Washington County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Washington County was named for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington Pres. George Washington] and is located in southeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse 224 West Main Street Washington, IA 52353 Phone: 319-653-7741 Washington 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:

Bible Records

 * Washington County Bible Records at USGenWeb Iowa Archives

Biographies

 * The History of Washington County, Iowa, and Its Cities, Towns, a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company, 1880. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Washington County, Iowa From the First White Settlers to 1908, Also Biographical Sketches. By Howard A. Burrell. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: Vol. I - Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographical Sketches. Chicago: Acme Publishing Co., 1887. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($), index ($).


 * Washington County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & 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

 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records


 * FamilySearch Places

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

Court Records

 * 1838-1927 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1861-1866 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1864-1976 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1865-1886 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1867-1923 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1928 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — indexes & images

Funeral Homes

 * Beatty and Peterseim Funeral and Monument Services in Kalona and Washington
 * Powell Funeral Homes in Kalona and Wellman
 * Snyder and Hollenburgh Funeral and Cremation Services in Riverside

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * The History of Washington County, Iowa, and Its Cities, Towns, a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company, 1880. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Washington County, Iowa From the First White Settlers to 1908, Also Biographical Sketches. By Howard A. Burrell. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: Vol. I - Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Washington County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Washington County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Washington County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1933.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * General Highway and Transportation Map, Washington County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Washington County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Washington County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Washington County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Washington County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

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


 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War service men in Washington 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 F
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 8th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
 * - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I and K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A and I
 * - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E and K
 * - 31st Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company B

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1838-1927 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1939 — Wellman Advance at Ancestry.com ($) — Wellman, IA, USA
 * 1949 — Evening Journal Farm Edition at Ancestry.com ($) — Washington, IA, USA
 * Washington County Newspapers etc

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1838-1968 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1862-1868 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1879-1905 (*); County Recorder 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 & images ($)
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 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 & images ($)

Divorce

 * 1838-1927 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1906-1923 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Iowa City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Muscatine Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Iowa City Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Kalona Public Library 510 C Avenue PO Box 1212 Kalona, IA 52247-1212 Phone: 319-656-3501 Email: [mailto:director@kalonalibrary.org director@kalonalibrary.org] Website Facebook Washington Public Library 115 W Washington Washington, IA 52353 Phone: 319-653-2726; Text: 319-284-8883 Email: [mailto:admin@washington.lib.ia.us admin@washington.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook

Museums
Conger House Museum 903 E Washington Street Washington, IA 52353 Phone: 319-653-3125 Email: [mailto:info@washingtoniowa.org info@washingtoniowa.org] Website Kalona Historical Village 715 D Avenue Kalona, IA 52247 Phone: 319-656-3232 Email: [mailto:kalonatours@gmail.com kalonatours@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Kalona Historical Society 715 D Avenue Kalona, IA 52247 Phone: 319-656-3232 Email:[mailto:kalonatours@gmail.com kalonatours@gmail.com] Website Facebook Washington County Genealogical Society, IAGenWeb Project PO Box 446 Washington, IA 52353-0446 Email: [mailto:genealogy@washington.lib.ia.us genealogy@washington.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook Washington County Historical Society PO Box 924 Washington, IA 52353-0924 Phone: 319-653-4329 Email: [mailto:wchsiowa@yahoo.com wchsiowa@yahoo.com] Website Facebook

Websites

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