information on every county in every state in the United States.
 * Iowa Pathways

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