Sac County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Sac County was named for the Sauk people and is located in western Iowa.

County Courthouse
Sac County Courthouse 100 NW State Street, Ste. 12 Sac City, IA 50583 Phone: 712-662-7791 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

 * Biographical History of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa: With Personal Histories of Many of the Early Settlers and leading Families. Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
 * History of Sac County, Iowa: With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens. By William H. Hart. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, 1914. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II - Internet Archive, HathiTrust.


 * Sac County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
 * IAGenWeb Biographies

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

Directories

 * Sac County Red Book: An Atlas and Breeders' Directory, 1924. 1924. Sac, IA: Sac Sun. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Funeral Homes

 * Christensen Van Houten Funeral Services in Odebolt
 * Farber and Otteman Funeral Homes in Lake View, Odebolt, Sac City and Wall Lake
 * Fratzke and Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1877   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1855-1868  at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1856-1923   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1857-1906   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1857-1920   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1877-1885   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1887-1954   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * Biographical History of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa: With Personal Histories of Many of the Early Settlers and leading Families. Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
 * History of Sac County, Iowa: With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens. By William H. Hart. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, 1914. Online at:  Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II -  Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Sac County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1893-1915 Fire Insurance Maps for Sac County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1893nd 1915.
 * 1904-2007 Sac County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * Standard Atlas of Sac County, Iowa. 1908, Chicago, IL: Geo. A. Ogle & Company, Publishers and Engravers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Sac County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Sac County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Sac County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * Standard Atlas of Sac County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Sac County at State Library of Iowa.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 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

Civil War
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1862-1910 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
 * 1875-1943 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index
 * 1875-1943 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 1 index, images

Newspapers

 * Schaller Herald. 1957. Schaller, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * Sac Sun. 1955. Sac County, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * Sac County Newspapers etc

Obituaries

 * IAGenWeb Obits

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1857-1925 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1934 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1880-1900 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1888-1925 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1889-1895 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1895-1925 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1909-1916 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — 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
 * 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

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

 * Fort Dodge Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Sioux City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Danish Immigrant Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries
Sac City Public Library 1001 West Main Street Sac City, IA 50583 Phone: 712-662-7276 Email: [mailto:knelsen@saccity.lib.ia.us knelsen@saccity.lib.ia.us] Website Wall Lake Public Library 116 Main Street P.O. Box 68 Wall Lake, IA 51466 Phone: 712-664-2983 Email: [mailto:jody.fischer@walllake.lib.ia.us jody.fischer@walllake.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
 Lake View Historical Museum 114 Crescent Park Drive Lake View, IA 51450 Phone: 712-657-2634 Email: [mailto:info@lakeviewlifestyle.com info@lakeviewlifestyle.com] Website  Iowa Rural Schools Museum 122 West Second Street Odebolt, IA 51458 Phone: 712-668-4285 Email: [mailto:ruralschoolsiowa@gmail.com ruralschoolsiowa@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Sac County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 54 Sac City, IA 50583 Website

Websites

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