Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Winneshiek County was named for Chief Winnishiga, of the Winnebago tribe; the county is located in northeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Winneshiek County Courthouse 201 West Main Street Decorah, IA 52101 Phone: 563-382-2469 Winneshiek 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

 * History of Winneshiek County With Biographical Sketches of its Eminent Men. By Charles H. Sparks. Decorah, IA: J.A. Leonard, 1877. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.


 * Winneshiek 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
List of Churches and Church Parishes Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Court Records

 * 1851-1868 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*);Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — indexes & images

Directories

 * 1886 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * Indian History of Winneshiek County. 1913. by Charles Philip Hexom. Decorah, IA: A.K. Bailey & Sons Incorporated. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.

Funeral Homes

 * Helms Funeral Homes and Cremation Service in Calmar, Decorah, Fort Atkinson and Spillville
 * Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home in Ossian

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * And So They Came .. to Bloomfield Township. Judith M. Friedrich, Ed. Winneshiek County, IA: The Bloomfield Township Historical Society, 1980. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Winneshiek County. 1882. W.E. Alexander. Decorah, IA: Moneek Press. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa. By W.E. Alexander. Sioux City, IA: Western Publishing. Co., 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Winneshiek County With Biographical Sketches of its Eminent Men. By Charles H. Sparks. Decorah, IA: J.A. Leonard, 1877. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Indian History of Winneshiek County. By Charles Philip Hexom. Decorah, IA: A.K. Bailey & Sons Incorporated, 1913. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
 * Past and Present of Winneshiek County, Iowa. By Edwin C. Bailey. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.


 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Winneshiek County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1874-1875 Winneshiek County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1875-2007 Winneshiek County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1915 Fire Insurance Maps for Winneshiek County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1915.
 * 1958-1959 Winneshiek County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Winneshiek County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Winneshiek County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Winneshiek County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Winneshiek County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * 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

Civil War service men in Winneshiek 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 K
 * - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
 * - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
 * - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company K
 * - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1851-1868 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1855-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * (*); Winneshiek County Historical Society at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1852-1977 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1910-1927 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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

 * 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

 * Austin Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * LaCrosse Wisconsin FamilySearch Center
 * Mason City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * La Crosse Public Library-Archives Department - an affiliate library
 * Rochester Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Decorah Public Library 202 Winnebago Street Decorah, IA 52101 Phone: 563-382-3717 Email:[mailto:dpl@decorah.lib.ia.us dpl@decorah.lib.ia.us] Website Facebook

Museums
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum 520 W Water Street PO Box 379 Decorah, IA 52101-0379 Phone: 563-382-9681 Website Facebook

Societies
Decorah Genealogy Association 808 River Street Decorah, IA 52101 Phone: 563-382-4197 Email: [mailto:decorahgenealogyassociation@gmail.com decorahgenealogyassociation@gmail.com] Website Facebook Howard-Winneshiek Genealogical Society, IAGenWeb Project PO Box 362 Cresco, IA 52136-0362 Phone: 563-547-2540 Email: [mailto:webmaster@cresco.lib.ia.us webmaster@cresco.lib.ia.us] Website Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission 201 W Main Street PO Box 63 Decorah, IA 52101-0063 Phone: 563-382-5085 Email: [mailto:winneshiek.historical.society@gmail.com winneshiek.historical.society@gmail.com] Website Winneshiek County Historical Society 509 W Broadway PO Box 63 Decorah, IA 52101-0063 Phone: 563-382-4166 E-mail:[mailto:winneshiek.historical.society@gmail.com winneshiek.historical.society@gmail.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
 * Winneshiek County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Winneshiek County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Winneshiek County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Winneshiek County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Winneshiek 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.