Winnebago County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Winnebago County was named for the Ho-Chunk or Hoocągra tribe and is located in north-central Iowa.

County Courthouse
Winnebago County Courthouse 126 S Clark Forest City, IA 50436 Phone: 641-585-4520 Winnebago 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 Kossuth, Hancock, and Winnebago Counties, Iowa: Together With Sketches of Their Cities, Villages, and Townships ... Biographies of Representative Citizens. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress, and Achievement. Chicago, IL: The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1917. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.


 * Winnebago County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Biographies, 1884
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Biographies, 1917
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Bios

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
Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Church Records
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Court Records

 * 1875 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories
Winnebago County IAGenWeb Directories

Funeral Homes

 * Oakcrest Funeral Services in Buffalo Center
 * Schott Funeral Home in Forest City and Lake Mills

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

 * History of Kossuth, Hancock, and Winnebago Counties, Iowa: Together With Sketches of Their Cities, Villages, and Townships ... Biographies of Representative Citizens. Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1884. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress, and Achievement. Chicago, IL: The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1917. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Land Records

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Winnebago County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1901-1942 Fire Insurance Maps for Winnebago County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1901 and 1942.
 * 1904-2007 Winnebago County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * IAGenWeb - Winnebago County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Winnebago County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Winnebago County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Winnebago 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
 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb 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
 * 1865-1939 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — part indexes, images

Newspapers

 * 1894-2007- Buffalo Center Tribune Archives, Winnebago County
 * 1955 — Forest City Summit at Ancestry.com ($) — Forest City, IA, USA

Obituaries

 * Winnebago County IAGenWeb Obits

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1858-1946 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1885-1933 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Winnebago County IAGenWeb School Records

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 ($)

Divorce

 * 1898-1928 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Austin Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Mason City Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Forest City Public Library 115 East L Street Forest City, IA 50436 Phone: 641-585-4542 Email:[mailto:library@forestcityia.com library@forestcityia.com] Website

Museums
Heritage Town Center Museum 201 2nd Avenue SW Buffalo Center, IA 50424 Phone: 641-562-2505 Email:[mailto:bclib4@wctatel.net bclib4@wctatel.net] Website Facebook Mansion Museum 336 N Clark Street Forest City, IA 50436 Phone: 641-585-2584 Email: [mailto:info@mansionmuseumforestcityiowa.org info@mansionmuseumforestcityiowa.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Winnebago Historical Society 336 N Clark Street Forest City, IA 50436 Phone: 641-585-2308 Email: [mailto:info@winnebagohistoricalsocietyiowa.org info@winnebagohistoricalsocietyiowa.org] 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
 * Winnebago County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Winnebago County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Winnebago County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Winnebago County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Winnebago 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.