Adair County, Iowa Genealogy


 * This article is about a southwestern Iowa county. For other uses, see Adair.

United States Iowa  Adair County

County Courthouse
Adair County Courthouse P. O. Box L Greenfield, IA 5089-1290

(515) 743-2445

Parent County
1851--Adair County was created in January 15, 1851 from Pottawattamie, Dallas, Mahaska, Monroe, Polk and Cass Counties. County records are housed in Greenfield. County. The county was attached to Pottawattamie and Cass Counties prior to organization 6 May 1854. County seat: Greenfield

Record Loss
1889 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:
 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Extinct Communities

 * Berea

Neighboring Counties
Adams | Audubon | Cass | Dallas | Guthrie | Madison | Union

Cemeteries
Cemeteries for Adair County are:

Transcriptions for some of these cemeteries can be found at:


 * FindAGrave.com
 * Interment.net cemetery records.
 * Iowa WPA Graves Registration
 * Iowa Gravestone Photo Project
 * Saving Graves
 * Tombstone Transcription Project

The has several films with information about the cemeteries in Adair County. For more information about cemeteries in Iowa see the Iowa Cemeteries page.

Census
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article.

Court

 * Affidavit index, 1907-1924. Microfilm of originals housed at the Clerk of the District Court, Adair County, Greenfield, Iowa. Affidavits concerning land transactions.

For more information about the courts in Iowa see the Iowa Court Records page.

Land

 * Affidavit index, 1907-1924. Microfilm of originals housed at the Clerk of the District Court, Adair County, Greenfield, Iowa. Affidavits concerning land transactions.


 * Homestead records 1878-1972, Land transfer records 1858-1916; index 1855-1920, Miscellaneous records, 1880-1911; index 1880-1916, Tax deed records 1873-1954, Town lot deed records 1855-1918, Town lot transfer records 1867-1991; index 1870-1991

Local Histories

 * History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
 * Adair County History in Photos

Maps
David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.


 * Map of Adair County, Iowa 1882. Includes inset maps of Greenfield, Adair, Orient, Casey, Stuart, Port Union, Fontanelle and the state of Iowa.
 * Standard atlas or Adair County, Iowa : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county. Landowners are shown on the township maps.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European settlers included:


 * Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

Military

 * Soldiers discharge record, 1887-1952 Microfilm of original records found in the Adair County Courthouse. Adair - Military records; World War, 1914-1918. World War, 1939-1945.

For more information about the Military in Adair see the Iowa Military Records page.

Newspapers

 * Adair News
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries under the name AccessNewspaperArchive.

Obituaries

 * Adair County, Iowa obituaries, 1907-1959. Micro reproduction of originals housed at the Greenfield Public Library, Greenfield, Iowa.


 * Adair County, Iowa obituaries, Obituaries 1934-1978. Micro reproduction of originals housed at the Greenfield Public Library, Greenfield, Iowa. Also includes Death records 1940-1959.

Probate

 * contains information about administrator's, executor's, and guardian's bonds, 1858-1902; Probate packets, 1854-1926; index, 1854-1926; Probate records 1857-1952; index, 1857-1965; Probate register, 1868-1886; Will records, 1858-1979.

Societies and Libraries

 * Greenfield Public Library 202 S 1st Street Phone: 641-743-6120

Web Sites

 * Adair County Anquestors Genealogy Society Adair County, Iowa
 * Adair County Biographies part 1
 * Adair County Biographies part 2
 * Adair County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Adair County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)