Osceola County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Osceola County was named for Osceola, a Seminole leader. The county is located in northwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Osceola County Courthouse 300 7th St #6 Sibley, IA 51249 Phone: 712-754-3595 Osceola 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:

Biographies

 * Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties, Iowa. 2 volumes. By John Licinius Everett Peck, O.H. Montzheimer, and William J. Miller. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1914. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($). Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.


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

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

Funeral Homes

 * Jurrens Funeral Home in Ashton and Sibley
 * Kale Funeral Home in Osceola

Land and Property Records
Online Land and Property Records


 * 1869-1888  at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1871-1961  at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1873-1908  at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images

Local Histories

 * History of Osceola County, Iowa: From its Organization to the Present Time. By D.A.W. Perkins. Sioux Falls, S. D.: Brown & Saenger, Printers and Binders, 1892. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive.
 * Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties, Iowa. 2 volumes. By John Licinius Everett Peck, O.H. Montzheimer, and William J. Miller. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1914. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($). Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.


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

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Osceola County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1886-1935 Fire Insurance Maps for Osceola County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1935.
 * 1904-2007 Osceola County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1971 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Osceola County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Osceola County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Osceola County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Osceola 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
 * Roster 6th Iowa Vol. Inft. arranged by companies : name and P.O. address of all surviving comrades so far as known, done at Osceola, Iowa, Aug., A.D. 1888. 1888. By F.M. Kyte & John Jamison. Des Moines, IA: Advocate Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1872-1929 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1951 and 1959 The Osceola Sentinel. 1951 and 1959. Osceola, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 1872-1949 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - index & 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 & 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1872-1900 Early marriages, Osceola County, Iowa : 8 August 1872 - 1 February 1900. By Laurence I. Dick. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Genealogical Society at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 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, ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Osceola Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Sioux Falls South Dakota FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Brookings Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Osceola Public Library 300 S. Fillmore Osceola, IA 50213 Phone: 641-342-2237 Email: [mailto:oscoalapubliclibrary@gmail.com oscoalapubliclibrary@gmail.com] Website

Museums
Hawkeye Point Foundation Mail: 300 7th Street 5640 130th Street Sibley, IA 51249 712-754-2523 Website Facebook

Websites

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