Buena Vista County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Buena Vista County was named for the Battle of Buena Vista and is located in northwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Buena Vista County Courthouse 215 E 5th St P.O. Box 1186 Storm Lake, IA 50588-1186 Phone: 712-749-2546 Buena Vista County Courthouse

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 Western Iowa, its Settlement and Growth. Sioux City, IA: Western Publishing Co., 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library,  Internet Archive.
 * Index to History of Western Iowa. Compiled by Oakland Genealogical Society, 1974. n.p.: n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Buena Vista County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Bios Project

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
Church Records and Indexes
 * FamilySearch Places
 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Churches

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

Directories

 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Directories

Funeral Homes

 * Fratzke and Jensen Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Alta, Newell and Storm Lake
 * Nicklas D Jensen Funeral Homes in Alta
 * Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City, Marathon, Sioux Rapids and Storm Lake

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

 * Buena Vista County History, Iowa. Writers' Program. Storm Lake, Iowa : n.p., 1942. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.
 * Northwestern Iowa, its History and Traditions. By Arthur Francis Allen. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1927. Online at: HathiTrust, Ancestry ($);.
 * Past and Present of Buena Vista County, Iowa. By C. H. Wegerslev and Thomas Walpole. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Buena Vista County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1904-2007 Buena Vista County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1893-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Buena Vista County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1893 and 1933.
 * Buena Vista County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Maps.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Buena Vista County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Buena Vista County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns-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
 * Buena Vista County Military Records

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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1877-1929 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Obituaries
[http://iagenweb.org/boards/buenavista/obituaries/index.cgi? Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Obits Project]

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1871-1926 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

School Records

 * 1919 Rudder, Buena Vista College
 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Schools

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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 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 ($)
 * Buena Vista County IAGenWeb Death Records

FamilySearch Centers

 * Fort Dodge Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Sioux City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Alta Community Library 1009 S Main St Alta, IA 51002 Phone: 712-200-1250 Website Newell Public Library 205 East 2nd Street PO Box 183 Newell, IA 5056 Phone: 712-272-4334 Email: [mailto:newellpubliclibrary@gmail.com newellpubliclibrary@gmail.com] Website

Museums
Buena Vista County Historical Society And Museum 214 West 5th Street Storm Lake, IA Phone: 712-732-4955 Email: [mailto:info@stormlakeunited.com info@stormlakeunited.com] Facebook

Societies
Buena Vista County Genealogical Society 221 W Railroad Storm Lake, IA 50588 Phone: 712-732-7111 Email: [mailto:famhisbv@ncn.net famhisbv@ncn.net] Website Buena Vista County Historical Society 214 West 5th Street Storm Lake, IA 50588 Phone: 712-732-4955 Facebook

Websites

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