Polk County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Polk County was named for US President James K. Polk and is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse 500 Mulberry Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: 515-286-3772 Polk 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

 * Annals of Polk county, Iowa, and city of Des Moines. 1898, By Will Porter. Des Moines, IA: Geo. A. Miller Printing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days. 1908, By Lorenzo F. Andrews. Des Moines, IA: Baker-Trisler Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library Vol. 1, FamilySearch Digital Library Vol. 2
 * Portrait and biographical album of Polk Co., Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States and governors of the state. 1890, Chicago, IL: Lake City Publishing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library,Ancestry.com ($)
 * Polk County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * IAGenWeb Biographies

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

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
Ward and Branch Records
 * FamilySearch Places
 * Des Moines

Directories

 * 1869 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * 1878 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * 1886-1893 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * R.L. Polk &amp; Co.'s Des Moines City and Valley Junction directory for the year commencing December 1st, 1915 Des Moines, Iowa: R.L. Polk &amp; Co., 1915. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)


 * R.L. Polk &amp; Co.'s Des Moines City and Valley Junction directory for the year commencing December 1, 1912 Des Moines, Iowa: R.L. Polk &amp; Co., c1912. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Land and Property Records
Online Land and Property Records


 * 1846-1910   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1848-1905   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1848-1905   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1863-1908   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1874-1877   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * Annals of Polk county, Iowa, and city of Des Moines. 1898, By Will Porter. Des Moines, IA: Geo. A. Miller Printing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry.com ($)


 * Centennial history of Polk County, Iowa. 1876, By J. M. Dixon and J.W. Doughty. Des Moines, IA: State Register. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry.com ($)


 * The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, a biographical sketches of its citizens, War record of its volunteers in the late Rebellion... portraits of early settlers and prominent men,...history of the northwest.. 1880, Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library,


 * Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West: together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa. 1911, By Johnson Brigham. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1, FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2, HathiTrust,


 * Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days. 1908, By Lorenzo F. Andrews. Des Moines, IA: Baker-Trisler Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library Vol. 1, FamilySearch Digital Library Vol. 2, Internet Archive Vol 1,Internet Archive Vol 2


 * Resources and industries of Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa: showing the trade and commerce, railroads, business, manufacturing, mining interests, etc., of Iowa's capital and metropolis, the great railroad center of the Northwest, also containing short sketches of the towns of Polk County. 1885, By Joseph P. Bushnell. Des Moines, IA: J.P. Bushnell Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Roster of the Ohiowa Association: living in Polk county and Ohioans and their descendants who are eligible to membership. 1908, By John L. Crawford. [s.l.]: The Association. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Land atlas and plat book, Polk County, Iowa. 1982. Rockford, IL: Rockford Map Publishers. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Des Moines, Iowa pictorial and biographical deluxe supplement. 1911, Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Portrait and biographical album of Polk Co., Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States and governors of the state. 1890, Chicago, IL: Lake City Publishing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library,Ancestry.com ($)


 * Gold Star men of Polk County, Iowa, Records Collected and Compiled by The Historical Department of Iowa. 1918, World War Veterans Record. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * A Pictorial history of southeast Polk County, Iowa : "a community of communities". 1981, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * 1866 Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa, City Directory and Business Guide. 1867, Des Moines, IA: Mills and Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * 1903 Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa, City Directory. 1903, R. L. Polk and Company. Des Moines, IA: The Geo A. Miller Printing Company. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Polk County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1868-1957 Fire Insurance Maps for Polk County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1868 and 1957.
 * 1875-2007 Polk County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Polk County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Polk County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Land Atlas and Plat Book, Polk County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Polk County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Polk County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Township Map of 1875 Polk County, Iowa at My Genealogy Hound - with enlarged views of each township.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places.

Military Records
Multiple Wars Civil War
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War service men in Polk 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:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A and K
 * - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B and K
 * - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A, B, C, and E
 * - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F

World War I
 * Gold Star men of Polk County, Iowa.S.l. : s.n., 1919?

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Iowa. District Court (Polk County). Naturalization Records, 1907–1927. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977..
 * Iowa. District Court. (Polk County). Index to Naturalization, 1852–1884. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977..

Newspapers

 * 1876-2000 Altoona Public Library Archives, Polk County
 * 1970-2007 Johnston Historical Society Archive, Polk County
 * 1895-1975 Roland Historical Society Archives, Story County
 * 1855-Present Warren County Newspapers

Obituaries

 * IAGenWeb Obits

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)


 * 1847-1912   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1847-1915   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1850-1866   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1852-1967   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1866-1893   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1866-1902   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1872-1892   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1895-1905   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

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

Family History Centers

 * Des Moines Iowa Family History Center

Libraries
Des Moines Public Library Central Library 1000 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50309 515-283-4152 E-mail:[mailto:JTHobbs@dmpl.org JTHobbs@dmpl.org] Website Mitchellville Public Library 205 Center Avenue N Mitchellville, IA 50169 515-967-3339 E-mail:[mailto:mplibr@mitchellville.lib.ia.us mplibr@mitchellville.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
Living History Farms 11121 Hickman Road Urbandale, IA 50322 515-278-5286 Website

Societies
Johnston (Station) Historical Society 6161 Northglenn Drive Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-608-5730 E-mail:[mailto:johnstonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com johnstonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website  Urbandale Historical Society 4010 70th Street Urbandale, IA 50322 515-270-2917 E-mail:[mailto:urbandalehistory@gmail.com urbandalehistory@gmail.com] Website Des Moines Historical Society P.O. Box 8038 Des Moines, IA 50301 E-mail:[mailto:dmhsiowa@gmail.com dmhsiowa@gmail.com] Website Facebook West Des Moines Historical Society PO Box 65563 West Des Moines, IA 50265 515-225-1286 E-mail:[mailto:gbrubaker@wdmhs.org gbrubaker@wdmhs.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Polk County at IAGenWeb Project
 * Polk County at USGenWeb Archives
 * 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
 * Polk County at Cyndi's List.
 * Polk County at Genealogy Trails.
 * – 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.