Lee County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
The County has Fort Madison as its seat and the County was created December 7, 1836. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

Parent County
1836--Lee County was created 7 December 1836 from Des Moines County. County records for the northern portion of the county are housed in Fort Madison, southern records are housed in Keokuk. County seat: Fort Madison

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Biographies

 * Portrait and biographical album of Lee County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and at Ancestry.com ($)

Record Loss
1911 Courthouse was damaged by fire.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



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:

Neighboring Counties
Des Moines • Henry •  Van Buren •  Clark County, Missouri •  Hancock County, Illinois •  Henderson County, Illinois

Cemeteries
The county poor farm was north of Keokuk. An old map showed a cemetery at this site. The cemetery was abandoned at sometime, and lost to the elements. An 1880 Census Jackson Township, has been transcribed for the Lee County Poor Farm

Census
State Census
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Church
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Ambrosia
 * Zarahemla

Local Histories

 * English colony : the British Emigrant Mutual Aid Society's colony in Lee County, Iowa. By J. Barry Ware. [S.l. : s.n.], 1918. Online at ;.


 * Story of Lee County, Iowa. By Nelson C. Roberts. Chicago, Illinois : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914. Vol. 1 Online at:, Hathitrust, Vol. 2 Online at: , Hathitrust;.


 * Yesterdays : reminiscenses of long ago. By Virginia Wilcox Ivins. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974. Online at: ;.


 * Portrait and biographical album of Lee County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and at Ancestry.com ($)


 * Saint Peter's Parish, Keokuk, Iowa, 1832-1929 : a history at Ancestry.com ($)

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Iowa

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European settlers included:
 * Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

Military

 * 1835-1998 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1949 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1862-1910 - at FamilySearch — index

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company A
 * - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
 * - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
 * - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
 * - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E
 * - 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1859-1990 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Burlington newspapers dating back to the mid 1800's that may have included Lee County residents. This database is free at some libraries.


 * Fort Madison Evening Democrat.1952. Fort Madison, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1758 - 1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

 * 1934-1958 - at FamilySearch — index

Births

 * 1850-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1921-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriages

 * 1518-1996 - Iowa, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1838-1934 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Deaths

 * 1850-1990 - at FamilySearch - index
 * 1880-1992 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1904-1951 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Lee County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 303 Keokuk, Iowa, 52632 E-mail: [mailto:mystique747@iowatelecom.net mystique747@iowatelecom.net] Website

Lee County, Iowa Historical Society 318 North 5th Street PO Box 125 Keokuk, Iowa 52632-5611 E-mail: [mailto:lcihs@yahoo.com lcihs@yahoo.com] Website

Old Fort Genealogical Society P. O. Box 1 Fort Madison, Iowa 52627 E-mail: [mailto:mystique747@iowatelecom.net mystique747@iowatelecom.net] Website