Muscatine County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Muscatine County was named for the Mascouten tribe and is located in southeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Muscatine County Courthouse 401 East 3rd Street Muscatine, IA 52761 Phone: 563-263-6511 Muscatine 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

 * Bible Records, Muscatine Co IA and Vicinity at Muscatine County Iowa Genealogy Home page via Rootsweb — transcriptions

Biographies

 * A History of Muscatine County, Iowa: Containing Biographical Sketches of Citizens. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Co., 1879. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Muscatine County, Iowa, From the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time. 2 volumes. By Irving Berdine Richman. Chicago, IL: S.J Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. Online at: Vol. I - Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - Internet Archive. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Muscatine County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Acme Publishing Co., 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).


 * Muscatine 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

 * 1838-1992 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1839-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1853-1869 (*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1876- (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * 1879 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * 1899 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * Muscatine, Iowa Directory, 1891-93 at Ancestry ($)

Funeral Homes

 * Bentley Funeral Home in Durant and Wilton
 * Henderson-Barker Funeral Homes in West Liberty
 * Nichols Bewlley Funeral and Cremation Services in Muscatine
 * Ralph J Wittick Riley Freers Funeral Home in Muscatine
 * Snyder and Hollenburgh Funeral and Cremation Homes in Muscatine

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1838-1930 at FamilySearch Catalog – index & images

Local Histories

 * History of Muscatine County, Iowa, From the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time. 2 volumes. By Irving Berdine Richman. Chicago, IL: S.J Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. Online at: Vol. I - Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - Internet Archive. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
 * Early Recollections of Bloomington and Its Surroundings. 1887. Josiah Proctor Walton. n.p.: n.p., 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The Fork of the Rivers: History and Partial Genealogy of People of Oakland-Orono Townships, (Louisa-Muscatine Counties, Iowa). By Mabel Estle Brown. Conesville, IA: Brown, 1978. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Log Cabin History of the Settlement of Wapsinonoc, Pike and Springdale townships. By L.O. Mosher, West Liberty, IA: Enterprise Printing House, 1903.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Muscatine County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1874-2007 Muscatine County 1874-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1941 Fire Insurance Maps for Muscatine County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1941.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Muscatine County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Muscatine County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Muscatine County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Muscatine County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Township Map of 1875 Muscatine County, Iowa at My Genealogy Hound; enlarged views of each township.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - 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
 * Muscatine County, Iowa Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry ($)

Civil War service men in Muscatine 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 Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company A and C
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company A and G
 * - 7th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company A
 * - 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A, D, H, and I
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E and K
 * - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company B

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1829-1953 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1837-1945 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —some index, images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1940, 1952 The Muscatine Journal. 1940 and 1952. Muscatine, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1838-1992 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1839-1930 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 & 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

 * 1907-1950 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

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

Libraries
Musser Public Library 408 East 2nd Street Muscatine, IA 52761 Phone: 563-263-3065 Website Facebook
 * Many genealogy databases available using your library barcode: Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, Newspaper Archive, Newspapers.com, Sanborn Maps, and additional digital archives related to Muscatine.

West Liberty Public Library 400 N. Spencer Street West Liberty, IA 52776 Phone: 319-627-2084 Email: [mailto:wllibrary@wlpl.org wllibrary@wlpl.org] Website Wilton Public Library 1215 Cypress Street PO Box 447 Wilton, IA 52778 Phone: 563-732-2583 Email: [mailto:wplstaff@netwtc.net wplstaff@netwtc.net] Website Facebook

Societies
Muscatine County Genealogical Society 323 Main Muscatine, IA 52761-3867 Email: [mailto:ebmccleary@machlink.com ebmccleary@machlink.com] Website

Websites

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