Shelby County, Iowa Genealogy

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



Description
Shelby County was named for Isaac Shelby and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Shelby County Courthouse 612 Court Street Harlan, IA 51537 Phone: 712-755-5543 Shelby 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

 * Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties, Iowa: With Personal Histories of Many of the Early Settlers and Leading Families. Chicago, IL: W.S. Dunbar & Company Publishers, 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($) and Ancestry — name index ($).


 * Shelby 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

Lutheran
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

Court Records

 * 1853-1875 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1855-1878 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Bumeister-Johannsen Funeral Home, Inc. in Harlan and Shelby
 * Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan

Land and Property Records

 * 1854-1936; 1854-1905 Online at: FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1866-1987; 1862-1951 Online at: FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1872-1928; 1898-1908 Online at: FamilySearch Catalog - index & images

Local Histories

 * Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa. By Edward S. White. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1915. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol.  II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. III - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. IV - FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon Counties, Iowa at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Shelby County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Shelby County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1935 Fire Insurance Maps for Shelby County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1935.
 * Atlas of Shelby County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Shelby County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Shelby County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Shelby County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Shelby County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Military Records

 * Iowa, Shelby County, military records : soldier's relief,1889-1911

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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1871-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1951-1962 — Harlan Tribune at at Ancestry.com ($) — Harlan, IA, USA
 * 1951-1967 — The Harlan News Advertiser at Ancestry.com ($) — Harlan, IA, USA

Probate Records

 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1855-1943 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1864-1929 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1866-1933 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1879-1925 (*); District Court 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 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, ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 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 and images, ($)

Divorce

 * 1907-1924 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Family History Centers

 * Blair Nebraska Family History Center
 * Logan Iowa Family History Center
 * Danish Immigrant Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries
Danish American Genealogy Center 4210 Main Street PO Box 249 Elk Horn, IA 51531 Phone: 712-764-7008 Website Harlan Community Library 718 Court Street Harlan, IA 51537 Phone: 712-755-5934 Email: [mailto:info@harlanlibrary.org info@harlanlibrary.org] Website

Museums
Shelby County Historical Museum 1805 Morse Avenue Harlan, IA 51537 Phone: 712-755-2437 Email: [mailto:shelbyco.museum@gmail.com shelbyco.museum@gmail.com] Website Museum of Danish America 2212 Washington Street Elk Horn, IA 51531 Phone: 712-764-7001 Email: [mailto:genealogy@danishmuseum.org genealogy@danishmuseum.org] Website

Societies
Shelby County Historical Society Museum 1805 Morse Avenue Harlan, IA 51537 Phone: 712-755-2437 Email: [mailto:shelbyco.museum@gmail.com shelbyco.museum@gmail.com] Website

Danish American Genealogy Center 4210 Main Street / PO Box 249 Elk Horn, IA 51531 Phone: 712-764-7008 Website

Websites

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