Iowa, Benton County Land Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of digital images of land records from Benton County, Iowa for the years. Includes records from the Benton County Auditor and the Benton County Recorder of Deeds. Additional records from the Benton County Recorder of Deeds are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and at family history centers.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information varies by record. You may find any of the following:
 * Name of buyer
 * Name of seller
 * Name of spouse, heirs, other relatives, or neighbors
 * Place of residence at time of purchase
 * Transaction dates
 * Amounts of monies exchanged, paid or assessed
 * Legal description of the property
 * Details of the transaction
 * Names of witnesses
 * Occupations

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person purchasing land
 * The approximate date of the land transaction

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the  County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Volume, and Date Range to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional land records that might have more information.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and probate records.
 * Use the information in each record to find additional family members in the censuses. There may be clues to maiden names if a father deeded property to his daughter upon marriage. Witnesses and neighbors may be in-laws or relatives.
 * Repeat this process with additional family member’s records to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
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 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Iowa, Benton County Land Records, 1847-1937." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Benton County Recorder, Vinton, Iowa.
 * Collection Citation: