Fremont County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Fremont County was named for John C. Fremont and is located in southwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Fremont County Courthouse 506 Filmore Street P O Box 295 Sidney, IA 51652-0295 Phone: 712-374-2232 Email: jmcallister@co.fremont.ia.us Fremont 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

 * A Biographical History of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa. Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1901.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Fremont County, Iowa: Containing ... a Biographical Directory of Many of Its leading Citizens. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Historical Company, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
 * Locust Grove Landmarks, 1871-1971. Locust Grove Township History Committee. Shenandoah, IA: World Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Fremont County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * Biographies and Family History Stories

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

 * Fremont County Churches at IAGenWeb
 * FamilySearch Places

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

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

Funeral Homes

 * Gude Funeral Homes in Hamburg and Riverton
 * Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home in Shenandoah
 * Marshall Funeral Chapels in Sidney and Tabor
 * Nishna Valley Funeral and Cremation Service in Shenandoah

Genealogies

 * Forneys Five Records of Genealogy of Benners, Clappers, Ettlemans, Forneys and Studys. 1931. Charles William Forney. Boone, IA: Standard Printing Co. Online at: Hathitrust

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1855   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1849-1906   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1851-1865   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1854-1917   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1864-1917   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1867-1935   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1891-1987   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Atlas of Fremont County, Iowa : containing maps of the townships of the county : maps of state, United States and world : farmers directory, analysis of the system of U.S. land surveys. Anderson Publishing Company, Des Moines, IA., 1920. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Local Histories

 * History of Fremont County, Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Historical Company, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
 * Locust Grove Landmarks, 1871-1971. Locust Grove Township History Committee. Shenandoah, IA: World Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
 * Fremont County, Local Historical Stories

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Fremont County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Fremont County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1886-1930 Fire Insurance Maps for Fremont County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1886 and 1930.
 * Atlas of Fremont County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Fremont County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Fremont County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Fremont County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Fremont County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European settlers included:
 * Missouri River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

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
 * Military Page at IAGenWeb

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

Civil War service men in Fremont 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:
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
 * - 29th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1930 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — indexes, images

Newspapers

 * 1950-1972 The Hamburg Reporter. 1950-1962, 1965, 1966, 1968-1972. Hamburg, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * Fremont County Newspapers at IAGenWeb

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1876-1926 (*); Clerk of the District Court 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
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1935 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

 * 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Council Bluffs Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Nebraska City Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Papillion Nebraska FamilySearch Center
 * Shenandoah Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Omaha Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Shenandoah Public Library 201 S Elm Street Shenandoah, IA 51601 Phone: 712-246-2315 Email: [Mailto:libraryq@shenandoahiowa.net libraryq@shenandoahiowa.net] Website Facebook Tabor Public Library 805 Main Street P.O. Box 27 Tabor, IA 51653-0027 Phone: 712-629-2735 Email: [mailto:dawn.miller@tabor.lib.ia. dawn.miller@tabor.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook

Museums
Historical Society Museum 800 W Sheridan Avenue Shenandoah, IA 51601 Phone: 712-246-1669 Website Facebook

Societies
Fremont County Historical Society P.O. Box 671 801 Indiana Sidney, IA 51652-0671 Phone: 712-374-3248 Email: [mailto:fremontcountyhistorical@gmail.com fremontcountyhistorical@gmail.com] Website Facebook Tabor Historical Society P.O. Box 584 Tabor, IA 51653-0584 Phone: 712-313-0102 Website

Websites

 * Fremont County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Fremont County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Fremont County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Fremont County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Fremont County Iowa Genealogy Research - contains census, bios, obituaries, births, deaths, marriages, and other records of Fremont County
 * 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.