Madison County, Iowa Genealogy

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

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

County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse 112 N John Wayne Dr Winterset, Iowa 50273 Phone: 515-462-4451 Madison 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

 * The History of Madison County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, &c., a Biographical Directory of its Citizens, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. 1879. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust — index & images.


 * History of Madison County, Iowa, and its People. 1915. Herman A. Mueller. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images; Vol II Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images.


 * Madison 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

Court Records

 * 1850-1985 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1854-1874 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1868-1978 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1869-1907 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1870-1923 (*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1879-1885 (*); Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1885-1911 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1885-1941 (*); State Historical Society of Iowa at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1899-1926 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1921-1935 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images

Directories

 * 1869 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * Madison city directory, a city and business directory for 1866. 1866 by B. W. Suckow, John Y Smith. Madison, WI:B. W. Suckow. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History and business directory of Madison County, Iowa - Containing a Complete History of the County.... 1869 By J. J Davies. Des Moines, IA: Mills and Company Printers and Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Gazetteer and business directory of Madison County, N.Y. for 1868-9. 1869. By Hamilton Child. Syracuse, NY: Hamilton Child. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Wm. N. Seymour's Madison directory and Business Advertiser. 1855. Madison, IA: Atwood and Rublee Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Land and Property Records
Online Land and Property Records


 * 1849-1945   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1850-1936   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1856-1913   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1856-1913   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1868-1927   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1874-1938   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1879-1885   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * History and Business Directory of Madison County, Iowa: Containing a Complete History of the County, Voter List, etc. 1869. J.J. Davies. Des Moines, IA: Mills & Co. Printers and Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images..


 * The History of Madison County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, &c., a Biographical Directory of its Citizens, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. 1879. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust — index & images.


 * History of Madison County, Iowa, and its People. 1915. Herman A. Mueller. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images; Vol II Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images.


 * Scenic Madison County, Iowa: Historic Significance. 1961 Lloyd H. Smith. Winterset, IA: Joe Graham and Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Madison County History at IAGenWeb

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Madison County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Madison County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1886-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Madison County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1933.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * General Highway and Transportation Map, Madison County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Madison County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Madison County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Madison County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Madison County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Township Map of 1875 Madison County, Iowa with enlarged views of each township at My Genealogy Hound.
 * 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

Civil War service men in Madison 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:
 * - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
 * - 4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1887-1926 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —index, images
 * 1908-1924 (*); State Historical Society of Iowa at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1956 Winterset Madisonian. 1956. Winterset, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry] ($)
 * 1876-2000 Altoona Digital Newspapers at Altoona Public Library Archives - index and images
 * 1970-2007 Johnston Digital Newspapers at Johnston Historical Society Archives - index and images

Obituaries

 * 1819-2006 Web: Alabama, U.S., Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Obituary Index, 1819-2006 at Ancestry, free index

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 1850-1936 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1850-1978 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1851-1918 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1851-1947 Madison County Probate Index by Madison County IAGenWeb
 * 1865-1978 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1868-1927 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1877-1890 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1925-1943 (*); 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
 * Madison County Birth Records at Madison County IAGenWeb

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($)
 * 1880-1919 Madison County Death Records Index at Madison County IAGenWeb
 * 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 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

 * 1855-1938 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1868-1978 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1899-1980 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Family History Centers

 * Des Moines Iowa Family History Center
 * Indianola Iowa Family History Center
 * Osceola Iowa Family History Center


 * Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
The Earlham Public Library 120 S Chestnut PO Box 310 Earlham, IA 50072 515-758-2121 E-Mail: [mailto:library@earlham.lib.ia.us library@earlham.lib.ia.us] Website  Winterset Public Library 123 N. 2nd Street Winterset, IA 50273 515-462-1731 E-mail: [mailto:library@winterset.lib.ia.us library@winterset.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
History on the Hill 815 South 2nd Avenue Winterset, IA 50273 515-462-2134 E-mail: [mailto:mchistory@historyonthehill.com mchistory@historyonthehill.com] Website

Societies
Madison County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 26 Winterset IA 50273-0026 Website Madison County Historical Society 815 South Second Ave Winterset, IA 50273 515-462-2134 Website

Websites

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