Tama County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Tama County was named for Taimah, a leader of the Mesquaki Indians. The county is located in central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Tama County Courthouse 100 West High Street / P.O. Box 306 Toledo, IA 52342 Phone: 641-484-3721 Tama 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 Tama County, Iowa: and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1883. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Hurrah for Bonnie Iowa: an authentic story of two families from Scotland who pioneered in Iowa. By Janette Stevenson Murray and Janet Murray Fiske. Lake Mills, IA: Graphic Publishing Co., 1963. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Tama 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 ($)

Directories

 * 1879 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Anderson Funeral Homes in Gladbrook
 * Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama
 * Overton Funeral Homes in Dysart and Traer

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * A History of Tama County, Iowa. By J.R. Caldwell. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1910. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
 * History of Tama County, Iowa: and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1883. Online at: Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Tama County, Iowa: Its Cities, Towns and Villages. By Samuel D. Chapman. Toledo, IA: Toledo Times Office, 1879. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Ancestry ($).
 * Tama County, Iowa in the World War, 1917-1918. Tama, IA: Tama News. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Tama County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Tama County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1915 Fire Insurance Maps for Tama County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1875 and 2007.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Tama County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Tama County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Iowa USGS Topographic.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Tama County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Tama County at State Library of Iowa.
 * 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 Tama 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:
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
 * - 24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 28th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1845-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — part index, images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1955 — Gladbrook Tama Northern at Ancestry.com ($) — Gladbrook, IA, USA

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1853-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1854-1913 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1924 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — District Court
 * 1856-1970 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1863-1903 (*); 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 & images ($)
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1865-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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

 * 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Belle Plaine Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Marshalltown Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Newton Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * African American Museum Of Iowa - an affiliate library
 * Genealogical Society of Linn County Iowa dba Cedar Rapids Area Genealogy Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Tama County Historical Society & Genealogical Library 200 N. Broadway Toledo, IA 52342 Phone: 641-484-6767 Website Norma Anders Public Library 320 Main Street Dysart, IA Phone: 319-476-5210 Website Toledo Public Library 206 East High Street Toledo, IA 52342 Phone: 641-484-3362 Email: [mailto:tpl@toledo.lib.ia.us tpl@toledo.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
Meskwaki Nation Cultural Center & Museum 303 Meskwaki Road Mailing Address: 349 Meskwaki Road Tama, IA 52339 Phone: 641-484-3185 Toll Free: 800-944-9503 Website Traer Historical Museum 514 2nd Street Traer, IA 50675 Phone: 319-478-2346 Email: [mailto:traermuseum@gmail.com traermuseum@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Tama County Tracers Genealogical Society and Historical Society 200 N. Broadway Toledo, IA 52342-0084 Phone: 641-484-6767 Website Dysart Historical Society 612 Crisman Street Dysart, IA 52224 Phone: 319-476-7345 Email: [mailto:dhs_612@fctc.coop dhs_612@fctc.coop] Website

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